Category: ARC

The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay

The Rain Watcher

3 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: October 30th, 2018

Genre: General Fiction

Where you can find The Rain Watcher: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The first new novel in four years from the beloved superstar author of Sarah’s Key, a heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, in the tradition of THE NEST.

The Rain Watcher is a powerful family drama set in Paris as the Malegarde family gathers to celebrate the father’s 70th birthday. Their hidden fears and secrets are slowly unraveled as the City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster. Seen through the eyes of charismatic photographer Linden Malegarde, the youngest son, all members of the family will have to fight to keep their unity against tragic circumstances.

In this profound and intense novel of love and redemption, De Rosnay demonstrates all of her writer’s skills both as an incredible storyteller but also as a soul seeker.

My review:

The Rain Watcher was one of those books that showed up on a Read Now email from NetGalley and I added it. Why I added it? Well, I liked the cover. I loved seeing the Eiffel Tower behind glass with rain on it. When I read the blurb, I figured “”Why not. The worst case scenario is that I don’t like it. The best is that I love it“. Well, my feeling for this book falls somewhere between love and hate.

I was not familiar with anything written by Tatiana De Rosnay. Since I like reading books by authors that are unknown to me, I was excited to start reading this book. My excitement was strong when I started reading The Rain Watcher. But as the book went on, my excitement started to go away. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the plotline, I did. It was the writing style. It was hard for me to get used to. That was a big consideration when it came to giving my star rating to this book.

As much as I hate saying this, I couldn’t connect with Linden, Tilla, or Lauren. It’s not that I didn’t like them, I couldn’t connect to them as a people. I did feel bad for Linden, though. He couldn’t come out to his father. Did he want to? Yes, but he was scarred by Lauren’s reaction when he told her. Tilla came across as unhappy in her life. That was the vibe I got from her. Unhappy with how her life has turned out. And Lauren, well, she wasn’t present for 90% of the book. How can I connect to a character who wasn’t there?

I did like that it was set in Paris. I didn’t understand what the author was talking about when she kept referring to the street names, neighborhoods. I had to google everything. I don’t mind googling one or two things. But when I have to google every French word/term that comes up (or use my Kindle’s translator), then it becomes tedious. Plus, I couldn’t get into the storyline as much as I wanted to.

I did like the storylines. I thought that the natural disaster that Paris went through during the book was fascinating. I also thought that the storyline with the unknown boy and his babysitter, Suzanne, was compelling. I did figure that out about halfway through who the unknown boy was. I loved how the author didn’t make the evacuation of Paris perfect and she didn’t bother to gloss over the flood.  I also did like Paul’s stroke and the fall out from that. It did force Linden to think about some things that he would have rather not have. Like his Aunt Candy and Hadrian.

But there were dropped storylines as well. Like Lauren and her ex-fiance. After Linden confronted her, it went away. I wanted to know what was going on. Also, the whole Oriel and touring the city with her. That went away towards the end of the book. I was wondering what happened to her. Same with Linden’s agent, who kept texting him about his important photo shoot. Did she reschedule it or what?

The end of the book was bittersweet. I was left feeling unfulfilled and a little disappointed. What I liked was that the author didn’t make this a normal happy ending. While there were some happy elements to it, it was mostly sad. The author did a great job at wrapping up the main storylines but didn’t wrap up the secondary ones. Even though I wasn’t fond of this book, I am curious to read other books by the author.

What I liked about The Rain Watcher:

  1. The main storylines
  2. The book was set in Paris
  3. Great job at wrapping up the main storylines

What I disliked about The Rain Watcher:

  1. The writing style made the book hard to read
  2. I couldn’t connect with any of the main characters
  3. Dropped storylines

I gave The Rain Watcher a 3-star rating. While I liked the storyline and the location the book was set, I felt that the writing style overwhelmed them. I couldn’t connect with any of the main characters. Which is big, because I need to be able to connect with at least one character to make the book enjoyable to read. I also didn’t like that there were dropped storylines.

I would give The Rain Watcher an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There is a rape scene, while not graphic, is still disturbing. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Rain Watcher. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends. I am open to reading anything else by the author.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Rain Watcher.

All opinions stated in this review of The Rain Watcher are mine.

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

A Nanny for Harry by Sylvia Mulholland

A Nanny for Harry by [Mulholland, Sylvia]

2.5 Stars

Publisher: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Member’s Titles

Date of publication: April 1st, 2018

Genre: Parenting, Families, Women’s Fiction, General Fiction

Where you can find A Nanny for Harry: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

JUGGLING ON EMPTY? WHO’S YOUR NANNY?
Kali Miller hasn’t even given birth to baby Harry when doctor-husband Matt ‘helpfully’ hires a live-in nanny. Britta is svelte, blonde and beguiling, and Swedish enough to make any new mother insecure, especially one who looks and feels as ginormous post-delivery as she did the day before. But a nanny means Kali can go back to work at her law firm where she is desperate to make partner. The Millers’ seaside house will be nice and clean; their meals healthy and fresh, and Harry well looked after. It’s the only option, really, for career women like Kali.

But Britta’s idea of cooking is fiskpinnar (fish sticks) in the microwave. She leaves blonde hairballs between the sofa cushions and has cute, broken-English convos with Matt, leaving the dirty diapers and other chores for Kali. The only thing Britta has in common with those super-nannies that all Kali’s friends seem to have is that she’ll probably never quit. And of course, Harry adores her!

As Kali’s life becomes increasingly frenetic —not helped by a disgruntled client out to get her for a deal gone bad—she starts losing her grip on reality. The top brass at her firm now views her more as a potential liability, than partnership material. And Matt seems to have some mysterious ‘history’ with Harry’s nanny. Just who is this Britta Edvardsson? And what does she want with Matt… and little Harry?

My review:

Kali is a lawyer who is about to have her first baby. Her husband is a doctor who works crazy hours. After giving birth to Harry, Kali starts doing walk-throughs at the local daycares. What she sees doesn’t work for her and she mentions to Matt that it would be nice to have a live-in nanny. A few days later, he surprises her with Britta. Britta is slim, blonde and beautiful. That alone makes Kali insecure. But, she needs the help and allows her to stay. Kali thinks that with Britta there, the house would be clean, chores would be done and meals would be cooked along with the baby being looked after. Well, that was a dream. The only thing that Britta does is look after Harry. Everything else is left for Kali when she gets off work. Things come to a head when Kali suspects that there is more to Matt and Britta’s relationship than what he says. Will Kali get the truth from Matt? Or will their relationship implode?

I got the impression, from the blurb, that this book was going to be some sort of mystery/thriller. Instead, what I got was a book about how communication is good in a relationship and how assuming things always bites you in the butt. The blurb is not a great reflection on what this book is about.

At the beginning of the book, I felt bad for Kali. I remember those last weeks before I delivered my youngest child. I was miserable and swollen. I was snappy and emotional. I got it and sympathized with her. But, as the book went on, my sympathy started to turn to annoyance. Instead of taking charge, she wallowed in pity. She wanted a different nanny. Other than complaining about it, she did nothing. She complained about Britta not cleaning or cooking. She could have made it clear that it was part of her job. She didn’t talk to Matt when she had suspicions. Instead, she stewed on them. In turn, she made life miserable for everyone in that house. It carried over to her work and she made some serious mistakes. Instead of taking the blame for that, she kept blaming her home life for her mistakes. By the end of the book, I was frustrated and wanted to smack her.

My sympathy lay with Britta. That poor girl. Kali put her through the wringer. Of course, since Kali couldn’t speak Swedish, Britta was calling her a few choice names to her face. Which made me laugh. I didn’t blame Britta. She was living with a woman who didn’t like or trust her. If I were her, I wouldn’t have gone back. I would have given Kali the two-finger salute.

I couldn’t believe the lack of communication between Matt and Kali. I didn’t like seeing their relationship go downhill because they didn’t talk. But, to be fair, the times that Kali did try to talk to Matt about what was going on, he shut her down. I thought Matt was a bit of a jerk. His comment in the delivery room along with what happened at the end of the book sealed the deal for me.

The storyline about Kali and her job added nothing to the story except how stressed she was. I started getting stressed out when reading what was going on with work.

The end of A Nanny for Harry was your typical ending. But it didn’t ring true to me. I didn’t get that Kali could be so accepting about Britta. I mean, she didn’t like her the entire book. The sudden acceptance of her didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t understand how Matt never mentioned certain things from his past and his relationship with Britta.

The author did a great job at wrapping up all the storylines. There was nothing left hanging. There were also there were no dropped storylines. I thought that the Kali and Britta storyline had good bones to it. If the author went the way I thought she was going to, this book would have gotten a higher rating from me. I also felt that the characters weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been.

I gave A Nanny for Harry a 2.5-star rating. The book was wonderfully written but I couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The one thing that I liked about this book was that it did show that life after having a child isn’t always perfect.

I would give A Nanny for Harry an Adult rating. There is no sex (imagine that!!). There is mild violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would not reread A Nanny for Harry. I also would not recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Sylvia Mulholland, Independent Book Publisher’s, and Member’s Titles for allowing me to read and review A Nanny for Harry.

All opinions are stated in this review of A Nanny for Harry are mine.

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

Have you read A Nanny for Harry?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Stripped Down (Tap That: Book 1) by Erin McCarthy

Stripped Down

3.5 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: October 29th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Tap That

Stripped Down–book 1

Where you can find Stripped Down: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | BookBub

Goodreads synopsis:

His best friend’s hot older sister.
Her younger brother’s annoying sidekick.
And one forbidden kiss in high school…

It was complicated back then. It’s even more so now.

Because former mean girl Sloane rolls back in town to find Rick stripping at a charity event like he was born with biceps.
And single dad Rick is her landlord.
And her brother will murder him if he has sex with her.

But sometimes you have to strip it all down to see what was there all along…

My review:

Rick and Sloane have a history. Sloane was a former mean girl who shared an earth-shattering kiss with her younger brother’s best friend. Rick was that friend and he has changed in the years since that kiss. Sloane is not looking to start a relationship. Hurt by a bitter divorce, all she wants is to be left alone. But that doesn’t happen. After seeing Rick stripping for a charity auction, Sloane needs to see if Rick lives up to the promise in his boxers. Rick wants to know if kissing Sloane now was as good as kissing her back then. Determined to keep each other in the friends with benefits zone, they both start to fall for each other. But can it last? Can Rick and Sloane keep it at sex? Or will it blow up in their faces?

I wasn’t too sure if I liked Rick and Sloane as a couple. I got rebound relationship vibes from them. Sloane was fresh from a divorce. Her ex-husband cheated on her and that made her feel like she wasn’t attractive. So, I wasn’t surprised when she ended up sleeping with Rick.

I thought it was hilarious that such a big deal was made about Rick’s package. I giggled through Sloane’s reaction to seeing it. I giggled through people saying that “he grew into it“. Seeing that I was in bed, I got some dirty looks from my SO because well, it was 11pm and I was laughing my fool butt off.

I liked that Rich thought himself to be a smooth operator. His confidence was awesome. His determination to sleep with Sloane was amazing, considering at his bestie threatened to rearrange his face. His one-liners to her were hilarious. But I also liked seeing his other side. His mature and responsible side. His devotion to his 9-year-old sister was amazing. I was saddened by the fact that he had to become her legal guardian at such a young age. But I was also saddened over the situation that led to it. His truth bomb on his father was something that needed to be said. It saddened me to see that he grew up like that but still. He was the complete package.

I felt bad for Sloane. I couldn’t imagine how she felt when her husband told her that he was cheating on her. Betrayed was the closest thing that I could come up with as a feeling. I didn’t blame her when she moved back to her hometown. I was a little surprised when she decided to hook up with Rick and then keep hooking up with him. I was also surprised when she started having feelings for him.

Sloane and Rick did have some unbelievable chemistry. From the minute their eyes met, it radiated from them. So I wasn’t too surprised that the sex was hot. I did think that Sloane was going to have a problem walking because Rick was so big (haha). The scene on the motorcycle was insane. I will never look at a motorcycle the same again.

The end of the book was a big “Eh” for me. I did think that Sullivan’s reaction after the Ferris Wheel scene was a bit much. Also, what is with everyone ditching the baby with Axl? Other than that, I liked the end of the book. It was sweet. Sloane deserved it.

I gave Stripped Down a 3.5-star rating. This was a fast read with memorable characters. There were some elements that I didn’t like. The ending didn’t resonate with me as much as I wanted it to. Also, I didn’t think that Rick and Sloane made a believable couple. Other than that, I enjoyed reading the book and look forward to book 2.

I would give Stripped Down an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There are some triggers in this book. They would be cheating and animal neglect/abuse. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book. Same goes if you are triggered too.

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

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Stripped Down.

All opinions stated in this review of Stripped Down are mine.

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

Have you read Stripped Down?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Our Life in the Forest by Marie Darrieussecq

Our Life in the Forest

3 Stars

Publisher: Text Publishing

Date of publication: October 25th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Where you can find Our Life in the Forest: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

In the near future, a woman is writing in the depths of a forest. She’s cold. Her body is falling apart, as is the world around her. She’s lost the use of one eye; she’s down to one kidney, one lung. Before, in the city, she was a psychotherapist, treating patients who had suffered trauma, in particular, a man, “the clicker”. Every two weeks, she traveled out to the Rest Centre, to visit her “half”, Marie, her spitting image, who lay in an induced coma, her body parts available whenever the woman needed them.

As a form of resistance against the terror in the city, the woman flees, along with other fugitives and their halves. But life in the forest is disturbing too—the reanimated halves are behaving like uninhibited adolescents. And when she sees a shocking image of herself on video, are her worst fears confirmed?

Our Life in the Forest, written in her inimitable concise, vivid prose recalls Darrieusecq’s brilliant debut, Pig Tales. A dystopian tale in the vein of Never Let Me Go, this is a clever novel of chilling suspense that challenges our ideas about the future, about organ-trafficking, about identity, clones, and the place of the individual in a surveillance state.

My review

When I first saw Our Life in the Forest, it was in a Read Now email from NetGalley. What attracted me to the book, before reading the blurb, was the cover. This is one of the more original covers that I have seen. I didn’t get why the human body parts were mixed in with trees and flowers. But, having read the book, I understand 100% now. When I read the blurb, I felt that this would be a book that I would enjoy.

I didn’t enjoy reading Our Life in the Forest. Which was a huge disappointment to me. There were no chapters, which was a huge thing for me. That led to me having issues following the plotline. Maybe I am old-fashioned but I need for a book to have chapters. I need those small breaks. Mainly to adjust to anything that was thrown at me during the last chapter.

I did like the storyline and thought it was original. Not a lot of books I can say that about. I liked how the author had Vivianne remembering her life before the forest. I got a good feel for her character and why she did what she did. Now, I didn’t like Vivianne. I thought she was selfish and self-centered. I do believe that the author wrote her that way on purpose. It made what was happening around her come more into focus.

I am not going to get into the ending. I will say that there is a huge twist in the book that I didn’t see coming. One that made me go “WTH” when I read it. I was not expecting what I read and it stuck with me after I finished the book.

What I liked about Our Life in the Forest:

A) The cover

B) The storyline

C) The ending

What I disliked about Our Life in the Forest:

A) No chapters in the book

B) I had an issue following the plotline

C) Vivianne. I didn’t like her

I gave Our Life in the Forest a 3-star review. This is a compelling dystopia. It is not an easy read for me. There were no chapters and I had issues following the plotline. The ending did save the book. It was a stunner.

I would give Our Life in the Forest an Adult rating. There is sex but it isn’t graphic. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Our Life in the Forest. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Text Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Our Life in the Forest.

All opinions stated in this review of Our Life in the Forest are mine.

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

Big Stick (Aces Hockey: Book 7) by Kelly Jamieson

Big Stick (Aces Hockey, #7)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 23rd, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Aces Hockey

Major Misconduct—Book 1

Off Limits—Book 1.5

Icing—Book 2

Top Shelf—Book 3

Back Check—Book 4

Slap Shot—Book 5–review here

Playing Hurt—Book 6–review here

Big Stick—Book 7

Game On—Book 8–expected publication date January 15th, 2019

Where you can find Big Stick: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

A brooding hockey hunk learns to embrace life—and love—from a single mom who takes the world one puck at a time.

Big move . . . Jodie’s motto is “Don’t wait for the perfect moment – take the moment and make it perfect.” And that’s just what she decides to do when she moves to Chicago with her two-year-old daughter. Now all Jodie needs is a place to live, and her best friend’s boyfriend has just the answer.

Big stick . . . Nick Balachov has zero interest in socializing, partying, or flirting now. It’s not that he doesn’t like women. He loves them. It’s just that hockey, casual hookups, and hanging out at home are enough for him these days. Now Nick has a big problem – because the woman living in his empty coach house is a major distraction.

Big deal? The more Nick tries to keep his distance, the more Jodie needs him – around the house, that is. First, he helps with the snowstorm, then the power outage. Nick even finds himself trying to impress her little girl. What the hell is wrong with him? Jodie represents everything Nick doesn’t want. But maybe she’s just what he needs. . . .

My review:

I want to clue you all in for my first paragraph. Usually, when I say that, it is because the book has made me bawl my eyes out or it sucks. Well, in this case, it is neither. This clue is about the timeline of the book. I am going to assume that most of you have read the earlier books in the Aces Hockey series. Big Stick’s plotline coincides with Playing Hurt’s. Actually, Big Stick starts off with what was mid-book for Playing Hurt. What clued me in? The party where Nick met Jodie was one of Chase and Jordyn’s first dates. Then little hints of their relationship showed up in Big Stick. Like when they broke up and Nick had that talk with Chase. It was mentioned in this book after it happened. So, if you are reading Big Stick and happen to see Chase and Jordyn’s names come up, don’t be “WTF“. The author chose to start Nick and Jodie’s story around the same time. It was also a smart move on the author’s part. That would make me look into buying the other books in the series.

Playing Hurt is Nick and Jodie’s story. Nick is a loner. He is a grouch. He hates little kids (his words, not mine). He wants to be left alone. Nick is still dealing with the death of his brother, 3 years later. A death that he feels responsible for. He figures that he is better off keeping to himself. Then he meets Jodie. Jodie is the complete opposite of Nick. She loves to socialize. She is the complete opposite of a grouch. She likes to surround herself with people. She also has a 2-year-old daughter. After a disastrous run-in at a party hosted by Hallsy and Kendra, Jodie is left with the wrong impression of Nick. When Jodie decides she is outstaying her welcome at Hallsy and Kendra’s apartment, Nick makes her an offer. Live in his coach house for minimal rent until she can get on her feet. What could happen? Well, hot monkey sex and falling in love. But can it last? Can Nick decide that he needs Jodie and her daughter in his life or will he let them go?

The two main characters, Nick and Jodie, were complete polar opposites. Since this is a romance novel, they were going to get together. But man, they were like night and day. Nick was serious and kept to himself. Jodie was not serious and loved to socialize. If this was going to be a real-life couple, I would say that their relationship wouldn’t have lasted for very long. But it did. The author, somehow, made them being opposites work in their favor. He was able to come around to being more social and she tried being a bit more serious.

I will say that I loved Jodie’s daughter. I wanted to reach through the screen and squeeze her. Her reaction to Nick was hilarious. “A big giant” was one of the best lines in the book. I also loved her “face fur” comment. That sounded like something one of my kids would have said about their father. I did feel bad for what happened to her in the book. I would have had the same reaction as Nick.

Jodie and Nick had some serious chemistry going on. Sparks flew when they first met. I had a mental bet going on with myself (so sad, huh) about how long it would take for them to start having sex. I lost the bet. They actually held out longer than I thought they would have. Speaking of sex, it was hot. So very hot. My only complaint is that they went bareback so soon after becoming “friends” (hint). I eye-rolled at that. Other than that, I enjoyed the sex scenes. The butt play scenes were my favorite. Only because few authors go there. It’s like its taboo to do it.

I like how the author chose to discuss Nick’s issues. Suicide and depression are hard to write about and I thought she did a great job at handling it. Aleks story was heartbreaking and Nick’s guilt over not being there for him was even more so. I liked seeing Nick coming to realize that to get on with his life, he needs to get over Aleks death.

The end of the book was great. I had thought that Nick was a jerk to end things the way he did with Jodie. I understood that he was scared to death but still, he could have had more finesse. I loved the talk that Hallsy had with him. Love, love, loved it. It was stuff that Nick needed to hear, no matter how hard it was to listen to. I am not going to talk about the end of the book. Let’s say that I was pretty happy with what happened. What Zyanna asked Nick in the epilogue made my heart melt.

I gave Big Stick a 4-star rating. This was a sexy, fun read with some serious topics discussed. The author handled the topics of depression and suicide tactfully. She handled the aftermath tactfully too. I loved the ending and the epilogue.

I would give Big Stick an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There are also trigger warnings. They would be suicide and depression. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 or who is triggered by the trigger warnings read this book.

I would reread Big Stick. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would give a heads up about the trigger warning.

If you or anyone you love is depressed or thinking of suicide, please don’t. Contact a friend, a doctor or call the National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-8255). You matter your life matters.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Big Stick are mine.

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

Have you read Until We Are Free?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Until We Are Free (Until: Book 1) by TM Blayte

Until We Are Free (Until #1)

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Alban Lake Publishing

Date of publication: August 1st, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia

Series: Until

Until We Are Free—Book 1

Where you can find Until We Are Free: Infinite Realms

Goodreads synopsis:

Nyl Jayms is tasked with kidnapping the Elder princess, to force her brother, the king, to negotiate with humans. The alternative is a war that could lead to the annihilation of both humans and Elders.

A Rider Council faction, led by Nyl’s father, is opposed to any negotiations. They will do anything, including sabotaging his assignment, to trigger a war.

Nyl and his team have to outsmart the king’s elite Royal Guard, to get to the princess, and somehow stay one step ahead of the faction opposed to negotiations. Everyone will be forced to re-evaluate ideology they were raised with, as an impending war looms ever closer.

Join these élite rebel warriors on a journey of war, betrayal, and political scheming, in Until We Are Free. In this debut novel from TM Blayte, faces of friends, family, allies, and enemies will blur. Loyalties will be tested until the determination to be free becomes the only thing that matters. After all, does one person’s freedom mean another person’s oppression?

My review:

Nyl is a 16-year-old boy who has graduated from Rider Training Camp. The Rider Training Camp is where the rebels go to train their children to fight against the Elders. The Elders are an alien race that has taken over Earth. They have kept the humans living there under severe oppression. Nyl’s first mission out of Camp is one that has failed in the past. He needs to kidnap the Elder princess. The leaders of the Rebel faction were going to use her as a bargaining chip to gain their freedom. What Nyl and his friends weren’t expecting were other Riders sabotaging the assignment. War becomes a reality when the Princess escapes. But Nyl isn’t ready for the reality of war. He also comes to realize that the war isn’t exactly black and white. That friendship can change with war. And that you can’t always trust the people who you grew up with.

I liked Nyl. He was smart and he thought well on his feet. He picked up on what was going on with the council before his father told him. Well, he had some help from Tamira with that. What I liked is that while he was dedicated to the Rider cause, he began to see that how the Rider’s went about overthrowing the Elders weren’t the best way to get things done. It was the end of the book that showed how his character had grown. I am to see what he will do with what he knows in the next book.

I thought that the main plotline of Until We Are Free was interesting. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept my attention to the end. It was well fleshed out. I did have some questions about the Elders at the beginning of the book that were answered towards the end. I also had some questions about the different bloodlines that kept coming up in the book. But, again, they were answered at the end of the book.

I wasn’t sure what to think about the plotline with all the double-crossing going on within the Rider hierarchy. I did find it interesting that Nyl’s own father set him up to fail on the first mission. I also think that Nyl’s father knew what was coming at the end of the book. He didn’t seem that surprised by it.

I didn’t care for the bit of romance between Tamira and Nyl. It didn’t add anything to the book. Was it sweet? Absolutely. Was it needed? No. The book would have been just as fine if they didn’t hook up.

Until We Are Free fit in perfectly with the Young Adult genre. It also fits in perfectly with the fantasy and dystopia genre. I do wish that more information was given about the Elders. There was some info given but not enough to appease me.

The end of Until We Are Free was eye-opening. The author did a great job at wrapping up most of the plotlines. He did leave the one with Nyl wide open. Considering what happened in the chapter before the end of the book, I wasn’t surprised. The twist at the end of the book with Mira’s mother was shocking. I cannot wait to read book 2!!

I gave Until We Are Free a 3.5 rating. This book was a good read. It was fast. The plotlines drew me in and kept me interested the entire book. I was sympathetic and liked the main character. The only thing I didn’t like was that there was a relationship between Mira and Nyl. Other than that, I enjoyed reading it.

I would give Until We Are Free an Older Teen rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Until We Are Free. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Until We Are Free.

All opinions stated in this review of Until We Are Free are mine

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

Have you read Until We Are Free?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Limits by Susie Tate

Limits

4 Stars

Publisher: Susie Tate

Date of publication: April 5th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Limits: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

For as long as she can remember Millie has had her limits. Staying within them keeps her isolated, safe; helps her to cope. Why then have they started to feel so stifling? Why is her loneliness starting to rival her fears?

When she watches him she wishes she could be normal; she wishes she could be like the people he interacts with so seamlessly. Pavlos Martakis is her complete and total opposite: physically intimidating, likable, naturally attractive, extremely confident, sexually promiscuous: the most uninhibited, charming, outgoing and free person she has ever met in her life. He fascinates Millie; thrills and intimidates her in equal measure.

But, as the culprit behind the invention of her nickname Nuclear Winter, Millie knows that if Pav feels anything for her it is more than likely contempt. Cold, boring, robotic: that is how the rest of the hospital sees her. So she can safely watch him from afar. He would never notice her … would he?

My review:

When I saw the blurb for Limits, I was immediately intrigued. I was eager to read it. Unfortunately, life happened and I kept pushing Limits off to read. When I was finally able to read it, I was blown away. This book is so much more than what the blurb said it was going to be. I wasn’t expecting how much it made me cry. I ugly cried for about 90% of the book.

Limits is Millie’s story. Millie works in the radiology department of a busy hospital in England. Millie has isolated herself from all but a few of the staff. Her cold demeanor has earned her the nickname of “Nuclear Winter“. Pavlos is a newcomer to the hospital. He is everything that Millie isn’t. Outgoing, funny and people like him. He has heard of Nuclear Winter but has never met her. Until her friend’s engagement party. He is fascinated by Millie. He wants to know why she is so standoffish, why she keeps everyone at arm’s length. As he gets to know Millie, he realizes that she is anything but cold. Something happened to her to shape her into the anxiety-ridden, self-harming person that she became. And he wants to know what. Can he handle the truth? Can Millie finally let down her guard to trust Pav?

Millie broke my heart. I wanted to reach through the book and hug her. And also slap her parents for putting her through what they did as a child. Her social anxiety and panic attacks left her unable to connect to anyone outside of 3 people. Well 4, if you count her relationship with her psychologist. The nicknames that she got at work hurt her. What got me mad was that people didn’t even try to hide their contempt for her. That burnt me up. I loved seeing her working to be able to go out into the real world and interact with people. Her relationship with Pav paved the way with that. By the end of the book, I was crying happy tears for her. She deserved every bit of happiness that she got.

I didn’t like Pav at the beginning of the book. I found that he was as rude as the other people in the hospital when it came to Millie. When he asked her to present at the Grand Round, he was told no. He pressured her to do it and she did. And look what happened to her. Seeing her have an extreme panic attack finally clued him in that something wasn’t right with her. If he had only listened to Don. It was from that point on that I started to like him, though. He realized that he screwed up and he owned it. He also got to know Millie. He realized that behind her façade was a woman who deserved every good thing that happened to her. And he was determined to make that happen. I don’t know how he held it together when he saw how Millie’s parents treated her. I would have said a lot more than what he did. By the end of the book, he realized what his mistake (read the book!!) was going to cost Millie and swooped in to rescue her. Well, him and Gammy. That’s when I loved him.

I detested Millie’s parents. I wanted to go into the book and drop kick both of them. They screwed Millie up so bad it wasn’t even funny. Because her father who he was, they were able to pay off children’s services, fire and rehire nannies and get teachers fired when abuse was mentioned. It made me see red. Then they wonder why Millie didn’t have anything to do with them. Also, to hang her grandmother over Millie’s head like they did was awful. I was glad when they both got what they deserved. The end of the book, though, did tug at my heartstrings. Not going to say what but her father realized what he was missing all these years.

The other secondary characters were wonderful and fleshed out the plot. I did think that the sudden change from disliking to liking Millie was a little much. Not everyone had to like her. Other than that, they were wonderful. I loved the strippers. They brought some much-needed humor into the book.!!

The first major plotline in Limits was Millie, her struggle with social anxiety and panic attacks and what was the cause of them. I liked how the author introduced them into the book. I also liked that the author didn’t gloss over them or make them go away once Pav was in the picture. She showed what it was like to live with panic attacks. She showed what it was like to live with social anxiety. She showed that some people need therapy to help with their issues and guess what, its OK. She showed the ugly, nasty side and I love her for it.

The second major plotline was Millie and Pav’s relationship. Pav had to work extra to show Millie that he cared for her. Millie had to work on letting Pav in and trusting him. There were mistakes made. Their relationship wasn’t perfect but they made it work. And I loved reading that. Like I said above, Millie deserved every bit of happiness that she got.

As with the secondary characters, the secondary plotlines did their jobs and kept the book going. From Millie’s Gammy to her parents’ political bid to the book club, they all added to the main storylines.

There is NO Instalove in this book. Pav and Millie’s relationship started with them being at odds with each other. The author had them build a friendship and then a relationship. I loved it!!! Of course, they had sex. There was sexual attraction but a big deal wasn’t made of it. Same with the sex scenes. When Pav and Millie had sex, it wasn’t graphic and sweet.

The romance angle of the book was understated until almost the end of the book. It was so understated that I almost missed it. But it was there.

The end of Limits was great. I loved that Millie’s parents got what was coming to them. I would have cheered but it was 11:30pm and everyone was sleeping so I did a fist pump instead. The epilogues (there were two) were fantastic. What happened in the first epilogue should have happened a long time ago. The second epilogue was bittersweet.

I gave Limits a 4-star rating. This book will tug at your heartstrings and it will make you cry while reading it. So, read with Kleenex or tissues nearby. The characters were relatable and I came to care for all but two of them.

I would give Limits an Adult rating. There is sex but it is not graphic. There is mild violence. There is language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book. There are trigger warning that comes with this book. They are anxiety, panic attacks, emotional abuse, child abuse.

I would reread Limits. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a note about the trigger warnings.

I would like to thank Susie Tate and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Limits.

All opinions stated in this review of Limits are mine.

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

Have you read Limits?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle

Dear Santa: A Novel

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: October 16th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Dear Santa: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

A holiday retelling of You’ve Got Mail that will make you fall in love with the Christmas Season!

Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.

Geoff Paisley has been at his mother’s side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the town’s Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he’s been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters?

Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What’s the harm when it’s just a computer-generated response?

When Geoff reveals that he’s her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?

My review:

What drew me to this book was that it was a holiday retelling of “You’ve Got Mail“. I loved that movie. I have lost count at how many times I have watched it. Put it this way, if it is on TV, forget what I am doing. I am watching it. As a blogger friend pointed out “There can’t be many book lovers that don’t love that movie“. So when Dear Santa showed up on my reviewing radar, I jumped at it. I am glad that I did. This was a cute romance.

Dear Santa is the story of Angela and Geoff. Angela runs a local holiday store, Heart of Christmas. Her business is struggling since Christmas Galore came to Pleasant Sands. She is sick over the possibility of her store closing. After starting a public feud with Geoff, the co-owner of Christmas Galore, she decides to vent on an app designed by them. An app that Geoff’s mother routinely checks. When Geoff’s mother ends up in the hospital, he takes over and answers a letter from Anita C. Miracle. He is taken by her emails and soon takes it off the app and into a regular email. Geoff soon realizes that Anita is Angela. He also realizes that he is falling for Angela. How can he break it to her that he is Guy? And will Anita return his feelings?

While I liked Angela, I did think that she was a pushover for the first few chapters of the book. She did end up growing a backbone but still. She cared deeply about that store and she didn’t want to let it go. It was her last connection to her grandmother. I thought that her marketing schemes to get people to go to the store was fantastic. I loved the idea of Snow Valley!! I liked how she stood up to Geoff. She was funny. I also like that she was honest with herself about her feelings about letting go of the store and Geoff.

I thought Geoff was a jerk for the first half of the book. He didn’t like being in Pleasant Sands and he made no effort to cover it off. He even gloated about putting Angela’s store out of business. I did start to like him after his mother was in the hospital. He started to see how his superstore affected local businesses in the area. He also started to see that his feud with Angela wasn’t going to do him any favors with the locals. I liked that right around that time, he started having feelings for her. And what he did to try to win her over…sigh. That gesture put him on my good side.

As always, the secondary characters made the book. Angela’s niece was adorable. I liked Geoff’s mother. But, I couldn’t stand Angela’s sister. OMG, I wanted to strangle her. She did nothing but put Angela down. I wanted to smack her. I did. There was nothing redeeming about her.

I liked the plotlines in Dear Santa. The two major plotlines were cute. There was no lag in either plotline. The author did a great job at bringing them together at the end of the book. She also did a great job at incorporating the secondary plotlines in with the major ones.

The first plotline was Angela’s closing of her store. That was heartbreaking because her grief came off the pages in waves. In the book, she said it was like losing her grandmother all over again. I wish that her sister understood. I also wish that Geoff could have taken what the family-run/smaller businesses were going through went such a store moved into the area. Not only was Angela losing her store but the local artists that she supported were losing a place to showcase what they made.

The second plotline was Angela and Geoff’s email relationship/their feud. I thought the feud was a little overdone. He could have been nicer to her at the snowball event. She didn’t have to go to the local news and basically call the stuff his store sells cheap. I did wonder when their hatred was going to turn to love. I liked how the email relationship evolved. I didn’t know how he didn’t figure out that it was Angela sooner. The hints she left in her messages weren’t exactly hard to decipher.

I liked how the author wrote the romance part of the book. It wasn’t Instalove (thank you!!). Angela and Geoff had to find common ground and then work their relationship up to that. What I also enjoyed is that there was zero sex. ZERO sex in the book. Another thank you. I like hot, sweaty sex scenes as much as the next person but sometimes I need a break. And I got that with this book. I was able to focus on the story and enjoy it. Not to worry that Angela and Geoff would start tearing each other’s clothes off and do it under a Christmas tree.

The end of Dear Santa was great. I liked how the author wrapped up the storylines. She ended them in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I also loved the epilogue!!!

I gave Dear Santa a 4-star rating. This is a sweet romance. I came to care for the characters. The book was a fast read too. A great book to read to get you in the Christmas spirit.

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

I would reread Dear Santa. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Dear Santa.

All opinions expressed in this review of Dear Santa are mine.

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

Have you read Dear Santa?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Rough & Ready (Lightning: Book 3) by Tracy Wolff

Rough & Ready (Lightning, #3)

3.5  Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 16th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: Lightning

Down & Dirty—Book 1 (review here)

Hot & Heavy—Book 2 (review here)

Rough & Ready—Book 3

Where you can find Rough & Ready: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Sparks fly between a football pro and an ex-WNBA player. But he needs to prove that he’s more than a sports hero if he wants it all in this steamy standalone from the New York Times-bestselling author of Down & Dirty and Hot & Heavy.

Tanner: I may be a baller, but I’ve always tried to do the right thing. Maybe it’s because I’ve been in charge of my four younger sisters for half my life, or because I understand how important it is to be a role model—something I learned from my grandfather, a Southern Baptist preacher who marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. Either way, my pro football career makes it easier to give back, so when a local rec center needs help, I do my best to even the playing field. And not just because Elara Vance, the smoking hot ex-WNBA player who runs the place, has me looking to score off the field.

Elara: Before I got sidelined by an injury, my time on the court taught me that pro athletes are all flash and no substance. Sure, Tanner Green talks a good game and wields a big checkbook, but I’m not buying the whole good guy routine. Still, it’s hard to miss all the good he’s doing for my rec center and even harder to ignore the way one look from him makes me tremble in all the best ways. I just wish I knew if he’s for real. Something tells me a little one-on-one might be the only way to find out. . . .

With their own sweet HEAs, Tracy Wolff’s red-hot Lightning novels can be read together or separately:
DOWN & DIRTY | HOT & HEAVY | ROUGH & READY

And don’t miss her seductive Ethan Frost series:
RUINED | ADDICTED | EXPOSED | FLAWED

Or her standalone novel LOVEGAME

My review: 

First impressions are always the best. Every book wants a cover that blows the readers socks off when looking at it. And this cover did knock my socks off, for the most part. Look at the model. He is exactly what I thought Tanner would look like. And he is major eye candy too. But, when I look at the cover, my eyes are drawn to his armpit instead of his eyes. Which is a shame because those eyes are gorgeous. But I can’t keep my eyes off the pit…sigh. I keep thinking “Is he going to turn his head and do a BO check?”

Rough & Ready are Tanner and Elara’s story. Elara is a former WNBA player whose career was ended when she suffered a knee injury. The rec center that she runs is her life. When a major backer doesn’t come through with a 15 million dollar donation and gives it to another foundation, Elara sees red. Tanner is a major league football player with a huge heart. Raising his 4 sisters after his parents’ deaths, he has become known as footballs nice guy. His foundation had received a 15 million dollar donation, which he was thrilled about. But when a tall, angry blonde walks into the locker room after a game and tells him off in front of the offensive line, Tanner wants to get to know her better. But Elara has severe trust issues after an abusive past relationship. Can she open her heart to Tanner and let him in? Or will her past not allow her to?

While I love reading about strong, independent women, I though Elara was a witch with a b. I know that 15 million dollars would have gone a long way with her rec center. To use her friend who works with the team to go to a game and then use that pass to bust into the locker room to freak out on him wasn’t cool. Not letting him defend himself wasn’t cool. Everything that she said in that tirade wasn’t cool. She let her temper run her mouth. But, as I got more into the book, the more I began to understand her. Elara was a fiercely independent woman. She was a woman who never fit into any molds that people tried to force her into. Because of that, she has become used to dealing with things herself. So her reaction to Tanner’s supposed “stealing” was normal. Her relationships with her kids at the rec center were sweet and showed a softer side. She also showed a more vulnerable side when she told Tanner about the abuse she experienced. By the end of the book, I was still on the fence about her, though.

Tanner was awesome. Yes, I am “Team Tanner“. He was a stand-up guy. What guy would take on raising 4 girls, all in various stages of being a teenager? His foundation brought sports to those who couldn’t afford it and it was in all 50 states. I thought that he handled Elara’s tirade perfectly. All he wanted was to put pants on and discuss things with her. He did end up discussing things with her but it led to so much more. When he lost his temper, he did it in the spectacular way possible. Also in the most public way possible too…lol.

I didn’t get a romantic vibe from Tanner and Elara’s relationship. There was zero romance. There was no build-up of the relationship. It went from her being mad at him to them being in a relationship. Normally, I would be fine with the lack of build up. But in this case, I was a little disappointed. I wanted to see Tanner woo Elara. I guess he did by donating to her rec center.

Even though the romantic vibe was missing, the chemistry and sexual tension were not. Tanner and Elara had crazy bunny sex everywhere. They were nonstop. What I liked is that the sexual tension didn’t die after their first hook up. Loved it!!

While the main storylines were ended, I did have an issue with the storyline about Elara’s ex being left up in the air. I wish the author had given some sort of ending to it. I did like that Tanner beat some sense into the guy but there was talk about exposing him. Then it was never brought back up. I wanted to know if justice happened.

I did like the end of the book. I liked that Elara and Tanner were able to talk about what happened and continue with their relationship. I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied. Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the whole storyline with Elara’s ex was left up in the air. I also wanted to see how Tanner’s sisters took to his relationship. I kinda wanted to see more of Tina too. She was sassy.

What I liked about Rough & Ready:

  1. Tanner. He was such a nice guy.
  2. The sex. It was hot
  3. The end of the book

What I disliked about Rough & Ready:

  1. Elara. I thought she was a witch with a b for most of the book.
  2. No romantic vibe
  3. Storylines being left up in the air

I gave Rough & Ready a 3.5-star rating. The book was well written with compelling characters. The sex scenes were hot and I loved the end of the book. But, Elara killed the book for me in the beginning. Even though her character improved, I couldn’t get past the first scene. I also got no romantic vibe. Storylines were left up in the air.

I would give Rough & Ready an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. There are a couple of scenes that discuss being raped and assaulted while drugged. Those could cause triggers. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Rough & Ready. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a note about possible triggers.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Rough & Ready are mine.

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

The Christmas Star (Christmas Hope: Book 9) by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Star (Christmas Hope #9)

3 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: October 16th, 2018

Genre: General Fiction, Christian

Series: Christmas Hope

The Christmas Shoes—Book 1

The Christmas Blessing—Book 2

The Christmas Hope—Book 3

The Christmas Promise—Book 4

The Christmas Secret—Book 5

The Christmas Note—Book 6

The Christmas Light—Book 7

The Christmas Town—Book 8

The Christmas Star—Book 9

Where you can find The Christmas Star: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Hope series comes another heartwarming, inspirational story for the holidays.

Thirty-two-year-old Amy Denison volunteers at Glory’s Place, an after school program where she meets seven-year-old Maddie, a precocious young girl who has spent her childhood in foster care. Unbeknownst to Amy, Maddie is a mini-matchmaker, with her eye on just the right man for Amy at Grandon Elementary School, where she is a student. Amy is hesitant – she’s been hurt before, and isn’t sure she’s ready to lose her heart again – but an unexpected surprise makes her reconsider her lonely lifestyle.

As Christmas nears and the town is blanketed in snow and beautiful decorations, Maddie and the charming staff at Glory’s Place help Amy to see that romance can be more than heartache and broken promises.

In The Christmas Star, Donna VanLiere delivers yet another sweet, joyous story that is sure to capture readers’ hearts.

My review:

It seems like I am reading and reviewing a lot of Christmas books lately. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and I like reading books that put me in the holiday mood. Especially when it is the middle of October, in the mid to high 80’s and as humid as it is in mid-August. So, yes, I enjoyed reading The Christmas Star.

The Christmas Star is a cute second chance romance, even though it isn’t billed as one. Amy is volunteering at an after-school program called Glory’s Place. It is there that she meets Maddie, an adorable 7-year-old who has spent her entire life in foster care. Gabriel is a custodian at a local elementary school. He knows Maddie from school and has become fast friends with her. Maddie is not so subtle about them meeting. And when they do, surprise doesn’t even cover what they both felt. See, Amy and Gabriel were married and had gotten divorced. They try to stay apart but life keeps throwing them together. What will happen to them? Will they rekindle their romance? Or will they go their separate ways?

What I Liked About The Christmas Star:

What did I like about The Christmas Star? Hmmm, let me think for a minute. I liked reading this book and finding myself smiling during certain scenes. Mainly the ones with Maddie in them. I loved that little girl. I liked most of the characters. I liked that it was set during Christmas (duh…lol). I also liked that it was a second chance romance, even though it wasn’t billed as one. But, what I liked the most, is that there was no sex in this book at all. It was 100% a clean book. I also liked that this book was a Christian book. I liked that Christianity was discussed but not pushed down my throat.

To Recap:

  1. Certain scenes made me smile
  2. Most of the characters
  3. It was set during Christmas
  4. A second chance romance
  5. Zero sex. Not even kissing!!
  6. A Christian book but didn’t overwhelm me as I read it.

What I Disliked About The Christmas Star:

There were things that I didn’t like about this book. I was confused about why Amy and Gabriel’s relationship ended. There were two explanations. One was dumbed down to a 7-year-old (I wasn’t a good husband). The other one was when Gabriel was thinking about the past (I was a bad husband and I drank too much). I figured Gabriel drank too much but what else happened? I also didn’t like that Lauren and Travis’s story took over the book. That is something I cannot stand when I am reading a series of books. Those characters and that storyline should have been regulated to the background. I also didn’t like how happy Amy’s parents were about certain things that happened at the end of the book. Even though Gabe talked to them for 5 hours, it still struck a chord on my BS meter. And the last thing: The adoption. I know people who have adopted out of foster care before and it took months (even uncontested). There were so many hurdles that they had to jump through it wasn’t even funny. So to have one go through in under a month didn’t ring true to me.

To Recap:

  1. Confused about why Amy and Gabriel’s relationship ended
  2. Lauren and Travis’s relationship being one of the main storylines
  3. How happy Amy’s parents were about what happened at the end of the book
  4. The adoption. Not a realistic situation

What I rated the book and why:

I gave The Christmas Star a 3-star rating. I enjoyed reading the book and thought it was a sweet story. I loved that it was set around Christmas. I also liked this book was 100% clean. There was no sex. Don’t get me wrong, I loved me some sex but in this case, the book didn’t need it. But there were some things that I didn’t like about this book. The main thing, which affected the rating, was the adoption at the end of the book. It was not realistic. My other reasons were what I felt personally about certain things in the book and listed above.

I would give The Christmas Star an Older Teen rating. There is no sex or sexual situations. There is no language. There is no violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Christmas Star. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends

Other stuff:

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Christmas Star.

All opinions stated in this review of The Christmas Star are mine.

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

Have you read The Christmas Star?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!