Category: NetGalley

Winter of the Witch (Winternight Trilogy: Book 3) by Katherine Arden

The Winter of the Witch: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy Book 3) by [Arden, Katherine]

4.5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Ray

Date of publication: January 8th, 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Winternight Trilogy

The Bear and the Nightingale—Book 1 (review here)

The Girl in the Tower—Book 2 (review here)

The Winter of the Witch—Book 3

Where you can find The Winter of the Witch: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookbub

Synopsis:

Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

My review:

I had a mix of emotion when I started reading The Winter of the Witch. I was happy because this book was out. I was apprehensive because of the blurb. I was sad because the trilogy was ending. My feelings were validated for The Winter of the Witch. I never get emotional reading a book. But I did for this one.

Vasya was one of my favorite people in The Winter of the Witch. Even when pushed to her limits, she was one of the strongest people in the book. What she endured in this book would have killed lesser people. Instead, it made her a stronger person. It fueled her desire to bind Bear. I was worried about what was going to happen to her after Bear was bound. I was worried that the story was going to flounder.

Morozko is one of my favorite characters to date. He stole every single scene that he was in. The fight scene with Bear, his twin, was one of the best supernatural fight scenes that I have read to date. His scenes with Vasya after that were touching. I mean, he did follow her to summer. If that doesn’t tell anyone how he felt, that I don’t know what would. My only complaint is that he refused to get involved in the war. But I understood why.

Vasya’s rise to power in this book was amazing to read. I knew that something was going to happen when she was thrust into Midnight. I was thrown for a surprise when it was revealed who her grandmother was. I remember shaking my head and saying “Well, that explains a lot”. I liked how Vasya was able to keep her promise to the chyerti. There were points in the book, after her journey to Midnight, where I thought that she was failed. I have never been more happy to be proved wrong!!

There were several deaths in The Winter of the Witch. The death of Solovey, at the beginning of the book, broke my heart. Vasya never recovered from it. There was one death where I cheered. The other notable death was at the end of the book. I was crushed at that person’s death. Freaking crushed. I did cry. No shame here in admitting that.

The end of The Winter of the Witch was an emotional read for me. I am not going to give away spoilers but I was thrilled with how it ended. I was also thrilled with the other thing that happened. That came out of left field for me. I was happy. I might have done a fist pump and say “Yes!!“.

I want to add that the Author’s Note was a welcome surprise. I liked that the author used an actual battle as the backdrop of the one that took place at the end of the book. The Grand Prince and Sasha were actual people. She admitted to tweaking parts of the battle (which I expected). She pointed out something interesting about Russia that ended with the Revolution. Made me go “Hmmmm“. As was her fitting reference about the guardians of Russia.

What I loved was that she included a glossary. She also included a note on Russian names. Both were helpful!!

I would give The Winter of the Witch an Older Teen rating. There are mentions of sex (not graphic). There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Winter of the Witch. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Winter of the Witch.

All opinions stated in this review of The Winter of the Witch are mine.

The Reckoning (Children’s House: Book 2) by Yrsa Siguroardottir

The Reckoning

3.5 Stars

Date of publication: February 12, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Children’s House

DNA—Book 1

Throttling—Book 2 (I believe this is also The Reckoning. Google translate didn’t do a great job  translating from Icelandic to English on Goodreads)

Absolution—Book 3

Where you can find The Reckoning: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The Reckoning is the stunning follow-up to The Legacy, which was the start of a thrilling new series that Booklist (starred) recommends for fans of Tana French. 

Vaka sits, regretting her choice of coat, on the cold steps of her new school. Her father appears to have forgotten to pick her up, her mother has forgotten to give her this week’s pocket money, and the school is already locked for the day. Grownups, she decides, are useless.

With no way to call home, she resigns herself to waiting on the steps until her father remembers her. When a girl approaches, Vaka recognizes her immediately from class, and from her unusual appearance: two of her fingers are missing. The girl lives at the back of the school, on the other side of a high fence, and Vaka asks to call her father from the girl’s house. That afternoon is the last time anyone sees Vaka.

Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja are called in. Soon, they find themselves at the heart of another shocking case.

From the international number one-bestselling author of The Silence of the Sea, winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel Yrsa Sigurdardottir returns with the follow-up to The Legacy.

My review:

I have developed a liking for police thrillers. And I have an interest in these type of books set in other countries. So when I saw The Reckoning is set in Iceland, I needed to read it. I am glad that I did. I got insight into how the Icelandic criminal system worked as well as their version of CPS.

The Reckoning is book 2 in the Children’s House series. When I saw that, I was immediately put alert. In my experience, the second book in any series lacks. It is usually a filler between the 1st book and the 3rd book. But not in this case. The Reckoning is a stand-alone book. There were a few references to book 1 but they did not take over this book. That alone made me like the book.

I wasn’t sure if I liked Huldar or not, at first. He didn’t exactly fit into the image I had of an Icelandic police officer. His appearance, for one. Whenever I picture a police officer (especially ones in a foreign country) has clean cut and neat. Huldar was not that. I also had doubts about his professionalism. At one point in the book, he was sleeping with his boss. But, I did come to like him. He was a good police officer who was dedicated to tracking down the threats that were in the time capsule. He treated the suspects (and victims) with respect. 

I thought that Freyja was a mess in this book. She was in a codependent relationship with her incarcerated brother. She had suffered a demotion at work because of Huldar. And, to top it off, she was back to working with Huldar, who was also trying to pursue a relationship with him. I also did wonder why she was in the plot during the first half of the book. But, as the book went on and more of the main plotline was revealed, I started to understand why. She also played a pivotal role at the end of the book.

I thought that main plotline was heartbreaking. I loved how the author kept who the killers were until the end of the book. I loved how she tied everything together. I will say that the identity of the killers were surprising. I didn’t see it coming. As for the writer of the threat, I did call that one. But, the reason behind the threat, I didn’t. 

What did surprise me in this book was the twist that the author threw in at the end of the book. All I have to say about it is “Whoa“. I did not see that coming. I could understand why those people did what they did. 

I gave The Reckoning a 3.5-star rating. This was a fast-moving mystery with an engaging plotline. The main characters were dysfunctional and did take a while to grow on me. The main plotline was heartbreaking. I liked how the author kept who the killers were under wraps until the end of the book. What I also liked was the twist that was thrown in at the end. I didn’t see that coming.

I would give The Reckoning an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is violence. There is language. There are trigger warnings. They would be rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and physical abuse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Reckoning. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Reckoning.

All opinions stated in this review of The Reckoning are mine.

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

Have you read The Reckoning?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Dark Alpha’s Awakening (Reaper: Book 7) by Donna Grant

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Swerve

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Paranormal, 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

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

Goodreads 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…

Serving Death and the Reapers has been my life for centuries. I’ve always put my duty before everything, even my yearning for Death. But now, she’s fading – our foe is bent on destroying her and he will stop at nothing until he does. Death holds the key to our survival. I will do everything in my power to stop her from disappearing. For her, I will ensure we have the best fighting chance. For her…I will cross the divide keeping us apart.

My review:

I was pretty stoked when I saw that there was going to be a book 7 in the Reapers series. I got even more excited when I started reading Dark Alpha’s Awakening. Why was I excited? Because it was Cael and Death (Erith’s) romance. The romance that I was waiting to read. It was also the romance that I didn’t think would happen. So, yes, I was thrilled.

I loved that I got to know more about Erith in this book. Her origins fascinated me. Her stint as Mistress of War and what started it fascinated me. As did why she stopped and formed the Reapers.

Erith brought it in this book. She was determined to find out what Bran was doing/using to drain her life essence. She was also going to end Bran, which was something that should have been done years ago. I loved it.

Cael was awesome in this book also. He was going to do whatever it took to save Erith from Bran. He was a great leader who was loyal to his Reapers. He was willing to do whatever it took to protect his Reapers, their women, and Erith. And oh boy, did he.

I liked how the author kept the sex scenes in Dark Alpha’s Awakening to a minimum. There were 2 or 3 scenes of Erith and Cael having sex. Those sex scenes were beyond hot. There was no build up of sexual tension in this book. But, Cael and Erith had 6 previous books to let it build and man, did it explode.

I enjoyed that the author had this world intertwined with The Dark Kings world. I didn’t quite catch on that they were in the same universe until the last Dark King book, Dragonfire. There was a certain point where Eoghan and Thea were mentioned. At that point, I was like “They are connected, WTH.”. That showed up even more so in this book. Bran, Balladyn, Rhi, Usaeil, and Xaneth were all featured in this book.

What surprised me the most about this book was the author was not afraid to let people die in this book. There were a couple of deaths that took me by surprise. One I was expecting but the other, well it blindsided me. That made me wonder who was going to be the next one to get killed. I have a good idea who but I am going to have to wait to see what happens in the next book.

I am also waiting to see if Erith takes the advice that was given to her and involve the Dragon Kings in the war that is going to happen. Guess I am going to need to keep reading the books to find out.

The end of the book was interesting. While some plotlines were tied up there were other ones that were left open. New plotlines were introduced near the end of the book. I am interested to see where the plotline with Xaneth is going to go. From what was written at the end of the book, it doesn’t look good.

I would give Dark Alpha’s Awakening an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is explicit violence. There are triggers. They are the death of a loved one and murder. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Dark Alpha’s Awakening. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Dark Alpha’s Awakening.

All opinions stated in this review of Dark Alpha’s Awakening are mine.

Sisters of the Fire (Blood and Gold: Book 2) by Kim Wilkins

Sisters of the Fire (Blood and Gold, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Ray

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Blood and Gold

The Crown of Rowan—Book 0.5

Daughters of the Storm—Book 1 (review here)

Sisters of the Fire—Book 2

Queens of the Sea—-Book 3 (expected publication date: 2019)

Where you can find Sisters of the Fire: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

An action-packed, compelling historical fantasy, from the pen of an award-winning author

The battle-scarred warrior princess Bluebell, heir to her father’s throne, is rumoured to be unkillable. So when she learns of a sword wrought specifically to slay her by the fearsome raven king, Hakon, she sets out on a journey to find it before it finds her. The sword is rumoured to be in the possession of one of her four younger sisters. But which one? Scattered as they are across the kingdoms, she sets out on a journey to find them.

Her four sisters all have their own paths to tread, the gifted magician Ash is on a journey to find a dragon that could determine her destiny. The beautiful, unhappy Rose has left her undermagician Aunt and is speeding to the aid of her daughter, Rowan, who has been lost to her. Ivy, sold into marriage for the sake of an alliance, is now set to become the ruling Duchess of Seacaster with the imminent death of her older and sick husband, and the power-hungry Willow is raising her infant child as a potential trimartyr king and training to be a warrior for the fanatical religious order Maava.

From wild rocky coastline to granite-topped tors, from bustling harbours to echoing ghost towns, from halls of kings to ancient primal woodlands, this story follows five sisters upon whose actions kingdoms will rise and fall.

My review:

Sisters of the Fire takes place 4 years after the ending of Daughters of the Storm. Each of the princesses has gone to different lives. Bluebell hasn’t changed much from the last book. She is charged with protecting the kingdom and she takes that seriously. After a battle that ends with a randerman raider held captive, Bluebell learns something interesting. She learns that one of her sisters has possession of a sword that can kill her. But which one hates her that much that they want her dead? Is it Rose? Who’s actions caused her to be separated from her daughter Rowan and live in isolation with her undermagician aunt. Or is it Ash? Ash has kept herself isolated from her sisters. She fears that the prophecy she saw in a vision will not only kill her but her sisters. Plus, she has a dragon to kill and a vision that she is determined not to come true. How about Ivy? Ivy who was the reason Rose was sent away from her daughter. Ivy, who’s scheming will end up costing her more than she thought it would. And then Willow. Meek, mousey Willow whose outer appearance doesn’t hint at the fanatic inside. Willow, who is willing to do anything to bring Maava to her father’s kingdom. Which sister will betray her?

I enjoyed reading Sisters of the Fire but it did take me a while to get into the book. The book got off to a slow start. The author had to give the background on 6 separate storylines before the book could get off the ground. She had to explain what happened to the sisters and Rowan in those 4 years. I would say that the first 30% of the book crept by for me. But, when Bluebell met with Rose, then I saw the book pick up steam. After that, the book flew. I couldn’t put it down.

If I had to have a sister that I disliked the most, it would have to be Willow. I knew that her mind wasn’t well during the first book. I mean, she heard flipping angels for crying out loud. What she morphed into in this book frightened me. She was what I call an uber fantastic. I felt so bad for her child. Look at what she put the poor thing through. She cut off eyelashes, gave the kid a bath and used a wire brush and refused to let the kid act like a child. But, what shocked me the most, was what Willow did. Even though she was bat poop crazy, I wasn’t expecting her to do what she did. I was saddened and surprised by it.

If I had to have a favorite character, it would have to be Rowan. For a small child, she was very wise. She saw what people were like. She also suffered from Rose not being there. Snowy was a good father figure but it wasn’t enough. She needed her mother. I thought her hearing the singing tree was interesting. Even more interesting was her connection to the First Folk. I wish more time had been spent explaining her time with the First Folk.

I can’t even get into all the storylines. If I did, this review would be way too long. Let me say that I thought they were amazing. I also thought that the author did a fantastic job at merging all them.

There was even a bit of romance in the book. I wasn’t expecting who the characters were (took me by surprise) but I thought it was sweet. I can’t wait to see if that romance will survive the next book.

The end of the book was good. I liked how the author took each sister and left their storyline open. The epilogue fascinated me. It left more questions than anything.

I gave Sisters of the Fire a 4-star rating. This was a good read. It did get off to a slow start but once the book got rolling, it took off. It was well written. I liked (or hated) the characters. The plotlines were intriguing. I did wish that there was more of an explanation of Rowan’s time with the First People. Other than that, I enjoyed the book.

I would give Sisters of the Fire an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is graphic violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be the talk of child abuse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Sisters of the Fire. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Del Ray, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sisters of Fire.

All opinions stated in this review of Sisters of Fire are mine.

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

Have you read Sisters of Fire?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib

The Girls at 17 Swann Street

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Women’s fiction

Where you can find The Girls at 17 Swann Street: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists’ list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound.

Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight pounds. Forced to seek treatment, she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach pink house where pale, fragile women with life-threatening eating disorders live. Women like Emm, the veteran; quiet Valerie; Julia, always hungry. Together, they must fight their diseases and face six meals a day.

Yara Zgheib’s poetic and poignant debut novel is a haunting, intimate journey of a young woman’s struggle to reclaim her life. Every bite causes anxiety. Every flavor induces guilt. And every step Anna takes toward recovery will require strength, endurance, and the support of the girls at 17 Swann Street.

My review

Anna is wasting away. Her husband has ignored that she is starving herself to death until he finds her passed out in the bathroom. When she goes to the Dr at his urging, Anna weighs only 88 lbs. At the Dr’s urging, Anna is sent to an inpatient rehabilitation center. Her time at 17 Swann Street is eye-opening. Can Anna let the staff and therapists, along with the other girls, help her reclaim her life? Or will Anna be destined to be a regular?

Anorexia has always been one of those disorders that people dislike talking about. It isn’t talked about enough. Anorexia and bulimia (as well as compulsive overeating and other food/exercise related disorders) need to be talked about. They shouldn’t be swept under the rug.  This disorder needs to be front and center. It needs to be talked about. 

I sat and read this book within 2 hours. I didn’t plan on sitting and reading it in one sitting. It just happened. The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a fast read. It is an emotional read too. At one point, I was mad at myself because I didn’t have a box of tissues on hand to wipe my eyes. What got me was how raw Anna’s emotions were. 

I will point out that the book is written in a way that might annoy some people. It would have annoyed me if I wasn’t so taken with how the book began. The book goes between past and present with little warning. I would normally moan and groan about that but not this time. It actually worked with this book. The author was able to flawlessly go between present and past. The only issue I had was reading the clinical observations. I want to say that they were supposed to be the beginning of chapters. But because the formatting of the book was off, they ended up being in the middle of the book.

I liked how Anna’s time in the program was realistic. She had her good days and her bad days. She made progress and she regressed. There were times in the book, mainly when the stuff happened with Valerie, that I thought she wasn’t going to make it. That she was going to be a regular.

The girls in the program touched my heart also. The background that was given on some of them was heartbreaking. I also felt for the staff. They had to counsel the girls. They had to force them to eat. They had to insert feeding tubes for the ones that refused. It must have been so draining for them. But they came back day after day to help those girls.

I liked the statistics that were sprinkled in throughout the book.  There were some that I didn’t know. There were some that made my heart hurt.

I also liked how the author showed how Anna’s progression into anorexia was. From the impossibly high standards that the ballerina world holds to the ex-boyfriend who was cruel about how much Anna ate to the anxiety and guilt over her brother’s death, it was all there. It also showed that Anna’s husband chose to ignore how skinny she was getting. Chose to overlook her only eating apples and lettuce. Chose to overlook her excessive exercising. Chose to overlook those things until it was almost too late. 

The ending was what kept this book from being a 5-star review. It seemed too perfect. I am not going to get into why it seemed too perfect. All I have to say is that I was kinda “meh” about it. It was not real life.

I gave The Girls at 17 Swann Street a 4-star rating. This was a fast, emotional read. While I didn’t mind the way the book was written, I do think that some people would have an issue. I would suggest reading with a box of tissues nearby. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the ending. It was too perfect.

I would give The Girls at 17 Swann Street an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic but there). There is language. There is no violence. There are trigger warnings. They would be mental illness, eating disorders, talk of rape, the death of a sibling.

I would reread The Girls at 17 Swann Street. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Girls at 17 Swann Street.

All opinions stated in this review of The Girls at 17 Swann Street are mine.

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

Have you read The Girls at 17 Swann Street?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser

Forget You Know Me

3.5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Forget You Know Me: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

In her engrossing new novel, Forget You Know Me, Jessica Strawser takes readers deep into an intimate friendship between two women. When one witnesses a shocking incident that should never have been caught on camera, the secrets and lies it exposes threaten to change their lives forever.

Molly and Liza have always been close in a way that people envy. Even after Molly married Daniel, both considered Liza an honorary member of their family. But after Liza moved away, things grew more strained than anyone wanted to admit—in the friendship and the marriage. 

When Daniel goes away on business, Molly and Liza plan to reconnect with a nice long video chat over wine after the kids are in bed. But when Molly leaves the room to check on a crying child, a man in a mask enters, throwing Liza into a panic—then her screen goes black. 

When Liza finally reaches Molly, her reply is icy and terse, insisting everything is fine. Liza is still convinced something is wrong, that her friend is in danger. But after an all-night drive to help her ends in a brutal confrontation, Liza is sure their friendship is over—completely unaware that she’s about to have a near miss of her own. And Molly, refusing to deal with what’s happened, won’t turn to Daniel, either. 

But none of them can go on pretending. Not after this.

Forget You Know Me exposes the wounds of people who’ve grown apart, against their will. Best friends, separated by miles. Spouses, hardened by neglect. A mother, isolated by pain. The man in the mask will change things for them all.

But who was he?

And will he be back?

My review:

Molly and Liza were besties from way back and nothing could break their friendship. After Molly got married, Liza was considered part of their family. But Liza and Molly start to grow apart. One night, during a video chat, Liza witnesses a man, dressed all in black, breaking into her friend’s house. Then the screen goes black. Panicked, Liza drives all night to find a standoffish Molly. A confrontation follows and Liza goes home. But Liza finds out, that there is no home to go to.  Forced to move in with her brother, Liza realizes that her friendship with Molly might be over. Liza also realizes that there is more going on in Molly’s life than she is letting on. Everything is tied to the man who broke into the house. Who was he? What did he want? Will he be back?

I wasn’t expecting to like Forget You Know Me as much as I did. I enjoyed reading about people who had the same issues that I do. I also enjoyed reading about how the different relationships worked in this book. What I liked, even more, was that I “got” Molly. I “got” Molly and Daniel’s relationship. As a mother to 3 and in a relationship with their father for almost 15 years, I  got that they grew apart. Heck, it happened in my relationship. Even Molly’s pains I got.  It was nice to read a book where I  connected with at least one of the main characters.

I wasn’t too sure if I liked Liza in the book. She rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. It started when she got skeeved out when Max told her that he was bi. Then it was how she acted during the dinner that Daniel and Molly throw and followed by how she treated Henry. She did come back in my eyes at the end of the book. She was able to bridge the gap between Molly and Daniel. But it was almost too late.

I didn’t like that Molly was keeping such a huge secret from Daniel. I mean, she had people tracking her down and threatening her at her job. I would have thought that she would have mentioned something to him before that. I was kind of shaking my head during that. She put herself and her family in danger.

I thought the plotline with Daniel and Toby didn’t bring anything to the story. It did explain why Daniel was so preoccupied during 90% of the book. But still, I could have done without reading it.

Same goes for the storyline with Rick, Molly, and the girls. I, for one, was in the “there is something going on between them” boat. I also had the same suspicions that Liza and Molly did about Rick. So, I was surprised when that storyline turned out the way it did.

I was surprised at who the man in the mask (from the blurb) was. I was also surprised at why he did what he did. In hindsight, I understood why. In his own screwed up way, he wanted Molly to realize that she was the same person she was before kids.

The end of Forget You Know Me was emotional. I wasn’t expecting the tears to come. But they did. So, yes, the ending will need tissues. The author did a fantastic job at bringing all the storylines together. She also did a fantastic job at wrapping the book up. 

I gave Forget You Know Me a 3.5-star review. This book was a good read. I was able to connect to at least one of the characters in the book. I liked how the author gave a no holds bar look at motherhood and relationships. She gave the good, the bad, and the ugly. I didn’t like who the man in the mask ended up being or the reason why he broke into the house. I also thought that there was extra weight with some of the plotlines. I could have done without reading about Toby and Rick.

I would give Forget You Know Me an Adult rating. There is no sex (but there are mentions of it). There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be a home invasion, survivor’s guilt, threatened miscarriage, homophobia and emotional affair. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Forget You Know Me. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Forget You Know Me.

All opinions stated in this review of Forget You Know Me are mine

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

Have you read Forget You Know Me?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

One Tough Cowboy (Moving Violations: Book 1) by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick

One Tough Cowboy (Moving Violations #1)

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: January 29th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Series: Moving Violations

One Tough Cowboy—Book 1

Where you can find One Tough Cowboy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

First in a brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick about one man’s pursuit of justice—and unbridled desire. 

LAW AND ORDER. 
For as long as Samantha can remember, Hunter—a man as strong as steel, with a heart of gold—has been her hero. It came as no surprise to Samantha when she found out that the ranch-hardened cowboy who always protected her from bullies went on to become the town’s sheriff. What does surprise her is how incredibly hot he still is. And how much she still wants him…

PRIDE AND PASSION

And, lo and behold, Hunter still has feelings for Samantha. The long-smoldering heat of their innocent flirtation has grown into a full-raging fire. But when tragedy strikes and their small-town community is shattered, Hunter vows to do everything he can to keep his childhood sweetheart safe. But can Samantha trust that Hunter has her best interests at heart…and that, after all these years, his love is true?

My review:

I needed to read One Tough Cowboy. I had come off a string of books that had some heavy subjects in them. I needed a book that I could read, not worry about the plotline and enjoy. I got that in this book.

The plot of One Tough Cowboy was pretty simple. Samantha has come back to the town she grew up in for her beloved Aunt’s funeral. She is also there to investigate her aunt’s death. See, her aunt overdosed on pain medication. The only thing, she didn’t like to take it and that was a well-known fact. Which made her death very suspicious not only to Samantha but to Hunter, the sheriff for her hometown. The deeper Samantha and Hunter dig into her death, the more danger they both are in. Who killed Samantha’s aunt? And why?

I liked Samantha. She was going to back down when it came to investigating her aunt’s death. As a detective in the Detroit police force, she was tough. She wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way. I was chanting, in my head, “You go girl” every time she did something that empowered herself. Loved it!!

I wasn’t as big of a fan of Hunter. I liked him at the beginning of the book. He knew something shady was going on. There was a string of suspicious deaths which included his uncle. But he lost his mind as soon as Samantha arrived. Strike that. As soon as he had sex with her. Then it went all downhill from there. He spent all his free time (which seemed to be a lot) in bed with her. People were starting to comment on it. I kinda wanted to shake him and say “Dude, it can’t be that good.” But since it is a book, I had to be satisfied with muttering to myself.

I will say that the sex scenes were scorching hot. The sparks between Hunter and Samantha were hard to ignore. I figured that they would have sex early in the book. But, they had hot sex every single time. Every single time. It was amazing that the author could keep that sexual attraction and tension up the entire book. I mean, with most books, they usually lost it after the first encounter. I also liked that there was a bit of voyeurism in this book. Hunter got caught watching his friend nail a chick outside his house. People kept walking in on Samantha and Hunter as they were messing around. That made the sex spicier and, dare I say, hotter?

The suspense angle was wonderfully written too. You knew who the major players were early in the book. But, what they were doing was kept under wraps until almost the end of the book. I was taken by surprise at what was going on. But, at the same time, I had no problem imagining what was going on actually happening in real life.

There are a few disturbing scenes that are later on in the book. There is an attempted rape (well, there was penetration with fingers. Is that considered rape?). It was graphic and disturbed me.

I didn’t like how the book ended. Not getting into it but I would be pissed if I was woken up and told that. Talk about rushing into something. Jeeze.

I would give One Tough Cowboy an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. There are trigger warnings. They would be attempted rape, human trafficking, and domestic violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread One Tough Cowboy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publisher, the authors, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review One Tough Cowboy.

All opinions stated in this review of One Tough Cowboy are mine.

Illegally Yours (Laws of Attraction: Book 2) by Kate Meader

Illegally Yours (Laws of Attraction, #2)

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: January 22nd, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Laws of Attraction

Down with Love—Book 1 (review here)

Illegally Yours—Book 2

Then Came You—Book 3 (expected publication date: May 7th, 2019)

Where you can find Illegally Yours: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Rule #1: Never fall for your client.
Rule #2: Never fall for your client’s fiercely protective, smoking hot sister-in-law.

I’m the kind of guy who believes that everyone deserves the best legal representation money can buy—which just so happens to be me, Lucas Wright. Give me your henpecked, your cuckolded, your irreconcilable differences yearning to break free! And if you’re the bad guy in your marriage, that’s cool too. Your green is as good as anyone’s.

Tell that to Trinity Jones. It’s my job to destroy her sister—the soon-to-be ex-wife of my a-hole of a client—and Trinity’s “big sis” instincts are dialed up to the max. I admire that. I admire her. But she won’t stop me from representing my client to the best of my ability.

Not even if my chemistry with Trinity is undeniable. Not even if we can’t keep our hands off each other. Not even if she injects life into a heart assumed to be long dead.

Because when faced with a choice between love and duty, the job will always win—or at least that’s what I thought before I met Trinity . . . and suddenly conflict of interest never felt so right. 

My review:

Lucas wasn’t looking for a relationship when he met Trinity. Immediately taken with her, he decided that he would charm her into going on a date with him. But that was easier said than done. Lucas is a divorce attorney who is representing Trinity’s soon to be ex-brother in law. If he started a relationship with Trinity, it would be a violation of the ethics oath that he took. The only way around that is if his client agrees to let Lucas date her. Will that happen?

Trinity was working as a whiskey sommelier. She was also happy taking care of her niece and nephew while her sister is going through a bitter divorce. She wasn’t expecting the hot British man that she is lusting after to be her soon to be ex-brother in law’s attorney.  A conflict of interest arises for her. If she dates Lucas, she will risk hurting her sister. If she doesn’t date Lucas, she could miss out. What will she do?

I was wondering who was going to be the next book in the Law of Attraction series. I had it between Grant/Aubrey or Lucas. So when I saw that it was Lucas’s story, I was interested. Lucas had caught my attention in Down with Love. I needed to read it. 

I was a little disappointed with Illegally Yours. Why was I disappointed? It didn’t deliver on the blurb. When I read the blurb, I got the sense that this was going to be a fun book. A book where the characters find themselves in situations that would make me laugh. Not the case here. The majority of the book was spent with the both of them stressed out over being together. Not to mention that individually, they each had major stress.

I did like Lucas and Trinity together as a couple, though. They were cute together. Together, they made me laugh. Their personalities meshed. They made me smile. I rooted for them too. Everything was balanced against them. I was hoping that their story would end up a happy one. I was worried at one point (after that scene with Brian).

 They also had insane chemistry together. Sparks flew when they were together. I had an inner bet going with myself about when those sparks would combust. When they did combust, it made for some pretty awesome sex. 

I liked Trinity. She put up with a lot throughout her life. Because she was biracial, she dealt with that crap (from family and general public). She dealt with crap from being a woman sommelier. She had issues with her brother in law. The depth of those issues stunned me. I wasn’t expecting it to be that, which in turn made me want to smack her sister into next Tuesday. I liked her humor with the age range. She wasn’t exactly a cougar….lol.

I thought Lucas at the beginning and middle of the book was immature. Every scene that he was in, he grated on my nerves. He had to be the center of attention. I have to keep this Amazon PC but I would call him an “Attention W***e”. Just saying.  I did feel bad for him when it was revealed what happened to Lizzie and how his childhood was. I wouldn’t go as far to say that he matured towards the end of the book but he did get better. His restraint at the end of the book made me laugh.

There were dropped storylines. Also, important elements of the storyline not talked about until almost the end of the book. Take for instance Trinity’s attacker. It affected her to the point where she had nightmares about it (years after the event). Lucas took notice when he stayed over when she was sick. Then there was no mention of it after that, even though it was mentioned a few times in the first half of the book. 

The end of Illegally Yours was bittersweet. I am glad that Lucas and Trinity got their HEA but I wished things could have been different with Lizzie. That broke my heart. The epilogue was awesome. I loved it. I also liked how the author set up for the next book!!

I gave Illegally Yours a 3-star rating. This was not my favorite book by Kate Meader. It didn’t deliver on the blurb. There were dropped plotlines. I also thought Lucas was immature. There were things I liked about the book. I liked Lucas and Trinity together as a couple. The sex scenes were hot. The ending was bittersweet. The epilogue was awesome!!

I would give Illegally Yours an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be divorce, cheating, neglect of a child and parental alienation. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book. 

I am on the fence if I would reread Illegally Yours. I am also on the fence if I would reccomend this book to family and friends.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Illegally Yours are mine.

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

Have you read Illegally Yours?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Wartime Sisters

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 22nd, 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

 Where you can find The Wartime Sisters: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

My review:

I wasn’t sure about reading The Wartime Sisters when I got approached to review it. I am not a fan of historical fiction. I have been burnt by too many books that were dry and uninteresting to read. I was afraid that this was going to be the case with The Wartime Sisters. And I almost turned it down. But something about the blurb caught my attention. With that, I decided to accept the request.

The Wartime Sisters is the story of Ruth and Millie. Ruth and Millie have been estranged since their parents were killed in an automobile accident. Before the accident, Ruth resented Millie. Ruth blamed Millie for stealing her boyfriends, for being popular and for being the apple of their parents eye. Millie, however, doesn’t understand why Ruth is so cold and distant to her. When Millie’s husband dies overseas, she writes to Ruth, asking for help. Ruth agrees to let Millie and her son live with them. When Millie arrives in Springfield, she finds that Ruth hasn’t changed. Ruth grows more bitter the longer Millie stays with them. But Ruth and Millie have secrets. Secrets that could destroy their relationship if they came to light. Can Ruth get over the past to help Millie in the present? Or will she allow past resentments color what she thinks of Millie? Can Millie trust Ruth enough to tell her about her secret?

I didn’t like Ruth one bit. I didn’t like how she treated Millie. I thought it was disgusting that she held on to old resentments. She was afraid that Millie was going to one-up her. I wanted to shake her and say “Get over it!!“. What she did the night of her parents funeral was awful. The author did try to change her character by having her confront Grace Peabody. It didn’t matter. I didn’t like her.

I liked Millie and I felt bad for her. I liked how the author wrote her side of the story. I understood why she left out parts of her story when she moved in with Ruth. I do think that she was unfairly judged by people. They saw how good-looking she was and thought she wasn’t that bright. Which was far from the truth. She was also stronger than most of the women in this book.

I liked Lillian. But I didn’t understand why she was getting her own chapters until later in the book. She was an amazing woman. She had been through so much in her life and she still looked on the brighter side of things. She didn’t dwell on things she couldn’t change. What she did for Millie was nothing short of amazing.

Aria was brought in later in the book. Again, I didn’t understand why she was getting her own chapters but I soon realized why about the same time I understood why Lillian did. She brought an outside perspective to Ruth and Millie’s relationship. She was the only person in the book who dared to call Ruth out on her treatment of Millie. She also was the only one who stood up to Grace and her husband when things were going down. Aria was a true friend to Millie.

I liked how the author wrote Millie’s secret into the book. I also liked what she did to get rid of it. That was also a turning point in Ruth and Millie’s relationship.

I loathed Grace Peabody. She was a nasty woman who got everything that she deserved. I do wish that her husband got the same treatment.

I did like that I got a better understanding of what a woman did to support her soldier/country during World War II. I thought it was fascinating what Millie did. I also liked the location. Having grown up in the NE part of MA, I love it when any part is represented in a book. Double kudos if it is in a positive light.

The end of the book was sweet. I liked that Millie and Ruth were moving towards a better relationship. The author did a great job at ending all the storylines. I had a question about the Aria/Fitz one. Other than that, perfect!!

What I liked about The Wartime Sisters:

  1. The storyline
  2. Mille
  3. How Millie’s secret was written in and out of the book

What I disliked about The Wartime Sisters:

  1. Ruth
  2. Grace Peabody
  3. Aria/Fitz relationship left up in the air

I gave The Wartime Sisters a 4-star rating. I liked the storyline and Mille. I also liked how Millie’s secret was written in and out of the story. It was Ruth who killed the book for me. She was miserable the entire book.

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

I would reread The Wartime Sisters. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

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

All opinions expressed in this review of The Wartime Sisters are mine.

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

Katie’s Highlander (Highlander Protector: Book 3) by Maeve Greyson

Katie's Highlander (Highlander Protector, #3)

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: January 22nd, 2019

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction

Series: Highland Protector

Sadie’s Highlander—Book 1 (review here)

Joanna’s Highlander—Book 2 (review here)

Katie’s Highlander—Book 3

Where you can find Katie’s Highlander: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

An archaeologist with a zest for life finds herself stranded in small-town North Carolina—with a brooding Highland hunk who’s straight out of ancient Scotland.

Ramsay MacDara wishes the goddesses had left his arse back in the tenth century. That way he never would have met the gold digger who made a fool out of him. A loner at heart, Ramsay is riding his beloved horse through the woods near his family’s North Carolina theme park, Highland Life and Legends, when he hears tires squealing—followed by a thud—and rushes to the scene to help. That’s when he sets his eyes on a pair of long legs sticking out of the moon roof of a car. His interest piqued, the rest of her will soon arouse his greatest desires…and deepest fears.

Archaeologist Katie Jenson is on a six-month sabbatical from her job at Princeton University. Following the death of her beloved father—whose dying request was for Katie to live life to the fullest—she’s headed to a friend’s beach house in North Carolina. But a momentary distraction takes her off the road and on the journey of her life…with a sex god in a kilt at her side. Ramsay’s passion is the stuff of legend—and it just may be Katie’s greatest discovery.

My review:

I was stoked when I saw that there was the 3rd book in the Highlander Protector series. I wasn’t sure who the next was going to be about. I had a 50/50 chance of it being either Ramsay or Ross. When I read the blurb, I had a mini-freakout because it was Ramsay. I loved Ramsay in Joanna’s Highlander. I couldn’t wait to read the book.

While I did like Katie’s Highlander, I thought that it fell short in several areas. The plotline didn’t seem as well developed as the previous books. The characters didn’t seem as vibrant.

There were things that I did like about the book. I thought that Katie was a perfect heroine. I loved Ramsay. And while I thought the plotlines weren’t as developed as the previous books, I did like reading them.

Kate was a hoot in this book. I loved that she owned her geekiness. That she knew her self worth. She was raised to value herself above everything else. It was an amazing message to read. More people, women especially, need to know that. I liked how real she was. Except for the driving while looking at the constellations. That wasn’t real. That was kinda stupid. But, in hindsight, she wouldn’t have met Ramsay.

I loved Ramsay in this book. He had been hurt by his ex-fiancee. He didn’t want to like Katie. Heck, he didn’t want to fall in love with her. I did think that he was a bit stubborn at times in the book. When he realized that he was in love with Katie, he was willing to let her go so she could be happy.

There is Instalove in this book. Katie and Ramsay meet and fall in love within 2 days. I do wish that there was more time for them to get to know each other. 2 days didn’t cut it with me.

I wasn’t expecting Katie and Ramsay to go back in time. It was a nice twist in the plot and gave the book that added “ummph” that was needed. I liked seeing Katie’s reactions to being in Medieval Scotland. She was out of her element and wanted to go home. I didn’t blame her.

The other twist in the plotline was not expected. It didn’t add anything to the plotline because Ramsay was so accepting of what happened. That made me to “WTH“. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop with it. Like something bad happening to Katie. So, I wasn’t expecting it when it ended the way it did. It was another “WTH” situation.

I did like the sex scenes but I didn’t love them. I was a little skeeved about the period sex. I also didn’t appreciate the scene where Ramsay was cleaning himself off after sex. We all know guys do it but reading about it. No thank you.

The end of Katie’s Highlander was bittersweet. I loved that Katie made the right choice. I also like how Ross and Esme put Adam in his place.

I gave Katie’s Highlander an Adult rating. There are sex and sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent and child abuse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Katie’s Highlander. 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 Katie’s Highlander.

All opinions stated in this review of Katie’s Highlander are mine.