Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Not Her Daughter

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: August 21st, 2018

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Trigger Warning: Child Abuse, Kidnapping

Where you can find Not Her Daughter: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful Entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal—and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she’s gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return—and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.

Emotionally powerful and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

My review:

Not Her Daughter is one of those books that you need to read with tissues. It is also a thought-provoking book. It makes you think how far would you go to help an abused child. And how far is too far? What this book also showed is how people turn a blind eye to problems that aren’t their own. At any point, the school/neighbors/babysitter could have stepped up for Emma. But they didn’t. No one wanted to rock the boat. No one wanted to take that extra step to help Emma until Sarah arrived.

I know this is going sound weird, but I kind of felt for Amy right after Sarah took Emma. My sympathy was taken away as the story went on. She became unlikable. She only thought about herself. Not about Emma. Not about her husband or son. Just about herself. I came to the conclusion at the end of the book that she was some sort of sociopath. She deserved everything that happened to her after Emma was taken.

On the same note, I couldn’t believe how clueless Emma’s father was. How could you not notice your wife mistreating your child? How could you not see the bruises or even the fact that your child was malnourished? I know most people would feel bad for him, but I didn’t. He lived with his head in the sand. He did end up doing the right thing in the end by leaving Amy but still. Too little, too late.

Sarah was such a great character to read. She was conflicted and man, did she have her demons. I thought seeing Sarah so torn on taking Emma was great. She wasn’t a bad person but she did something that was horrible. Even if it was to protect a child. Her demons did show up during the book. Between the ex that she shouldn’t have let get away to her very childhood, she was forced to face them. I like how it was done during the book. I also liked how Sarah learned and grew from facing them.

Emma was the only one that I felt completely bad for. Her mother hated her. Why? Because she was prettier than Amy. Yes, you read that right. So, she ended up getting the short end of the stick. She was neglected, beaten and not fed right. Then Sarah comes along and takes her. Don’t get me wrong, it was for the better. Emma thrived with Sarah. But still. Even at the end of the book, Emma was treated like some sort of hot commodity. Emma did get a chance to make her choice and I was pretty happy with what she chose.

The child abuse angle was very well written. The author did a great job of giving enough detail so you knew what was going on. But she didn’t give too much. I have read books that give too much detail. Which is fine. But in this case, it wasn’t needed.

The kidnapping angle held enough oomph to keep my attention. Sarah’s run from the law while trying to heal a wounded child and deal with her own issues. The author did a great job at not dropping the ball with that. The urgency was there and it did not let up. I did think that Sarah going to her ex’s cabin was a bit of a fail but I could see why she did it.

I do not like more than 2 POV’s. I get thrown off the storyline. But in this book, it works. I got to see what was going on in all 3 people’s minds as this drama unfolded. It fascinated me and kept me reading.

The end of the book was anticlimactic for me. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that. I felt let down. After everything that happened in the book, I expected more out of the ending. I loved the epilogue. Thought it was one of the best ones I have read to date.

What I liked about Not Her Daughter:

A) Thought provoking

B) Sarah.

C) The epilogue

What I disliked about Not Her Daughter:

A) Amy. She was an unlikable character

B) The abuse Emma endured

C) The people in the book that turned a blind eye to what was going on with Emma.

I would give Not Her Daughter an Adult rating. There is language. There is violence. There are sexual situations (but no real sex). I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in Not Her Daughter. They would be child abuse and kidnapping. If any of those trigger you, I suggest not to read this book.

I would recommend Not Her Daughter to family and friends. I would also reread this book.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Not Her Daughter.

All opinions stated in this review of Not Her Daughter are mine.

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

The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick

The Phantom Tree

4 Stars

Publisher: Harlequin-Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada), Graydon House

Date of publication: August 21st, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Mystery

Where you can find The Phantom Tree: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.”

Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait – supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better… The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child.

The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison’s past – it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance, and the enigma of Alison’s son.

But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbors secrets in its shadows…

Trigger Warning: Infanticide

Continue reading “The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick” →

Blood Cure (Blood Type: Book 3) by K.A. Linde

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 21st, 2018

Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

Series: Blood Type

Blood Type – Book 1 (review here)

Blood Match – Book 2 (review here)

Blood Cure – Book 3

Where you can find Blood Cure: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The stunning conclusion to the Blood Type series finds the world in chaos and turmoil with one final battle left to determine who will survive—humans or vampires.

She had the world on her shoulders. Now she has nothing.

Reyna Carpenter was twenty-one when she became a live-in blood escort for the ruthless and darkly handsome vampire Beckham Anderson. She thought this was just a small price to pay for feeding her brothers back home.

But nothing went as planned. Not even her tumultuous relationship with Beckham. And now she wonders if anything will ever be the same again.

As she finds herself in the midst of a losing rebellion, she and her trusted friends must flee from a city conquered by the vampire élite. With their plans blown to pieces and everything they knew and loved gone, their future hangs in the balance.

Despite all she has lost, Reyna must rise from the ashes, reclaim the life that was stolen—and complete her mission, once and for all.

K. A. Linde’s addictive Blood Type novels are best enjoyed in order:
BLOOD TYPE | BLOOD MATCH | BLOOD CURE

My Review:

OMG. What did I read? What happened in this book!! I can’t even!!! I was expecting Blood Cure to be good but I wasn’t expecting it to be THAT good. I couldn’t believe what I read. I couldn’t believe what was revealed. Kudos to the author for pulling off an ending that stunned me.

If the series lacked sex in the first two books, it was more than made up in Blood Cure. Reyna and Beckham went at it like rabbits. Also, the chemistry that they had been insane. I needed a fan after a couple of the sex scenes…they were that hot.

I liked that Beckham finally told Reyna about his past. I wasn’t too surprised by what he told her. I had a feeling that he wasn’t a nice guy back in the day. But the true scope of what he was and what he did made me shudder. What he did to his sister was awful and heartbreaking. Reyna didn’t even blink twice when he told her. It didn’t even bother her when he admitted what he did. He was remorseful but still.

Reyna was the star of this book. She was determined to beat Harrington at his game. She became the figurehead for Elle after Visage tried to take the group down. After finding out about her blood, she was willing to let the Dr study it. I couldn’t get enough of her in this book and was sad when it ended. Beckham was her only weakness.

What I said about Beckham aside, I liked him. He became fully fleshed out in this book. His worry for Reyna came across loud and clear. He was willing to risk his life so that Reyna could meet her goals. I did think that he should have seen Penny for who she was sooner. Also, I was creeped out about his past. Other than that, I loved him.

Harrington was truly an evil man. But, I felt bad for him. When his past was explained, I could understand why he was the way he was. But that doesn’t excuse the direction he pointed Visage in or what he did to Reyna when she was being held captive. I thought the end of his storyline was perfect!!!

I do have a small complaint about Jodie. I understood her need to find her cousin but man, really, a strip club? I was surprised at who she hooked up with at the end of the book. Very surprised.

I loved the storyline involving Reyna’s blood, soulmates, and Beckham. I was happy to see Beckham try to make right with his sister. I was happy to see that Reyna’s blood was able to pave the way. But it was sad. That poor woman.

All the storylines in the Blood Type series were ended in Blood Cure. The author did a fantastic job of wrapping them all up. I did have a question about Graves. Who or what the heck was he? It was never answered in the book. I was thinking some sort of incubus but I don’t know. All I know is that he was a combination of sex and danger.

The end of Blood Cure was as good as I expected it to be. Like I mentioned above, I enjoyed how Reyna beat Harrington at his game.

What I liked about Blood Cure:

A) Beckham finally coming clean to Reyna about his past

B) Reyna

C) The sex

What I disliked about Blood Cure:

A) Harrington

B) Jodie. She drove me nuts in this book

C) What Beckham did to his sister.

I would give Blood Cure an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is graphic violence. There is language. I would recommend no one under the age of 21 read this book.

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

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

All opinions stated in this review of Blood Cure are mine.

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

The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones: Book 1) by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: August 14th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Series: The Raging Ones

The Raging Ones – Book 1

Where you can find The Raging Ones: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling authors Krista and Becca Ritchie, comes The Raging Ones, an edge of your seat sci-fi romance with twists and turns that you will never see coming!

In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds.

Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.

Until the day she does.

Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people who haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.

Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.

With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought-after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

My review:

My interest in The Raging Ones was caught when I read the blurb. I could see the potential in a plotline based on a society that knew when they were going to die. Then I read the book and man, I can’t even begin to describe what it was like reading this book. The best way I can describe it is like unwrapping a Christmas gift. You don’t know what you are going to get and you are eager to get it open to see it. That is how I felt about The Raging Ones.

The Raging Ones follows 3 teenagers who have dodged their deathdays. In doing that, they have bonded with each other. Desperate to keep their secrets, the trio decides that their best bet is to enter a competition that will send them into space. A competition that will test their bonds and their alliances with each other. But what awaits them in space?

Franny is the first character that we are introduced to in the book. She is a brass, crass Fast Tracker. Fast Trackers are people who are destined to die in their teens/early adulthood. They are known for partying like it is the last day of their life…every single day. I felt bad for Franny because all she wanted was her money so she could die knowing what it would be like to be rich. I liked her. She was the more open of the trio. The more impulsive one. I liked her. She did get the short end of the stick with her new tattoos. That artist did not like her.

Mykal was introduced with Court. Mykal was a Babe. Babes are children whose death dates happen before the age of 8. When he didn’t die, he removed himself from his Hinterland village, supporting himself alone until he found Court half-frozen. While Mykal came across as a country bumpkin but he was anything but. I loved his character. He had a way of looking at things that were refreshing.

Court was the mysterious one. He was an Influential. Influentials are people whose deathdays happen far in the future. Court was very stingy in giving information about himself. That drove me nuts but also kept reading. Court cared about Franny and Mykal but didn’t want to get too close to them. He was also the driving force behind the 3 of them getting into the space program. I liked his character but came to love him.

The bond that Mykal and Court had were intense. As was their attraction to each other. But they didn’t act on it. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife, it was that heavy. I was surprised that nothing happened between them sooner in the book. I did think that there was going to be a love triangle with Franny but nothing ever came from it. Which I liked. A love triangle would have taken away from the storyline.

I do wish that more had been spent on explaining why death dates were needed and how they were discovered. It was explained very briefly but not in detail. I also wish that more time had been given to explained Mykal, Court and Franny’s connection. Why they had it and why they didn’t die.

I liked the science fiction aspect of the book but I did feel that it went on for a tad bit too long. It felt that there was some unneeded luggage with that plotline that could have been trimmed. Mainly the part of the storyline with the cheating. It added nothing to the storyline and bored me.

The end of the book was fantastic. The author had a huge plot twist that I didn’t see coming. There were no hints or anything leading up to it. I was shocked. The author ended the book on that note. Brilliant move on their part. Because now I have to read the next book to see what is going to happen. Also, the author didn’t wrap up the main storyline or any of the storylines added late in the book. So I am curious to see how they will be resolved in book 2.

What I liked about The Raging Ones:

A) How diverse the characters were

B) The bond that connected Mykal, Court, and Franny

C) No love triangle

What I disliked about The Raging Ones:

A) No explanation on why death dates were needed/discovered

B) No explanation about Franny, Court, and Mykal’s connection

C) Science fiction part of the book went on a little too long for my taste

I gave The Raging Ones a 4-star rating. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed reading it. I do think that there was too little information given about death dates and Mykal, Franny, and Court’s connection. Other than that, I enjoyed the book.

I would give The Raging Ones an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild violence. There is mild language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Raging Ones. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

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

All opinions stated in this review of The Raging Ones are mine.

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

Bishop (Arizona Vengeance: Book 1) by Sawyer Bennett

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 14th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: Arizona Vengeance

Bishop – Book 1

Erik – Book 2 (expected publication date: November 6th, 2018)

Legend – Book 3 (expected publication date: February 5th, 2019)

Where you can find Bishop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Meet the Arizona Vengeance, hockey’s hottest new team. They’re burning up the ice—until a one-night-stand with the coach’s daughter freezes one player in his skates.

Bishop Scott, co-captain. Not too shabby, huh? It’s all part of my fresh start with the NHL’s latest expansion team, and that means new teammates, a new coach, a new city, and a big new contract. Basically, I cannot f***ing wait to show my old squad what they’re missing.

But first, I decide to check out the town before the grind begins. Turns out Arizona chicks are totally smokin’, and I’m fortunate enough to meet one who’s looking for the same thing I am: a night of anonymous, unforgettable, no-strings-attached sex.

Fast forward to the Vengeance arena. It’s the last place I expect to see her again—let alone in her own office. Then bells go off and I finally realize who this girl is: Brooke Perron. My new coach’s daughter. All of a sudden, we’re picking up right where we left off, which means our hands are all over each other. That’s when her dad—my boss—walks in. And before I can get a word out, Brooke’s introducing me as her fiancé.

Sure, she just saved my ass. So why do I get the feeling Brooke’s going to turn my world upside down? Maybe it’s because this fake relationship feels way too real. . . .

My review:

I grew up in NE MA, where hockey and football were the most watched sports in my house. I remember hearing my parents screaming at the TV during any of the Boston Bruins games. Fast forward 20 or so years, and I discover hockey romance novels. I was thrilled. Then I read too much and got burnt out. When I saw that Sawyer Bennett had a new series starting, I debated whether I should read it because I was burnt out on them. I took the chance, and I am glad that I did. This was a GOOD book.

Bishop’s plot was simple. Bishop had been traded from his previous team to a new team in Arizona. While celebrating in a bar pre-season, he meets a smoking hot brunette. Thinking it is a one-night stand, Bishop is floored to discover that his one-night stand works for the team. Deciding that could be a good thing, he moves on the brunette. Only to discover, a few minutes later, that she is his new coach’s daughter. He is soon in a fake relationship with Brooke. A fake relationship that begins to feel all too real.

I didn’t know what I thought about Bishop at the beginning of the book. He was cocky, and he most definitely needed to be taken down a peg. As the book went on, I began to see a different side of Bishop. A side of him that I liked. He saw that Brooke was the type of person who couldn’t say no to someone, and he stepped in to do it for her. The man who he became at the end of the book was a man that I had seen glimpses of in the book. I loved it!!

As much as I liked Brooke, I wanted to shake her. I understood why she told her father that she and Bishop were engaged, but at the same time, I was like, “Whyyyyyy”. Then the whole fiasco with Nannette. I didn’t understand why she couldn’t have told her to leave. I would have thrown her nasty butt out the first time she pulled the crap. What I didn’t doubt was what she felt for Bishop. That came across crystal clear.

The chemistry between Brooke and Bishop was red hot. Even though they had sex within the first chapter, it didn’t take away from their chemistry. Instead, as weird as this sounds, it increased the chemistry. You will not find me saying that again.

Because the chemistry was so red-hot, the sex was insane. What got me was that Brooke was a dirty girl. She was a freak in bed. Which Bishop loved. Because Bishop was as freaky. A match made in sexual heaven.

Let’s talk about Nannette for a minute. I disliked her. She was a witch with a b. The things she put Brooke through were awful. She was the houseguest from hell. I don’t understand why Brooke didn’t boot her sooner. Her confession to Bishop and what she did afterward cemented my dislike for her. I hope that she stays gone from this series.

The end of Bishop tugged on my heartstrings. I will say that I laughed when Brooke’s father confronted Bishop. All I have to say is, “Go Dad“…lol. The end of the book made my heart jump a beat and brought a huge smile to my face.

What I liked about Bishop:

A) A hockey romance that I loved

B) Bishop’s transformation during the book

C) The chemistry and sex. Hot!!!

What I disliked about Bishop:

A) How cocky Bishop was in the beginning

B) Brooke letting people (ie Nannette) push her around

C) Nannette. She was vile

I gave Bishop a 4-star rating. I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick read with enjoyable characters and hot sexual situations. The beginning of the book didn’t jive with me, as did the storyline with Nannette.

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

I would reread Bishop. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Bishop are mine.

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

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: August 7th, 2018

Genre: Thriller, suspense, mystery

Where you can find Sister of Mine: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Synopsis (from Amazon):

Penny and Hattie are sisters in a small town, bound tight to the point of knots. They share a secret they cannot escape, even while it pulls them apart. One night, a match is lit, and Penny’s terrible husband is killed – a marriage going up in flames, and offering the potential of a new life. The sisters retreat into their family home – a house of secrets and memories – and try to live in the shadow of what they put in motion. But Penny’s husband is not the only thing they are hiding, from the outside world and from each other. Under a cloud of long-held resentments, sibling rivalry, and debts unpaid, the bonds of sisterhood begin to crack. How long will Penny and Hattie demand the unthinkable of each other? How often will they say, “You owe me,” and when will it ever be enough?

My review:

Sister of Mine had a complex plotline. Penny and Hattie are sisters who are living in a small town. They closer than close due to a secret that they share. That secret is a drain on their relationship. Their relationship, strained, gets more strained when Jameson comes into the picture. When Penny does the unthinkable one drunken night, that the bond breaks. Hattie descends into mental illness to escape and Penny is left picking up the pieces. But, when the police look into Penny’s husband death, new questions arise. What happened that night? And who lit the match? The answers to those questions test the remaining strands of Penny and Hattie’s bond.

I didn’t like Penny during the first half of the book. She rubbed me the wrong way. Her lack of grief over her husband’s death struck me as odd. Even with the explanation of what he did to her, she came across as flat. Almost emotionless when retelling it. It rubbed me the wrong way. So, when she stepped away to allow Hattie to have her relationship with Jameson, I was a little skeptical. The last half of the book, though, my dislike turned into begrudging admiration. She came back to pick up the pieces when Hattie came apart.

I felt bad for Hattie. Up until Penny went to school, she had to deal with Penny telling her how she was to blame for her father leaving. Then she was to blame for their mother dying. No wonder she had mental health issues!!! But my pity for her evaporated in the middle of the book. At that point, she lost her damn mind. She made poor decisions and those decisions affected everyone around her.

The mystery angle of the book was fantastically written. As was the suspense.

I did have an issue with the dropped storylines. Mainly the one about Penny and Hattie’s father. There was no closure. I was left wondering what happened to him.

I am not going to get into the rest of the book. I will say that I was surprised by the huge twist at the end of the book. I was thinking one thing and was left with a huge WTF moment when the secret was revealed. I was also surprised by what that person did and where they ended up.

What I liked about Sister of Mine:

A) Penny and Hattie’s relationship

B) The mystery angle of the book

C) the twist at the end of the book

What I disliked about Sister of Mine:

A) Penny and Hattie’s relationship

B) Hattie losing her damn mind the last half of the book

C) Dropped storylines

I gave Sister of Mine a rating of 3.5 stars. I didn’t like Penny and Hattie’s relationship. I also didn’t like Hattie losing her damn mind in the middle of the book. But, what I didn’t like was the dropped/unfinished storylines. That is why Sister of Mine got a 3.5 instead of a 5-star rating. I did like Penny and Hattie’s relationship at the beginning of the book. The relationship after their childhood but before Jameson. I also loved the mystery angle of the book. Which goes with the huge twist at the end of the book.

I gave Sister of Mine an Adult rating. There is sex but not explicit. There is violence. There is language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence about rereading Sister of Mine. I am also on the fence about recommending it to family and friends.

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sister of Mine.

All opinions stated in this review of Sister of Mine are mine.

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

Down with Love (Laws of Attraction: Book 1) by Kate Meader

Down with Love (Laws of Attraction, #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 7th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Series: Laws of Attraction

Down with Love – Book 1

Illegally Yours – Book 2 (expected publication date: January 22nd, 2019)

Where you can find Down with Love: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sparks fly when the hot-shot divorce lawyer meets the high-powered wedding planner. The only question is, what kind?

If you ever get married, remember my name: Max Henderson. In my line of work, you acquire a certain perspective on supposedly everlasting unions. . . .

1. Prenups are your friend.
2. The person you married is not the person you’re divorcing.
3. And I hope you didn’t spend much on the wedding because that was one helluva waste of hard-earned cash, wasn’t it?

But some guys are willing to take a chance. Like my brother, who thinks he’s going to ride off into the sunset with the woman of his dreams in a haze of glitter on unicorns. And the wedding planner—the green-eyed beauty who makes living convincing suckers to shell out thousands of dollars on centerpieces—is raking it in on this matrimonial monstrosity.

The thing is, Charlie Love is not unlike me. We’re both cogs in the wedding-industrial complex. As the best man, I know her game—and I can play it better than her. But after one scorching, unexpected kiss, I’m thinking I might just want to get played.

My review:

I feel bad saying this, but I judged this book before I even read it. I thought it was going to be a fluff book. A book that had zero plot and was heavy on sex. Well, yeah, about that. Not what I thought it was going to be.

Max Henderson is a cynic about marriage. A successful divorce attorney, he has seen what breaking up a marriage can do. It has jaded him against anything wedding related. So, he can’t help but bait his brother’s wedding planner, Charlie Love. She is the opposite in everything. Or so he thinks. It isn’t until he kisses her that Max realizes he’s wrong about love. Will Max find his happily ever after with Charlie, or will he blow it?

I thought Max was a jerk when Down with Love started. I understand that he was cynical. I 100% understand that, but rain on his brother’s parade is something else. I wanted to smack him upside his head, hard. I didn’t understand why he felt the way he did. His parents were still married and in love with each other. But the more I read his story, the more I understood what drove him to that place. All his clients are upper-middle-class women who were pushed aside when their husbands wanted a younger model. Max saw what a divorce could do to someone who wasn’t expecting it. I understood then. But it didn’t excuse his attitude towards Charlie in the book’s first part. Another instance where I wanted to smack him upside his head. I knew he liked her, but he acted like a jerk to her. His attitude changed after the kiss. He went from needling her to helping her with family issues.

I loved Charlie. She was one of the more real characters I have read. I got a chuckle from the thought of a wedding planner with an anger issue. But, my amusement turned to sadness when it was explained why she had an anger problem. She also knew how to handle Max. This was great because he needed to be put in his place every time.

The romance between Charlie and Max did start off slow because of Max’s attitude. But once they kissed, it gathered momentum. When they had sex, it was hot. The other sex scenes were hot, but they didn’t reach the levels of hotness that they had the first time.

The secondary storylines made this book. The one that made me laugh was the storyline involving Charlie’s foster father, the dog, and Charlie’s foster mother. I was giggling over it because of the foster mother’s assumptions.

The end of Down with Love was your typical romance novel ending. But the epilogue more than made up for it.

What I liked about Down with Love:

A) Charlie

B) Charlie and Max’s romance

C) The secondary storylines

What I disliked about Down with Love:

A) Max, at the beginning of the book

B) How Max treated Charlie pre-kiss

C) Charlie’s anger issue

I gave Down with Love a 4-star rating. The book was enjoyable to read with hot sex scenes. Any of my complaints did not affect my star rating.

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

I would reread Down with Love. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Down with Love are mine.

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

Blood Match (Blood Type: Book 2) by K.A. Linde

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: July 26th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

Series: Blood Type

Blood Type – Book 1, review here

Blood Match – Book 2

Blood Cure – Book 3, expected publication date August 21st, 2018

Where you can find Blood Match: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.

A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided.

Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell.

Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham.

She just has to find the will to survive this game.

From the pawn, rises a queen.

Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure.

My review:

I was beyond thrilled when I saw that Blood Match was up for review on NetGalley. I had loved Blood Type and was waiting for Blood Match to come out. I had hyped this book up in my head. I am glad that it lived up to my internal hype because I would have been mad if it wasn’t good. Let me clarify, mad at myself. I try not to let myself get all hyped up over books. But in this case, because Blood Type was so good, I let myself do it.

Blood Match starts off 56 days after the ending events of Blood Type. Reyna has been kidnapped by William Harrington, the president and CEO of Visage. Reyna was kidnapped because of her very rare blood type, RH null negative. Harrington needed Reyna for her blood but he wasn’t above torturing her when she wouldn’t comply. One of those times, he left her alone with a deranged vampire that he called B. Reyna is soon broken out of Visage by Elle. Reyna soon learns that not everything is what it seemed. That enemies can be allies and allies can be terrible enemies. Can she overthrow Visage with the help of her friends or will she be forced to watch people that she loved die?

Blood Match was as dark and gritty as Blood Type. There was an undercurrent of violence that ran throughout the book. That is what made the book so good. You never knew when violence was going to explode. What I also liked, and what made this book dark, was that the “good guys” weren’t necessarily good guys. The author had those characters walk a thin line between good and evil. I loved it!!

The sex in this book was great. But, what I liked was that there wasn’t a ton of it. But, when Reyna and Beckham did bump uglies, it was explosive. Even Reyna’s dream sex was amazing!!!

The plotlines in Blood Match were not resolved. If anything, more depth was added to them. I cannot wait to read book 3 to see how this story ends.

The end of the book was insane. I didn’t expect what happened to happen. And it ended with a small cliffhanger. I was mentally yelling “NO” when I read it.

I rated Blood Match with a 4-star rating. Why did I do that? I liked the plotline. I liked the characters. The sex scenes were hot. Now, with the good, there is the bad. There were parts of the book that I didn’t like. I didn’t like William Harrington. I didn’t like what Visage was doing behind the scenes. I didn’t like the cliffhanger (as small as it was).

What I liked about Blood Match (to recap):

A) Plotline. Thought it was great.

B) Characters.

C) Sex scenes

What I disliked about Blood Match (to recap):

A) William Harrington

B) What Visage was doing behind the scenes

C) the cliffhanger

I would give Blood Match an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

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

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

All opinions stated in this review of Blood Match are mine.

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

The Middleman by Olen Steinhauer

2 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: August 7th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

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

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

New York Times bestselling author Olen Steinhauer’s next sweeping espionage novel traces the rise and fall of a domestic left-wing terrorist group. Told from the individual perspectives of an FBI agent, an undercover agent within the group, a convert to the terrorist organization, and a writer on the edges of the whole affair, this is another tightly wound thriller, and an intimate exploration of the people behind the politics, from a master of suspense.

My review:

I made a mistake when I got The Middleman from NetGalley. I wasn’t paying attention, thought I hit the Read Now button for another book and ended up with this one instead. I do not like political/espionage thrillers. I have read them, even reviewed them, in the past. I can’t get into the books. So, I wasn’t very happy when I realized what I did. But, I decided to suck it up.

I couldn’t get into the book. I struggled to finish it. If I didn’t have a personal goal of not DNF’ing a book, then it would have been DNF’d and forgotten about. But, I stuck it out. It took me 4 nights to finish this book. 4 torturous nights of me falling asleep while reading. That is something I rarely do.

I did like the plot. It was something that I could see happening in real life. 400 young people disappearing all at once. All 400 have traces to a domestic terrorist group. Told from 4 different POV’s, this should have been a riveting book. Instead, I ended up getting bored with the book halfway through. If the author had stuck with one or two POV’s, then it would have worked. But with 4 different ones. Well, I had a hard time keeping track of everything. Even with the chapters marked.

I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. It drove me nuts because I need to have at least 1 connection in the book. I didn’t have any.

I did feel that the book did fit in with the mystery genre pretty well. The story with the 2nd in command of the terrorist group was well-played out. I didn’t see him being who he was until it was explained at the end. As for the thriller genre, not so much. I kept losing attention, which isn’t good in a thriller. You need to be sucked into a thriller book and then spit out at the end feeling. The Middleman didn’t do that. The same thing goes for suspense. The book should have been fast-paced right from the start. Instead, it started off slowly. It did pick up steam by the middle of the book, only to slow down by the end of the book. Very frustrating to read.

I do feel that there was a huge hole in the plotline in the middle of the book. Take for instance Rachel being in the hospital. I had to reread the chapters leading up to her being injured for any mention of her getting hurt. There was nothing. But suddenly, she was on medical leave from a bad injury. Made 100% no sense to me. There are a few more examples but I don’t want to make a novel out of my review.

There was also some lag in the plotline. One right around Rachel’s injury. The other was when Kevin was in Europe, chasing leads all over the place. The author recovered very well but still.

The end of The Middleman was confusing. Not in the sense how it ended. I agreed with the explanations that Rachel got about the case. It was the ending involving another key character. I kind of shook my head and wondered “Why was she there? How did she get there?” I was also left wondering if that group was going to be reborn. Something about what the men were talking about made me wonder that. There were also some unfinished storylines that made me go “Huh“. I hate it when storylines are left unfinished. I hate it even more when it was attached to a major storyline. No closure makes me cranky.

Why I rated The Middleman 2 stars. There were huge holes in the plotline mid-book. There were dropped storylines. There were too many POV’s. There were some things that I did like about The Middleman. I did like the plot. I felt that the mystery angle of the book was well written.

What I liked about The Middleman (to recap):

A) The plot

B) The mystery angle of the book was well written.

What I disliked about The Middleman (to recap):

A) Huge holes in the plotline

B) Dropped storyline

C) Too many POV’s

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

I would not reread The Middleman. I would not recommend 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 Middleman.

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

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

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Grace and Fury

4 Star

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date of publication: July 31st, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

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

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.

Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace – someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir’s eye, it’s Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.

My review

Grace and Fury is one of those books that caught me by surprise. I don’t get taken by surprise by books. I can usually see a plot twist coming a mile away. I can usually see when an author is foreshadowing. I can usually see who the bad guy is in the book. I can usually call who is going to die. But not in Grace and Fury. The author did a fantastic job keeping me in the dark about everything I stated above. And I loved it!!!

Grace and Fury start off with Serina being chosen to go to Bellaqua to compete with other girls to become a Grace. Serina has worked her entire life to become a Grace. That dream is shattered when Serina’s younger sister, Nomi, is chosen instead. It is further shattered when Serina takes the blame for what Nomi did. That something has Serina shipped off to a prison island. There she is forced to fight to the death for food. Back on the mainland, Nomi decides to embrace her role as a Grace. She does that with the hopes of getting Serina off the island and back with her. But Nomi is soon caught up in a dangerous plot. A plot that could end everything that she has worked so hard for.

I couldn’t believe the injustices that the women in that society endured. They weren’t allowed to go to school. They were dominated by the men in their lives. So, I loved it when Nomi bucked the rules. Learning to read was her way of thumbing her nose a the society that was keeping her down. Even as rebellious as she was, she was loyal to Serina. Using her position as a Grace, she did try to get her sister off that island. I was as surprised as she was when everything went down the way it did.

I didn’t like Serina at first. She had trained to be a Grace since she was a child and had no clue how the real world was. Being a Grace meant that her family would never go hungry. She also loved her sister. My turning from not liking her to liking her happened when she took the fall for Nomi. She could have taken Nomi down with her. And when she got to the island. Instead of having a breakdown, she did what she had to do to survive.

There are several twists and turns in the plotline. I wasn’t ready for any of them. I thought this would be one of those typical YA fantasy books that would be heavy on romance and teen angst but would have no twists. Yeah, I was wrong. This book had more twists than a mountain road.

The fantasy angle of the book was fantastic. Set in an Italian-like country, the author did fantastic world-building. The world was 3D, as were the characters.

The YA angle I didn’t feel. Yes, Serina and Nomi were in their late teens, but it didn’t read like it. If I didn’t know their ages, I would have placed Serina in her mid 20’s and Nomi as the teenager. This book also didn’t have much angst as most YA books. Which was refreshing.

I do want to touch upon the amazing girl power vibe that was going on in this book. It was fantastic, and I loved it!!!

The end of Grace and Fury was insane. Everything happened at once. I was surprised at what happened with Nomi. Very surprised. I was surprised that I had to wake up BK and tell him about it. He wasn’t impressed…lol. I will say that the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. This means that I need to read book 2 when it comes out.

Onto why I gave Grace and Fury a 4-star rating. I loved how I was taken surprised time and again in the book. I liked Nomi and her rebellious ways. I loved the strong girl power vibe throughout the book. I didn’t like how the women were treated in the book. I didn’t like Serina at first. I also didn’t like the cliffhanger.

What I liked about Grace and Fury (to recap):

A) Being taken surprise by the different elements of the book

B) Nomi

C) Girl Power

What I disliked about Grace and Fury (to recap):

A) How the women were treated in the book

B) Serina, the first half of the book

C) The cliffhanger

I would give Grace and Fury an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is kissing (that’s about it). There is violence, sometimes graphic. There is no language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

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

I would like to thank Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read and review Grace and Fury.

All opinions stated in this review of Grace and Fury are mine.

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

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