Review: Link (The Shadow of Light #1)

LINK by Summer Wier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That is such a beautiful cover. I really try not to judge a book by its cover, but it is the first thing that you usually see. The cover is what caught my eye, but the blurb is what drew me in.

I really don't know how to explain this book. It's not really like any other book I've read, but I'm still pretty new to sci-fi and fantasy, though they've become a couple of my favorite genres. I mean, I went YEARS on just historical romance novels, hundreds of them. They tend to be a bit predictable and that is what ultimately pulled me into new genres. I like twists, and the unknown. Amanda Quicks Arcane Society Series and J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter Series were that bridge in genres for me.

It's really fun to read a book and not know where the story is going until you get there. This book did that for me.



Spoilers beyond this point.

A good bit of my time in the beginning was spent trying to figure out the setting. I was thinking that it was outside of the US (Australia kept popping into my head), and I was right in a way, it was definitely out of the US, it was a completely different world.

I never really made a personal connection with Kira but that didn't detract from the story. It was like watching a good movie, it was interesting. The only thing I really didn't care for was the love triangle. Even though she was thinking no, I shouldn't, she never actually said it to Evan. Next thing you know, she's back in Zanes arms.

She does tell him that she has a boyfriend at the end of the book, but I really wish she had been more upfront from the beginning, even though technically Kira and Zane weren't gf/bf the whole time. He was there and that was something, enough of something that it should have been mentioned.

So, I'm not very knowledgeable of astronomy or astrology, I do find it fascinating though. LINK is written well; I was never lost in the explanations, and could imagine everything as I read it.

I got that excited, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat feeling while reading. It was kind of like the feeling I get right before I watch a new episode of Doctor Who. The possibilities are endless.

Light vs Dark, Life vs Destruction.

And this book is just the beginning! I can't wait to see where this story goes.

I did receive this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Review: How to Date Dead Guys

How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How To Date Dead Guys was nothing like I expected. It's a story about a girl named Emma, and her journey to figuring out who she is as a person, with the help of a few dead guys.

It starts off with her being painfully shy around guys. Her roommate drags her along to a party where she meets a guy a that flusters her right up. She's quickly in a full force crush. On his twenty-first birthday he gets super drunk, and does something really stupid. Haven't we all done something stupid in our lives at some point, though? Except his choice ends with him dead.

Overcome with grief and guilt, Emma tries to bring him back, but he's not the one that shows up. Guy after guy comes back from the dead, each bringing a new personality that she has to adapt to. All help her along in opening up to the world, while she helps each of them figure out why they're there. Everyone was unique and had a different voice that added so much character to the story. I really enjoyed reading about them. (view spoiler)[I was so heartbroken when Jake had to return. (hide spoiler)]

There was no lull in the story for me, I sped right through it. I'm looking forward to the next book very much!



I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Remember

Remember by Shannon Dermott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Remember is one of my guilty pleasure type books. It wasn't great, but I still wanted to keep reading it, and I wanted to know what was going to happen. It reminded me of a Wattpad novel.

The first half of the book was very slow, bogged down in small detail without the larger picture taking shape. My mind would wander during the long detailed passages. It's like I was reading a really, really long prologue. I kept waiting for the supernatural to show up. Some sentences were very muddled, and sometimes did not make any sense at all. There were quite a few times I had to go back and reread a sentence or paragraph to understand it.

The relationship between Charlie and her mom was nice, but the ones between Peter, Charlie and Alex were irritating. Something like this...

...the whole book.

I'm glad that Charlie found a friend in MC, though. Yay, female friendships without backstabbing, snide comments and thoughts! I really appreciate them, but I didn't feel like she got enough time in the spotlight. Young adult books need more of these. It's so important to show what female friendship should be like.

The histories of Alex & Peter were interesting, and I enjoyed reading them. I wouldn't mind reading more, or maybe even scenes from them, even though I'm not usually one for flashbacks.

I would recommend this if I knew the person liked Twilight or similar books.

I will be reading the next book in the series when it becomes available.


I did receive this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Review: Armed & Delicious

Armed & Delicious by Nathan Aylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.



I love it, and hate it a tiny, little bit because it made me so homesick. I live in Alabama now (I moved down here five years ago), but I grew up in Olympia, Washington. Which is just shy of two hours north of Portland, and they're very much alike. I have a strong love for the PNW, and eventually plan to move back—to Oregon, actually.

Anyways...

I haven't read a book that has made me laugh so much, in a long time. The story is about Jimmy Lagala—or Sparky, as most call him. Jimmy is a high schooler with an autistic little brother and an overworked, underpaid single mom.

His life goes from ordinary to extraordinary, pretty quickly, after getting a part-time job as a slice of pizza.


He learns that things are not always as they seem and sometimes you just have to go with the flow if you're going to get what you want.

The conversations are hilarious.

"You should be politician," he said.
"Why is that?"
"Because you lie like carpet."
"Do you mean rug?" I asked as he handed me a slice.
.
.
.
"Stop talking like congressman or Tino put you in oven," he said.

The characters are awesome.

"...Just a second," Al said, returning to his "princess."
Tino, never one to repeat himself, walked over and took the computer away from Al, slammed it shut, and put it under his arm. "No more internets."
"My princess!"
I don't think Tino knew what the hell Al was talking about. "You want Princess in the ovens?" he said holding the laptop near the oven. "Get to work."
.
.
.
"There's plenty of princesses out there," I said, patting Al on the back, and then corrected myself. "Not real ones though, OK? If they say that they're lying."

They came alive, and "Tiny Teenie Tuesdays!" was one of the best scenes, ever.


My favorite character is Fedor. (view spoiler)[Which is why I was completely devastated at the end. Why did he have to die?!
(hide spoiler)]

You should read this book.

I'll definitely be reading any other books by this author, in Sparky's world or not.


I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Review: Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

03.19.16 - $0.00 FREE on Kindle


Look what showed up in the mail this morning!
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway a little while back.

I read this for my VF book club, which you can find a video of here, if you're interested in listening to four awesome ladies give their opinions on it.

I think it was exactly the right type of book I needed when I read it. It's not perfect and it's a pretty predictable, but it was an easy, supernatural read with one twist I didn't see coming.

I do plan on reading the rest of series. ☺

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Review: Mail Order Doctor

Mail Order Doctor by Cynthia Woolf
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

1.5

This book fell flat for me. I felt everything was rushed. There wasn't enough detail or back story for me. They are just thrown at you, and just continue to speed along.

Spoilers beyond this point.

Julia shows up in Tombstone under the assumption that her husband-by-proxy, that she has been corresponding with for a while, is going to be there waiting for her with open arms and a loving heart. What she gets is a man that has been unwittingly married off by his grandfather, whom has run off so he doesn't have to deal with the mess he's made.

Matthew-the husband-is completely against this marriage. He wants nothing to do with her, but he's not a complete dick and gives her a place to stay while things get sorted out. During this time Julia takes absolutely every chance there is to convince him that he does, in fact, want to be married to her. (He just doesn't know it yet.) This was a little irritating to me. I mean, how would you feel if you found out the guy that you had fallen in love with wasn't actually the man you'd been talking to?

Pissed, a little creeped out and really, really hurt. But she instantly switches on her we-will-stay-married mode, and forget anything that he has to say about it.

And the marriage proposals! What?! Ben I can understand, they spent time on the trip to Tombstone. But Blaine?? No. He loses his wife, Norma, in childbirth, which he is so upset about that he abandons his child, Hope. Then a month or so later comes back, kidnaps his kid and Julia, then tries to get her to marry him after he's shot her.

She was to blame for Norma not being there to take care of Hope, so she would just have to take Norma's place. He wouldn't mind if she took Norma's place in all things.

This book wasn't for me.

I did receive this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Review: The Hook

The Hook by Elisa Gioia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.75 This is not a stand alone. The story isn't finished, and the second book is not out yet, as of 03.14.16.

Gioia is heartbroken. A four year relationship has ended with a note. A relationship that was supposed to be forever is shattered, and can't be put back together again. Gioia's friends rally around her, attempting to bring her back to reality, after she has been living on her sofa until she no longer resembles the friend they once knew, with a weekend trip to Barcelona.

Enter Christian Kelly.

It's an instant attraction. She literally runs straight into him, twice. A drunken night of karaoke, explosive kisses and she's back home, thinking that she'll never see him again. That is until she's called in to present her project that Monday at work.

Marco opened the door and pushed me into the room. Caught off guard in too-high heels, I face-planted on the carpet.

Gah, I actually covered my face the second-hand embarrassment was so strong. I even had to wait a minute before continuing on.


From here on the story is a complete tug of war.

The story:

The emotions:


I think the book could have been shortened a bit, the characters developed a little more and a little less repetitiveness. That being said, Gioia is very relatable, but frustrating. Probably because she was so damn indecisive. It was so annoying how she's completely terrified of starting something with Christian, but she actually contemplates getting back together with Matteo, the ass that dumped her and made her unable to trust relationships.

Bea is awesome.

Gioias parents are hilarious, and I love all the female friendships.

I will be reading the next book to find out what happens.

I did receive this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Review: Dreamscape: Saving Alex

Dreamscape: Saving Alex by Kirstin Pulioff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

★ ★ ★ ½

Phew! It took me forever to finish this book. Okay, it actually only took eight days, but that's a really, really long time for me to read a book.

BUT BUT BUT

It's not the books fault. I went out of town, managed to catch a stomach virus and had some pretty intense allergies, all at the same time. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and watch crappy reality tv until I felt better. Which I did...half of the time.



Spoilers beyond this point.


Dreamscape: Saving Alex starts off with Alex having a pretty crappy day. Her long time crush has asked her to the prom, she finds out she's moving before the prom, then learns her crush knows and has already asked someone else, without even telling her first.

Jerk. Good riddance! Although Alex doesn't see it that way. She's heartbroken, and she and her BFF spend the night playing a beloved childhood game. Natalie, the BFF, doesn't last and soon Alex is attempting to play-on solo through the night to forget her worries.

Some wrong buttons, gold pixels and BAM! Alex is dropped into the game.

It takes her a bit to actually believe she's in the game. Some pinches, an unfortunate death and a wrong way convinces her, and she knows she needs to get moving. Along the way she finds herself in the company of the jugglers Pipes and Deakon. Whom inform her that she is The Golden Hero, here to save...everyone. The queen, and all her subjects. She takes advantage of this. They help her along to Lindle, a place promising food, clothing and maybe a way home. Really this only leads to her narrowly escaping capture and throws her back out on her own.

My mind kept wondering during the descriptions of Lindle and many descriptions throughout the book. I usually enjoy when books are descriptive, painting a picture for my imagination. It was probably my allergies.

Soon she meets a cute boy named Arrow, and some giants. She saves herself, and they argue a bit about how he wants her to come with him.

"Lucky for you, I'm an expert in these woods, and I know exactly where I'm going to take you."

Thought every serial killer, ever.

Warning bells sounded in my mind. Cute or not, I was not going off with a guy I had just met.

This was one of my favorite lines in the book because--common sense!

Then she realizes that she really doesn't have that many other options. She can continue on without him, but what does she really know about this place? Where is she even going to go? And, ya know, plot.

So they continue on their journey getting to know each other. Eventually meeting up with more people in Arrows rebellion, and continuing on to their home base.

I really liked how she was actually in pain over the long travel distance. Made it more believable for me.

Their relationship goes back and forth, similar to her commitment to actually help the people of the rebellion. Some of the rebels experience this non-commitment and aren't shy about letting her know how they feel.

"You're like spoiled cheese-only parts of you are good."

She eventually wins them back over and she chooses to help everyone out. The only thing I didn't really care for was the ending.

I wanted them so badly to end up together. The ending made absolute sense. I just wanted a miracle. Like, she comes out of the game, moves and meets Arrow in her new town. Some how, some way.

I JUST WANTED THEM TO BE TOGETHER.


Maybe in a sequel?? Probably not, but I'd really like to read about her move and about how her relationship with her parents changes after her experience in the game.

So overall I liked this book, I wanted to know what happened and I would definitely read a sequel.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


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Sunday Morning

My Sunday morning at the flea market. I can't wait to go back.

Review: Crowned by Fire

Crowned by Fire by Nenia Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Man, this book was good. The books in this series just keep getting better. But HOW, HOW, HOW did I NOT realize there was another book after this one?! And it's not out yet.


I only got four hours of sleep last night. I slept through both of my alarms, waking up an hour late and had to get my kid dressed, fed and out the door looking decent in ten minutes. My child hates getting ready for school in the morning.


I just couldn't stop reading it, I had to know what was going to happen. The only thing that makes not knowing the ending yet, okay, is that at some point I'll get another book with Finn in it. I intensely disliked him in the first book. He was a dick, he still is sometimes, but I really, really like him now.



Disclaimer: I did receive this book in a giveaway from the author, which in no way has any influence over any of my comments or review of the book.

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Review: Touched with Sight

Touched with Sight by Nenia Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



On to the next book!





Disclaimer: I did receive this book in a giveaway from the author, which in no way has any influence over any of my comments or review of the book.

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Review: Archaic

Archaic by Regan Ure
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

★ ★ ½

[$0.00 on Kindle 02/24/16]

As I was reading Archaic I was actually trying to think of a word to describe its writing. It was on the tip of my tongue and just couldn't think of it. When I finished reading, I went to its Amazon page, to see if the next book was available, and saw a review that said exactly what I was trying to verbalize. It was formulaic, very step-by-step. The story is interesting enough to me that I will buy the second book to see what happens, especially since it ends in a cliffhanger.

I really need to start checking if a series is complete, or not, before I start reading a book. OTL


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Review: Black Beast

Black Beast by Nenia Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

[EDIT: I completely forgot to put my favorite thing about these books. They start out exactly where they left off from the previous book. This may not be a big deal to some, but to me it very much is. I love love love when authors do this.]

3.5

This book is actually my least favorite in the series. I had a hard time getting into it at the beginning. I had to get accustomed to the predator/prey voices, which disrupted the flow of the story for me. But once accustomed, the fluidity returned and kept throughout the book.

I disliked the personalities of the characters at the start, too, especially the dialogue between Catherine and her friend Sharon. It just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe they were supposed to. Although, I never got around to liking Sharon, Catherine grew on me, and Finn really showed his psycho side.

After the first part of this book I really enjoyed it. It's a setup story. If you're having a tough time at the start, stick with it. It's absolutely worth it. I just finished book three and it is the best so far. They just keep getting better and better. I can not wait to read the fourth.





Disclaimer: I did receive this book in a giveaway from the author, which in no way has any influence over my review of the book.

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Review: Shades of Treason

Shades of Treason by Sandy Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

★4.5

Shades of Treason, in Sandy Williams words, is 'space urban fantasy'. I just might have to create a new shelf.

This was a page-turner for me. I stayed up too late, had to get up too early, and I didn't regret it.

-------------------------------------------
I'm just unhappy that the next book has yet to be published.

I want to know what happens next!

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