Tag: bookblog

Book Review: Jane Anonymous

featheredfables
Seven months.
That’s how long I was kept captive.
Locked in a room with a bed, refrigerator, and adjoining bathroom, I was instructed to eat, bathe, and behave. I received meals, laundered clothes, and toiletries through a cat door, never knowing if it was day or night. The last time I saw the face of my abductor was when he dragged me fighting from the trunk of his car. And when I finally escaped, I prayed I’d never see him again.
Now that I’m home, my parents and friends want everything to be like it was before I left. But they don’t understand that dining out and shopping trips can’t heal what’s broken inside me. I barely leave my bedroom. Therapists are clueless and condescending. So I start my own form of therapy—but writing about my experience awakens uncomfortable memories, ones that should’ve stayed buried. How far will I have to go to uncover the truth of what happened—and will it break me forever?

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

God what a book. I haven’t cried this hard in a LONG time. This book was so intense and I just found myself hurting for Jane. Her story is so provocative and scary. This is one of those stories so raw and painful that it’s almost hard to read. I could feel my chest tighten and a lump in my throat through most of it. I had to step away a few times to compose myself. Laurie takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and even though this book is not one of those action-packed thrillers, it still takes you for a ride. 

Laurie does such an amazing job of telling Jane’s story both before during her captivity and while she is trying to get her life back after. I really enjoyed the journal type format. I felt like it really kept me in suspense and I felt like a friend of Jane’s peering into her life from her diary. It almost felt uncomfortable in a very invasive way like we were invading Jane’s privacy again after all that she had been through. I loved how Jane spoke directly to us, it just made the story feel almost too real. 

I found myself a big fan of Laurie’s writing style as well as her character development and plot structure. I would highly recommend this novel! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Laurie Faria Stolarz, and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to review this title.

Image and synopsis taken from Netgalley

Book Review: A Love Hate Thing

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When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love.

When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the affluent coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging in the posh suburb. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the mean streets of Lindenwood, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything. He doesn’t even care how the rest of his life will play out.

In Pacific Hills, image is everything. Something that, as the resident golden girl, Nandy Smith knows all too well. She’s spent most of her life building the pristine image it takes to fit in. After learning that her parents are taking in a teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames. It’s the start of summer vacation, and the last thing Nandy needs is some juvenile delinquent from the ’Wood crashing into her world.

Stuck together in close quarters, Trice and Nandy are in for some long summer nights. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book just didn’t grab me. For me it was kind of boring. I felt it lacked depth and was overall very predictable. I find I have a problem with most contemporary books, so I don’t blame the author at all. 

It was well written, but for me it fell flat. I did love the racial diversity depicted in this book. It also had a lot to do with adoption which is another trope we don’t see very often. It was a cute book but it is not one that will stick with you after. I would consider it a good pallet cleanse. 

The author does touch on trauma and that can be triggering for sensitive viewers, especially the parts written from Tyson’s point of view. That part was a bit heart breaking. We can all resonate with that self deprecation, so with that being said this book is very relatable. 

Tyson’’s story is also super emotional. He dealt with so much survivors guilt and watching him go from losing his whole family to basically a new life was both inspiring and gut wrenching. I didn’t really connect with Nance at all but I did really enjoy Tyson’s pov. 

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

A Love Hate thing is now available for preorder at all your favorite retailers! Get yours ordered before January 7th!
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: The Thief of Lanwyn Manor

featheredfables
In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?
Cornwall, England, 1818
Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.
As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood—and that of the people around them—the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.
When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series by Sarah Ladd. The covers are always stunning! You definitely need to read the first book in this series before diving into this one. These books CAN be read as stand alones, but I always recommend reading the first one. It is easy to get sucked into these because Sarah Ladd’s writing is just simply divine. 

The story does move a little slow, and the plot is very character driven. This is a good thing for these stories. This book is a good suspenseful read and I really enjoyed it a lot! One thing I love about Ladd’s writing is even though it takes a few chapters to get invested, once you do you just HAVE to finish them to see what happens. She has this way of hooking you in and making you care about her characters that you do not see in a lot of authors. 

I really cannot wait until the next book in this series comes out. I cannot wait to see whose story we get to dive into next! I want to thank the author Sarah Ladd, the Publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
The Thief of Lanwyn Manor is ready to be added to your preorder cart today!! Order it today and be ready for that release date on January 7th!!

Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Lady Hotspur

featheredfables
STRIKE FAST, LOVE HARD, LIVE FOREVER
This is the motto of the Lady Knights—sworn to fealty under a struggling kingdom, promised to defend the prospective heir, Banna Mora.
But when a fearsome rebellion overthrows the throne, Mora is faced with an agonizing choice: give up everything she’s been raised to love, and allow a king-killer to be rewarded—or retake the throne, and take up arms against the newest heir, Hal Bolingbrooke, Mora’s own childhood best friend and sworn head of the Lady Knights.
Hal loathes being a Prince; she’s much more comfortable instated on the Throne of Misrule, a raucous underground nether-court where passion rules all. She yearns to live up to the wishes of everyone she loves best—but that means sacrificing her own heart, and so she will disappoint everyone until the moment she can rise to prove those expectations wrong.
And between these two fierce Princes is the woman who will decide all their fates—Lady Hotspur Persy, the fiery and bold knight whose support will turn the tides of the coming war.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me way longer than I had anticipated to get into this book. I really expected to be drawn in from page one, but it took me several chapters to really get into the story. Once I got past the first few chapters, I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put it down. 

I especially loved the world building the author did! It was so intricate. The magic system was sooo well thought out. You can tell the author really understood what she was trying to establish on the page. 

One thing I didn’t like was the amount of characters that were in the book. It was a lot of people to keep up with and to keep track of. It almost felt like there were too many main characters. I feel you definitely need to read the prequel before you dive into this one. It will help you get your bearings before jumping in. 

This is a very female dominant story, and those are usually my favorite. Overall, a good read! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title. 

Lady Hotspur hits shelves on January 7th! Get yours preordered today!

Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Everafter Song

featheredfables
There’s a price on Everley Donovan’s head. Fleeing from the queen’s false accusation of murder and sorcery, the girl with the clock heart knows there’s only one way to prove her innocence. Everley must catch Killian Markham, the fugitive prince guilty of the crimes for which she’s been condemned. To do that, Everley must follow him into the towering realm of the Silver-Clouded Plain. It’s where flesh-eating Behemoths thrive, long-lost gods hide, and an artifact of destructive force awaits the death grip of the immortal prince.
Haunted by visions of burning Everwoods and bloody battlefields, Everley’s fears are rising. Because the elusive relic threatens more than the very power that drives her clock heart. In Killian’s hands, it can lead to the dismantling of the seven worlds. With everything—and everyone—Everley loves at stake, she must depend on Killian’s one weakness to outwit him: in his mad ambitions, Killian has underestimated her once again. For Everley is the Time Bearer. This is her destiny. The time of reckoning is at hand.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before I start with this review.. I want to just take a moment to discuss this BEAUTIFUL COVER ART. It is absolutely stunning! The colors and the instrument just are eye catching and ultimately made me more excited to read this than any other book this month. Just mesmerising!

I didn’t know about this series until I got this arc, so I immediately had to go read the other books. Boy…. I did not expect how these books turned out at all! The story is great, the characters are great, everything about this book is great!

This is one of those books I truly feel you find the moment you need to find it. Evie is one of the best heroines that I have ever embarked on a journey with. Emily R. King did such a fantastic job of creating her characters as well as story arc. 

This was a great ending to the Evermore Chronicles, I only wish I would have found these books sooner! Thank you so much to Emily R. King, Skyscape Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Traces of Evil

featheredfables
There’s something wicked in Burning Lake…
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake, New York, an isolated town known for its dark past. Tasked with uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years, Natalie wrestles with the town’s troubled history – and the scars left by her sister’s unsolved murder years ago.
Then Daisy Buckner, a beloved schoolteacher, is found dead on her kitchen floor, and a suspect immediately comes to mind. But it’s not that simple. The suspect is in a coma, collapsed only hours after the teacher’s death, and it turns out Daisy had secrets of her own. Natalie knows there is more to the case, but as the investigation deepens, even she cannot predict the far-reaching consequences – for the victim, for the missing of Burning Lake, and for herself.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my usual genre, but I really enjoyed it! From the very first page I was drawn in. I loved the female lead and it left me on the edge of my seat after every turn of the page. 

I really enjoyed Natalie’s character. She was super persistent! I loved her fearless attitude and how she was ready to just jump in wherever she needed to.

This book was an amazing thriller. I love how compelling the authors writing style is and how it just sucks you in. This book wasn’t slow starting at all and kept its quick pacing all the way through. This book was definitely written to be continued! This world was too well worded to be a single book!

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: We Still Live

featheredfables
Running from a scandal that ruined his life, Isaac Twain accepts a teaching position at Hambden University where, three months prior, Professor John Conlon stopped a campus nightmare by stepping in front of an active shooter.
When John and Isaac become faculty advisors for the school’s literary magazine, their professional relationship evolves. Despite the strict code of conduct forbidding faculty fraternization, they delve into a secret affair—until Simon arrives.
Isaac’s violent ex threatens not only their careers, but also John’s life. His PTSD triggered, John must come to terms with that bloody day on College Green while Isaac must accept the heartbreak his secrets have wrought.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story more than I was anticipating. I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. The characters were beautifully written. They were so realistic that I felt like I was reading about real people instead of just characters. This author has a flare for character development. 

I really fell in love with this book and I hope that there will be more in the future. The romantic tropes in this book are so realistic! They grew so naturally and organically that it just felt so real, not to mention that a big portion of this book is centered around an LGBTQIA romance!

This is one of those books you can reread over and over. It does deal with a lot of heavy topics (such as mental health and shootings) but they are so well written that it is not as triggering as some other books I have read that also tackle these topics. 

Thank you so much to Sara Dobie Bauer, Ninestar Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.