The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella – a 4/5 Star Review!

Sasha has hit a brick wall. Literally. In an attempt to escape the oppressive leadership and overwhelming amount of work that is constantly piled on to her, she attempts to escape by any means necessary. Just not necessarily through a wall. However, this event sparks the chain of events that lead to her finally taking a break and focusing on herself. Through the power of WetSuit Girl, friends new and old, and the sea, she is well on her way to finding herself again.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my all-time favorite authors and I seek any and every opportunity to read her latest books. She has a masterful way of combining romance and comedy resulting in a fun read every time! I loved this book and the variety of characters in it. My favorite character is the Surf Instructor, Terry, who is celebrated throughout the story for his sound advice that has applied to more than just surfing over the decades.

The setting of Rilston Bay is a quiet pocket of paradise when in the off-season and perfect for burnout recovery. It is also perfect for solitude and relaxation as the waves seem to have a way of soothing the soul. However, so much time is spent in the plot of going to the beach and finding peace that the pace of the book drastically slowed at times.

For those readers currently experiencing burnout with micromanaging bosses and impossibly heavy workloads, this may be triggering for you. For those readers looking for a spicy romance, this book may not have enough heat for you. However, I would recommend this book for adult readers who have memories of summers spent at a beach town. Many thanks to NetGalley for access to an ARC of this book.

Fateful Path: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Fated Moments Book 2) by Kristyn DeMaster – a 4/5 Star Review!

Lacey is a human in a world with full and demi-shifters which can come in handy when you are stranded in your car in a heavy snowstorm and need someone to catch your scent. Reclusive Jackson happens to be a bear shifter in the area who does exactly that and rescues our heroine, Lacey. Forced to stay in his cabin in the woods to ride out the snowstorm, it’s not only snow that is falling fast.

I liked the fast-moving plot and the characters in this story. I appreciated that Lacey would not put up with Jackson’s sometimes stony and grumpy nature. I also appreciated that they shared a love of reading. It has a common romance trope volleying between “I shouldn’t be with him/her” and “I can’t stay away from him/her” with a misunderstanding as the main conflict. At times I felt that Lacey and Jackson’s relationship reminded me of Belle and Beast in Beauty and the Beast where she gently tames his mercurial nature – and I loved it!

This book is the second in a series, however, can be read as a standalone as I had done. It is abundantly clear that the couple established in the first book are still madly in love and the author does a good job briefly summarizing points from the first book for context. However, I do wish I had read these books in order as it would have helped establish the rules of the pack and of the human world. There was a scene where Lacey is asked by a friend what she is going to do as she is 27 and “the clock is ticking”. Which I immediately made a note “the clock is ticking?? at 27??”. It was later clarified that marriage by 28 is a requirement for firstborn wealthy human children to receive their inheritance.

I took a star away because I did not appreciate the comments about weight within the plot. For example: there was a scene where Lacey is making it abundantly clear that she does not think Jackson (a strong bear shifter) can pick her up because she is “twenty pounds overweight”. The author also made it clear in a scene where she is sharing a meal with other shifters from Jackson’s pack that she had a small plate while the others piled on their plates and even got second helpings. These comments primarily come from Lacey’s point of view about herself and not from other characters, however, it seemed to me that it could easily be triggering for readers who struggle with weight and/or eating disorders.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass – a 4/5 Star Review!

Annika is a princess of a kingdom, Lennox is the unofficial leader of a band of misfits fighting to get their stolen kingdom back. A hurricane binds them together but can they bring peace to both of their people?

This is my first time reading a book by Kiera Cass but I do not think it will be the last! It is definitely YA as there is minimal heat to the romance that adult readers may seek. However, do be warned that there is a lot of violence, murder, and war. There is a theme of unrequited love in three separate cases which was distracting at times but I believe used to create red herrings for who the betrayer will be. I enjoyed the prevailing theme of the importance of libraries to document history, whether it is accurate descriptions or folklore. Trigger warning: if you have a parent with a mental illness or have suffered from parental loss, there is heavy mention of both in this book which may be upsetting to some.

I did appreciate the plot twist at the end of who the betrayer ended up being and it was very different from who I was convinced was the traitor. I took away a star from the rating due to there was a lot of fluff in the book and it could have been condensed without taking away from the main plot action. Without spoiling anything, another reason the star was taken away because of what happened to a beloved and innocent character. I understand the action was not only to show how truly heinous the villain is but also to spark Lennox into the action necessary to bring about the resolution. I get it, I am just still upset about it – if you know, you know 🙂

Please note: an electronic ARC of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk – A 4/5 Star Review!

Gwen is leaving the city for a holiday getaway in her family’s small hometown. She lost her big-time lawyer job, her boyfriend cheated on her with his receptionist, and she had to move into a small apartment to nurse her feelings. Can the magic of Christmas help her find herself again?

It sounds like the beginning of every Hallmark Christmas movie but what makes this book standout is the comedy. This book was downright hilarious at times and tear-jerking emotional at others. Lindsey Kelk has a wonderful balance of honest feelings about grief and loneliness with humor that is raunchy at times and definitely not for readers younger than 18. The time loop of having to repeat Christmas day becomes a great vehicle for plot movement. It also gives Gwen a chance to reconnect with each member of her family from years of not making time for them due to her high-pressure career.

A couple of my favorite quotes are:

“Whatever else it might be, I do know loneliness can be very cruel. You can’t pick and choose when it visits and it often overstays its welcome, sometimes it stays so long you get used to it and forget to ask it to leave. I would hate for you to fall into that trap.'”

“I couldn’t think of anything more romantic than someone choosing you and you choosing them right back, every single day for the rest of your lives.”

Taking it down to 4 starts instead of 5 because I almost stopped reading the book after the first 50 pages. The pace was slow at that point and the animosity between Gwen and her sister, Cerys, was so vicious that it took away from the holiday optimism I was expecting in the beginning of this book. It is stressed so much in those few pages that I was worried it would be never-ending in the story. Thankfully, there was improvement once the time loop starts.

The Christmas Wish is a fun holiday story more about family dynamics and communication than a holiday romance. The romance doesn’t really start until 3/4 of the book because of a (glaringly obvious) communication barrier where Gwen is so wrapped up in her own dismay that she doesn’t pay attention to or even ask about how things are going with Dev and his love life. Also, if you are a romance reader looking for a lot of heat, this book may not be for you. There is pretty much only a couple of kissing scenes and that is about it. Everything else has more to do with character development that the romance is left out in the cold.

Please note: an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this book was generously provided for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Runaway Duchess (The Duke Undone #2) by Joanna Lowell – a 4/5 Star Review!

This is the second book as a series but could be read as a stand-alone. I did read the first book in the series which was a disadvantage in reading this one. This is because the main character in this book, Lavinia, is a petulant snob. When I found out this love story was about her I was hesitant to even read it because she is not a character that felt deserving of a happily ever after. Even a few chapters into this book, I still felt uncomfortable with it because I didn’t like her. Although, I will say, props to the author for the character development and for taking on this challenge.

On the other hand, Neal is quite adorable. He is goofy, mostly unrefined, and radiates positivity. His large extended family is warm and playful making you wish you knew them personally as well.

All in all, it picks up speed in the second half of the book and is worth the wait! You may never look at green moss the same after reading this book.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng – A 4/5 Star Review!

This is not a feel-good book. It drowns you in grief and chokes you with secrets. It deals with family dynamics, gender roles, racial discrimination, and death. This is the story about the interracial family in the 1970s in a small Ohio town and how they deal with their favorite daughter’s shocking death. Was it suicide or was she murdered?

The Lee family dynamic was full of underlying messages that were not well communicated and often conflicted. Parents having different expectations for the same child. Siblings fighting over attention but only one getting it. Therefore, there are many cases of misunderstandings that cut to the core. Celeste Ng did a fantastic job of making each member of the family a complex with their substantial secrets. Each of them hid their struggles and they all seemed just out of reach from each other. It was a heavy read as the narrative changed between each family member including flashbacks from Lydia, the deceased. It was also a hard read because one of the underlying themes is that you can’t always achieve your dreams exactly as you wish because unexpected life circumstances will throw you out of orbit.

My favorite character in this book is Hannah. My heart went out to her as she was the most innocent and the most forgotten. She seemed to be a vehicle to move the story along as it can get stuck sometimes dwelling in the grief. She also seemed to channel the inner child in all of them that was desperate to connect the family.

I would recommend this book for adult readers who are looking for something heavy and complex. This is not a light-hearted book about families coming together with a happy ending. This is full of grief and misunderstanding. I would not recommend this book for readers who may be offended or triggered by the following: violence, infidelity, misogyny, racial discrimination, sexually suggestive scenarios, parental abandonment, gender roles, and the death of a sibling, child, and/or parent.

Believe Me by JP Delaney- a 4/5 star review!

Claire Wright is a British immigrant in NYC with a passion for acting.  While waiting for her big break, she moonlights helping a private investigator catch cheating spouses.  Until one night, a client is brutally murdered.  Was Claire the last person to see the client alive?  Did Claire go too far and commit murder?

Another great book by JP Delaney! I should have known better than to think I had Believe Me all figured out halfway through.  It is a roller coaster ride with an epic conclusion.  This book is only similar to his previous book, The Girl Before, was my favorite book of 2017 because of it’s twisted ending that had me floored.   It is very heavy on theater as a whole as well as heavily focused on the poet Charles Baudelaire making the extreme research very apparent.

However, I did take one star away because although the main character, Claire, was dark and complex, I couldn’t feel connected to her.  She seemed very self-centered and shallow for most of the book.  This is told mostly in Claire’s perspective with the occasional input from other characters in script form (again, heavily focused on theater).

For those who may be sensitive to certain themes or triggered: there was mild foul language, graphic violence, sexually explicit scenarios, mental illness, stalking, and manipulation.

Please note: An electronic ARC of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict-A 4/5 Star Review!

Carnegie’s Maid is a romantic approach to the tale of the iconic Carnegie family and offers an idea of perhaps why the family turned to philanthropy once they built their wealth.  This story also includes a focus on the struggles of immigrants as well as how the Civil War and President Lincoln’s assassination impacted people of all classes.

I really liked the juxtaposition of the subservient side of Clara when she is Mrs. Carnegie’s maid with her bold businesswoman side when she is sneaking in secret moments with Andrew Carnegie.  Furthermore, I liked the innocence of their romance despite the imbalance of power as well as both of their loyalties to their respective families.

My favorite character in this book was Mr. Ford.  I would go on further, however, I do not wish to spoil anything.  Therefore, I will simply state that his character seemed to be the most generous in that he was generous with his good attitude and generous in doing small good deeds for others.

One of the reasons why I did not give this book 5 stars is because it kind of dragged on at certain points as if length was the goal rather than depth.  Another reason is because the antagonist was weak, however, I am not even sure if it is the character that I am thinking of or if the antagonist is supposed to be a group of people.  Lastly, I did not care for how Andrew Carnegie conveniently appeared (and appeared quite often) when Clara was alone.

For those who may be triggered or offended: the only things that I could find within the book were poverty, pollution, religious themes, and death.

Please note: an electronic copy of this book was generously provided for free from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. 

Piper by Jay Asher & Jessica Freeburg, Illustrated by Jeff Stokely-a 4/5 Star Review!

I had the exciting opportunity to meet and see a presentation by the author Jay Asher recently (Thanks to my local Westerville Public Library for hosting!).  Although he is very nice, funny, and everyone should go see him if they get a chance-I left really excited because of his next book that was being released: Piper.

Piper is a graphic novel collaboratively written by authors Jay Asher and Jessica Freeburg and illustrated by Jeff Stokely.  It is a retelling of the Pied Piper and the twist is that his music does not affect one person: Maggie.  Maggie is a deaf girl, hence why his music does not endanger her.  Maggie’s hearing was lost due to an act of violent bullying and the injustice only stems from there as villagers continue to bully her relentlessly.  Yet she continues to make the best of it by telling funny stories to her caretaker, Agathe.

The Pied Piper heroically comes to save the village from the rat infestation that has wiped out the population with starvation and/or disease.  But this rescue comes at a price.  A price that the village decides not to pay once the deed is done.  But if they refuse to pay in cash, they will have to pay at a different price-revenge.

Graphic Novels are something that I have only recently begun to develop an interest in, my first being Brian K. Vaughn’s Saga series.  I simply must find more graphic novels that have been illustrated by Jeff Stokely as the artwork is marvelous.  The expressions of the characters, the movement of the wind, and the playful innocence portrayed in a single panel where the Pied Piper is eating an apple under a tree in front of a peacock, for example.  I was just so moved by the illustrations and they greatly improved the storyline.

Personally, I was hoping for more out of the character of Maggie.  I was initially so excited about this graphic novel because it centered around a deaf character.  Both of my parents are deaf and so I expected great things from this character but I was a little disappointed.  I had to take a star away because it seemed like being deaf only came into play when someone walked up behind her and scared her, when she was incorrectly pronouncing words when Agathe wrote down her stories, or when she was being bullied.  I just wish a little more research would have gone into her character because although lip-reading is a way to communicate, there was not any sign language at all.  Granted, I was not expecting American Sign Language in a story based in the medieval times, some home signs between Agathe and Maggie would have been redeeming.  Furthermore, going back to the sneaking up behind her example, when I try to sneak up on my parents, they can feel the vibrations from my walking behind them and it doesn’t always work.  What is failed to be mentioned is that when you lose one sense, the other senses get stronger.

Although I had to take one (slightly biased) star away, the story itself is minimalist yet powerful.  The elements of greed and the despicable villagers are well-balanced by the purity and optimism of Maggie and Agathe despite their tragic situation. Another well-balanced aspect in this story is how both of their backgrounds are isolated, tragic, and yet they find hope in one another.  Furthermore, when they go in different directions, they still protect one another making their love story even more emotional.

I also enjoyed that this was a retelling of the Pied Piper as I thought that was unique.  So many fairy tale retellings have centered around the princesses and Red Riding Hood lately that this one stands out.  And since I heard about it, Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” has been stuck in my head:

I was playing in the beginning, the mood all changed

I’ve been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage

But I kept rhymin’ and stepped right in the next cypher

Best believe somebody’s paying the Pied Piper

In conclusion, I would recommend Piper for readers who enjoy retellings, tragic love stories, unexpected heroes, and graphic novels.

I would not recommend Piper for those who may be offended on how Maggie’s deafness is portrayed, or those who may be offended or triggered by bullying, violence, kidnapping, and revenge.

The Switch by Lynsay Sands-a 4/5 Star Review!

Twins Charlotte (“Charlie”) and Beth are running away from their horrid uncle who is marrying them off to the highest, and most scoundrel, bidder to pay off his steep debt. They are caught in the act of running away by a Lord Radcliffe who decides to take them under his wing for awhile until they can get on their feet and get to London. He doesn’t know the half of the story, however, as he believes he is helping a lad named Charles (Charlie disguised as a man) and his sister Beth.

Hooray for another fun romance and adventure story from Lynsay Sands! This author is quickly climbing up the charts of my favorite authors (see my review for Love is Blind here) and I am so glad my friend recommended her to me (Thanks Laura! 🙂 ). There was adventure, surprise twists, embarrassing moments that had me blushing for the characters, mixed with warmth of friendship and steamy romantic scenes. The concept of the twin girls playing brother and sister and switching roles was unique. Especially as the romance is concerned when Radcliffe finds himself attracted to the sister at times and confused by his attraction to the brother at other times.

The bond of sisterhood between Beth and Charlie was very relatable. The compromises that they made for each other and their strong sense of loyalty to one another reminded me fondly of the relationship with my sister and I. Although I am not a twin as they are, how they developed separately yet still tied to one another resonated with me.

The only thing that I had to take one star away for was that the narrative would switch between Charlie and Radcliffe without distinction which I found to be confusing at times. It was also confusing when Radcliffe was called Jeremy only in the last few pages when he had been called Lord Radcliffe the entire book.

That being said, I did really enjoy the book! I loved the main character, Charlie, and how strong, fearless, selfless, and full of integrity she was throughout the story. I found it incredibly endearing how Radcliffe took Beth and Charlie under his wing and then Charlie took Bessie, puppies, and a mother and her 2 children and then another orphan under her wing, that was still under Radcliffe’s wing. It was like an umbrella effect and my love for the book grew as their troop expanded.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy a hilarious love story with an underlying theme of loyalty. Furthermore, I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy historical romances with adventure, twists, and puppies!

I would not recommend this book for readers who may be triggered or offended by gambling addiction, prostitution, suicide, alcohol addiction, explicitly sexual scenarios, kidnapping, violence, mild foul language, and murder.