Tag: book blogger

Book Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Adult romance, thriller
Length: 314 pages
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: December 10th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

WHAT. DID. I. JUST. READ.

I have read the darkest book I believe I will ever read.

“I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me.”

I mean, I cringed at the first sentence as the mental image ran through my head! That was only the beginning for the maliciously wicked book.

I sat there moments after finishing not knowing what I had read. I haven’t read any CoHo books in awhile, but picked this up for the different nature from her usual NA romances. AH, I am finding it hard to put this review into words.

So much happened. My heart was racing and I could only focus on finishing this (which I did in hours). That’s how intense things became. I thought I had figured out where the book was going, and I thought I was right, until I got to the ending. I love unreliable characters making morally iffy choices.

Whoa. If you have anything for romance thrillers, try this one out.

But please, this book is not for the faint of heart. CoHo wrote a completely unpleasant story that is a lot to take.

Overall audience notes:

  • Adult romance thriller
  • Language: a lot: cursing, vulgar, slurs, etc.
  • Violence: physical, murder (in various forms, but don’t want to spoil!)
  • Romance: a LOT of sex & very very (too much honestly) descriptive
  • Trigger warnings: death of a child, death of a parent, car accident, attempting to abort, child abuse

Blog Tour: The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

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Howdy readers!

It’s my very first blog tour! I was very fortunate to be able to participate and wanted to let you know about The Dysasters that releases tomorrow, February 26th.

BOOK SUMMARY:

Foster Stewart knows she’s different. Her life has never been “normal.” Talking to plants and controlling cloud formations aren’t things most seventeen year olds are into. Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor is perfect. Star quarterback and all around dreamy boy next door he never thought about his “extra” abilities. What quarterback wouldn’t want night vision? That’s not weird, right? It’s cool! 

But on the night of their first meeting a deadly tornado brings them together and awakens their true abilities – the power to control the element air. Unbeknown to Tate and Foster, they are the first in a group of teens that were genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements. Which truly sucks for Foster, as she has to face the fact that Dr. Rick Stewart, her beloved scientist father, betrayed her and now wants to use her and the others for his own nefarious world domination plot. 

Foster and Tate must stop Dr. Stewart and his minions before he destroys their lives and the world.

About the Authors: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

#1 New York Times & #1 USA Today bestselling author P.C. Cast was born in the Midwest, and, after her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been award the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best, and many, many more. Ms. Cast is an experience teacher and talented speaker who lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses.

Kristin Cast is a #1 New York Times & #1 USA Today bestselling author who teams with her mother to write the wildly successful House of Night series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal. When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her dogs (Grace Kelly and Hobbs the Tiny Dragon), and is currently obsessed with her baby.

This is my first book by these authors! I haven’t read their previous series, but was interested in this purely from the synopsis. My review will be up on Thursday. Definitely keep an eye out for this one!

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC in exchange for the Blog Tour and an honest review.

Bookish Discussion: GoodReads is Hindering My Reading Experience

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I know guys, I’m almost being sacrilegious, but here me out.

Instead of a book tag this week I wanted to bring up a discussion I have often: did the review cause me to be swayed before I even read the book myself?

I absolutely adore Goodreads.

I use this app daily. It provides so much content for me. I love keeping up with my reviews, what books I’m reading, what I want to read, what others are reading, and everything else bookish under the sun.

It’s great for people new to reading to help figure out what they enjoy and to start getting into this book community. It’s a platform for all in my opinion.

Where my issues lie, are the reviews.

I look crazy saying this, because I love reviews and love reading reviews, but occasionally I let myself be overtaken by them. I’ll pull up a book I’ve heard about and see that it has a 3.5+ rating. To me, that’s pretty solid (especially if its over 4!), but then I’m wondering, why did some people rate it so low?

I start casually scrolling through reviews, picking out the low-star rating ones and having to know what was said. Thus, the cycle beings. I spin into a vortex of not being able to back out of review after review. So much so, that I convince myself there’s no way I would enjoy it. When I honestly probably would.

What I’m really saying is, don’t let reviews control you.

Book friendships, are forever friendships.

Writing reviews has become a joy in my life. And I love hearing from y’all. I ride on Cloud 9 all day whenever someone adds a book to their TBR because of my review, or they chose to read a book I suggest and loved it. It’s what keeps me reading and reminds me that someone is reading my reviews and getting something out of them.

But also, when you find a book, make sure the reviews don’t overwhelm you! I’ve been trying to stay away until after (doesn’t always work) I have read the book to comment and talk about reviews because I can understand where others are coming from, but can also form my own opinions independently from someone else’s.

Now are reviews worth it? TOTALLY. I have been saved from some iffy books because of reviews, but I never want to miss out on a book because I was overwhelmed with the Negative Nancy’s.

What do you think? Do you enjoy reading reviews? Do you ever get bogged down in the cycle of reading them? Let’s talk in the comments!

Book Review: Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult contemporary romance
Length: 421 pages
Author: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: April 3rd, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars? 

CUTE & PREDICTABLE.

I am a total mood reader. I’ll look at the books I have in hand and choose purely based off of what I’m looking for. In this case, it was a fluffy, predictable, romance that called my name. And this is one of those cases where, predictable is good and welcome.

This group of high school kids absolutely annoyed me to no end. Luckily, the only two I liked happened to be the main characters, Zorie and Lennon. I was actually excited when they ended up on their own because I was completely invested in their story of friends/lovers to enemies and back again.

I also appreciated that this book had positive anxiety rep. I personally struggle with anxiety and really felt for Zorie and how she coped with it. One of the best parts was how Lennon never faulted her for this. He continually checked on her, helped her plan to smooth her fears, and ohemgee Lennon became my favorite immediately.

While I was rooting for them to get together, I think it went a tad overboard. I was amazed that somehow within 18 hours (give or take) they went through a whole sleeve of condoms and called the time sexlation. Cool, cool, cool, cool, and all, but mmm, a bit of a nope for me. If I take out that piece though, the witty banter/flirting and coming to terms with what separated them initially was solid. Nothing felt rushed and everything was laid out as it should be.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult contemporary romance
  • Romance: discussion of kisses and the fact so-and-so had sex and that they want to have sex || descriptive make-outs and a somewhat detailed love scene(s)
  • Language: quite a bit, including a homophobic slur
  • Violence: physical and verbal
  • Trigger warnings: suicide, loss of a parent, cheating spouse, homophobia, anxiety and depression