June 2019 Reads

1) The Killing Tide \\ Dani Pettrey \\ 3 Stars
I LOVED Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series, so I was really excited for The Killing Tide. But, I have to admit that while the plot was well done, it just wasn't my thing. I've read one too many drug cartel based stories. I don't enjoy them, no matter how hard I try! The reason that I didn't fully enjoy The Killing Tide, isn't so much that there were any big issues with the book, but more that it wasn't suited to my reading tastes. Like the drug cartel plot. I just can't seem to get into them. 
Plus, I felt like Gabbi & Finn's romance was almost non-existent. There was lot's of internal "thinking about said character" and then a few kisses, but the actual romance...and leadup--it just wasn't there. And almost half the time in the book was spent equally between the secondary characters. While I like secondary characters, I don't like for them to get as much attention as the main ones. 
Add to that, I didn't feel a real connection to any of characters--so, I think all round, this just wasn't my type of book. However, it may really stoke someone else's reading dreams--for sure. I know that, my cup-of-tea or not, this book took a lot of creative brainpower to write, and it was indeed executed well, and I give Pettrey props for that, because I know writing this book was no small feat. It just wasn't my jam. 

*I was given a free ebook copy by the publisher in return for my honest opinion*

2) Vanished \\ Irene Hannon \\ 2 Stars 

This may be my last Hannon read...I keep forgetting that her villains are always psychotic religious creeps who spout scripture everywhere and are SO freaking DEMENTED. Yes, there were some cute character interactions. Yes, the plot was complex and well done. But yikes, I keep forgetting the creep-factor of her books, until I read another one and I promise I'll never read one again. 
My hat is off to Hannon--she's quite proficient at her craft, it just gives this reader the heeby-jeebies.





3) Seagrass Pier \\ Colleen Coble \\ 3.5 Stars 
For some reason, the characters just never endeared themselves to me...maybe it was the almost whiny quality to the narrator's voice (I listened to the audiobook version), maybe it was the characters themselves, but I'm thinking it was pretty bad on both parts.

4) Orphan's Song \\ Gillian Bronte Adams \\ 4 Stars 

This was a really well done YA Fantasy. I could tell there was a lot of creative effort, not to mention polishing and time spent on Orphan's Song. It wasn't really my literary cup of tea--which I know was more a reflection of my age & interests in fiction--not any problem with Adams' writing, which was beautiful. Novels about eleven-year-olds don't strongly interest me if I'm being completely honest. I guess you can chalk it up to the fact that all the character's are too young for romance, lol. And that is a personal taste thing, not a flaw on the author's part.

My one hangup with the book/plot was this: I felt like Orphan's Song was all: "YOU'RE THE SONGKEEPER. OH. MY. GOODNESS. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS????" (I mean, cool, right?) but from beginning to end, we didn't really get an answer as to what/who on earth THE SONGKEEPER was--and I get it, that's what the second book is about, but I didn't enjoy the entire cast asking the same question, over and over, and never really getting an answer. That got old pretty fast, and it made the book feel like it wasn't progressing--or that it was taking longer than necessary to take shape. 

However, the aforementioned thing aside (which may completely be a personal taste thing and not an actual problem) Orphan's Song was really well done. Very cultured and rich, and despite it being a YA read, it had a very Sagely-English-Quest vibe to its narration, and I think a lot of YA readers could really sink their teeth into this novel & enjoy themselves.

Favourite of the month: Orphan's Song. 

Leave your favourite read of June down below! 

May 2019 Reads

 1) Roar \\ Cora Carmack \\ 4 Stars
Torn between 3 & 4 stars, but because the plot was so intriguing, and the characters so colourful, we'll go with four--despite that weird wandering soul stuff at the end that felt pretty creepy and didn't fit the rest of the book. 
Firstly--this book reminds me a lot of Mary E. Pearson's series 'The Remnant Chronicles' so of course, I'm all into that. I mean, what's not to like about the plot--a "princess" of sorts who is supposed to be able to protect her kingdom with all her storm fighting abilities, has none, and to flee an arranged marriage to a potentially really bad prince---joins up with a band of storm hunters to GET SOME ABILITIES to save her kingdom, YO! 
I enjoyed Roar & Locke's (not the prince Locke, but the storm hunter named after the city) relationship, albeit a little high on the steam factor at times for especially a YA novel--but yes--they went well together and there was some pretty swoon-worthy moments to their relationship. They were just so dang cute. 

I don't know if I'll read the second book. I'm really interested to see what happens, but what with the weird soul wandering content that got thrown in at the end...it just felt weird. A bit outside of my jurisdiction, cause I'm not into the spirituality aspect of magic in books. If magic is in a book, fine, whatever. But I just don't like reading about the theory of it...or hearing 'bout them wandering souls--it's creepy & feels kinda dark for my tastes. But, maybe I'll start the second book & see if it continues on the wandering souls tangent or not. Who knows!

2) Cascade \\ Lisa T. Bergren \\ 3 Stars

After reading Cascade three or four times over the last few years, I've come to the conclusion--it's probably the slowest book of the series--though not bad by any stretch, despite the plot does seeming to take half the book to pick up and get going. But the adventure still is entertaining, and the characters sweet, crazy and intense.

3) Fallout \\ Ashley Nikole \\ 5 Stars
As this is my own book, of course I'm gonna rate it 5 stars. So, instead of gushing about my own work, I'll just give you the back cover blurb, cause, why not?

Four months of silence. 
Four months of praying she won’t lose her mind and give away secrets she’s fought so hard to keep. 

Avery Kent escapes with her life, but she is pursued deep into the heart of the British Columbia wilderness by the men who almost took her life—and shattered her mind. 
After wandering for two days in the mountains, she stumbles upon a cabin—but little does she know that the man inside is not the sheltering protector he claims to be. 

Haunted by his past, former CAF soldier Dakota Fontaine is trying to mind his business and keep his head down when a woman stumbles onto his property and collapses, wearing only a hospital gown and a tattered sweater. 
As he nurses the battered woman back to health, he wonders at the way she talks in her sleep but won’t say a word when she’s awake. But Dakota knows better than most that the art of coercion isn’t always violent. Torture isn’t the only way to ferret out a person’s secrets, and he is confident of one thing; Avery Kent will confide in him, one way or another. 

Just as Avery begins to trust Dakota, an unlikely encounter sends her fleeing back into the heart of the city where it all began. 
On the hunt to collect the stash of lethal evidence that will take down her attackers, once and for all, the flashbacks grow stronger, and her grip on reality continues to falter. 
Avery knows the chances of losing her mind before she can bring down her captors, are high—and deadly—and she’s not up to the challenge. 
But she’ll die trying.

4) Storm Rising \\ Ronie Kendig \\ 5 Stars

Okay, what can a girl say about this one? Firstly--it is one of my favourite books of Kendig's. Yes, she has OUTDONE herself--AGAIN. The atmosphere, plot and characters all worked together to create an effortless, but definitely FILLED WITH EFFORT thriller novel. I loved reading all about Midas in the Discarded Hero series, but now we get more of the Metcalfe family? I mean, what? Yes. It is goals. Quite simply, I wish the Metcalfe family had half a dozen more members and that Kendig would write a series about each one! The love runs that deep, if you can believe it. 

So, Iskra & Leif? That chemistry, though! Phew! I loved their interactions and how their relationship progressed. It was just so...dynamic and intense--which is obviously one of the draws with Kendig's work, how intense and raw her characters are. I love when everything is so close to the surface and undignified. But their relationship just kinda made me sing, and gasp, depending on which part of the book I was in--which is what I'm looking for when I read a suspense/thriller book. 

Although the plot did feel a bit slower in the middle of the book, it didn't cast a bad light on the rest of the book--I think I just got so attached to the crazy pace that when it slowed down a little I was like...wait, what? But all in all, what a delightful book. Really alive, punchy characters and a fully immersive atmosphere that takes you from one stretch of the globe to another, all while sitting in your favourite comfy chair. 

Suspense lovers unite and GO READ STORM RISING!!!

*I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

5) Dance of Thieves \\ Mary E. Pearson \\ 3.5 Stars 

An enjoyable read with unique qualities--though, after the Remnant Chronicles, I'd definitely say I preferred those. But Dance of Thieves was interesting--if a bit slow at times. I enjoyed both Kazi & Jase's characters--their struggles and stories. I will be interested to see what Vow of Thieves is like, being written by Mary's editor, Kate Farrell, instead of Mary--but I'm always excited for a fresh angle. 

Also, I can't claim to be a teenager anymore and know what's in vogue in fiction or reality for this age category, but seriously, every single kiss involved tongues. Yuck. As a reader (an adult one at that) I was just kinda internally cringing that the tongue was brought into nine of the ten or so kisses in the book! It makes a kiss turn from attraction with a side of tasteful sensuality, to erotica in milliseconds. And do we seriously need that in YA fiction? I just don't think so.

6) Torrent \\ Lisa T. Bergren \\ 5 Stars

With this third book, the stakes are even higher. Wow. I loved every minute reading it. Somehow, the plot rarely lags, as there is always another intriguing & dangerous plot twist. A true page-turner filled with courage, sacrifice, true love, plenty of swordplay & adventure. 

And if you'd enjoy a book banter about the River of Time series, I just so happened to have done one of those a few years ago and will add it here for your viewing pleasure :) 

Favourite of the month: 

Storm Rising by Ronie Kendig. 

"Because of men like him, God made warriors like Leif. To do violence on behalf of the innocent." 

April 2019 Reads

1) Red Velvet Cupcake Murder // Joanne Fluke \\ 2 Stars
Ever since watching Murder She Baked on the Hallmark Channel, I've been wanting to read & get through at least one of the books the TV series is based on. So...I listened to this one as an audiobook while working out, and while I didn't necessarily hate it, I really didn't love it. 

On top of this book having a pretty small-town vibe with seemingly all fluff-headed gossipy characters (they didn't seem that way on the TV show and this book was a major let-down for me in the character department), the plot felt incredibly tedious. And slow. And tedious. 
And that love triangle! It wasn't even romantic. Seriously, Hannah stringing along TWO boyfriends for several years but never actually making up her mind to stick with one or the other...ugh. She didn't even seem to have any romantic feelings for either of them. While I haven't read the other books in this series, Mike & Norman almost seemed like unnecessary secondary characters. Certainly not love interests.

Also, speaking of love interests--shoutout to the awkward scene near the beginning of the book where Hannah has a guy in her room and goes on to describe just how great he is without naming him...until we get to the end of the scene and discover it's Moisha. 
Her cat. 
*facepalms for days* 
I don't find that amusing. On so many levels. I love me a good animal companion, but honestly, I don't much care to hear from pets in novels. Nor have the adoration for Moisha at level 500, and have Mike/Norman adoration toned down to...I don't know...3.5? 

It's possible the narrator's bad narrating made the characters seem way more dumb and air-headed than they actually were, but...combine that with a pretty trivial and slow-moving plot and...you have a book that I passed the time working out with and didn't quite dislike--I did like a few parts or phrases, but...let's just say it was far from riveting.  

2) Verity \\ Lisa Bergren \\ 4 Stars

Verity--ah yes, what a lovely tale. So heartwarming and well-paced, with colourful characters and an intriguing plotline. And that tropical atmosphere! It was nice to have a bit of a break from the typical London or New York city vibes for at least part of the book, and get to spend it on the tropical island of Nevis. 
I was so sad to start by hearing of Duncan's demise--he was one of my favourite characters in the previous book, however, meeting and getting to know his brother was fabulous. I felt like the romance was...not rushed, but...just, kinda different, with Verity and Ian. Not nonexistent, but, not as prevalent as I might have hoped. However, I still enjoyed their relationship.

So far, I'm loving this fresh, adventurous series and look forward to reading Selah's book! 

*free ebook copy was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

3) Thief's Mark \\ Carla Neggers \\ 3 Stars

Set in a charming, small town in the UK, Thief's Mark had all the proper British, murder-mystery vibes to it. It wasn't quite "my thing" which I'm sure was due, in part, to the fact that I came crashing into the series, at book 7. The characters were a pretty surface-y, and the plot a bit too meandering and slow for my tastes. However, it was a well-crafted plot, and the UK countryside vibe was a good one!

4) Defy Me \\ Taherah Mafi \\ 3 Stars

Fast-paced with some good plot ground covered. I felt Defy Me was a bit...short--almost like a novella--which was kinda disappointing after waiting for so long. It also seemed like Juliette & Warner's romance was fairly nonexistent, until it was just...sex. So yeah. That wasn't my thing, but I still enjoyed reading Defy Me.

5) Unite Me \\ Taherah Mafi \\ 2 Stars

Maybe I'm just not a novella person...but I always feel like there isn't enough actual content to make them count. They feel like they're mostly filler scenes. That was the case with Unite Me. Yes, we got a few insights into Warner and Adam, but...not really enough to make it worth it, in my estimation--but that's just me.

6) Double Blind \\ Iris Johansen \\ 3 Stars

A good change of pace compared to the slower books I've been working through of late. I liked Kendra & Lynch's chemistry. The plot held its own. And while I wasn't over the top in love with Double Blind, I did thoroughly enjoy it!

7) Believe Me \\ JP Delaney \\ 1 Star

What the heck was this sadistic perv trip about?! Yikes! I wish the description was actually accurate--because I would've never picked Believe Me up if I knew the plot would be focused on an uber creepy, sadistic, sexually violent crime spree. Delaney lost me at the part he dropped a serial killer who's into BDSM--into my lap. *raises hands in a placative manner* let's back up, and let me run in the opposite direction, screaming bloody, psychopathic murder.

I was quite intrigued by the concept of this book and knew that, if executed correctly, it would be a real stunner of a thriller. However, in the space of ONE CHAPTER, it took a turn for the MAJOR CREEPS, ya'll. For reference, we got like five, uber descriptive, macabre murders (that were also pretty sexually messed up, just to make it weirder) recapped for us in one chapter, when things started getting weird, and this was only at about 150 pages into the book. I cannot stress enough on the chilly willies I got in that chapter or two--and I've read a lot of crime/suspense books. Add to that a serial killer who's into BDSM & all kinds of pervy crap--and I tossed this book faster than you can say goodbye.

8) The Noble Guardian \\ Michelle Griep \\ 4 Stars 

Such a delightful tale, featuring one of my favourite characters of the series--Thatcher! The Noble Guardian has all the high and low points that will make a reader sing, and is straight up--a robust, well-paced, heart-warming & colourful historical read.

*I was given a free ebook copy on Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion*

Favourite of the month: 

It's a tossup between Verity & The Noble Guardian. Both were so beautiful and entertaining. 

What was your favourite read of the month?