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!