February 2019 Reads

February reading roundup--here we come! 

1) In Shadows \\ Sharon Sala \\ 3 Stars

A short, fast-paced read with plenty of plot-related intensity. It lacked somewhat of the "it factor" for me, mostly because it felt too short and incomplete where Shelley & Jack's relationship was concerned. Would've liked for the few scenes they were actually together to have been not so...ahem...explicit, but yeah. I felt like their relationship could've been so much more...but I loved how committed they were to each other as a married couple, which is usually only portrayed in dating couples, but still I wanted more from their relationship! They spent such a small amount of time together, and it was either full-blown, explicit sex--or no romance, period. I would've liked a bit more of the in between, with some sweet romantic moments that don't end in R rated scenes. 
And one more note on sex scenes--I'm not a fan of them, but I'm super not a fan of being crashed into a sex scene with no warning--for the bad guy. Ew--FREAKING SQUARED. That's disgusting! And there's honestly no reason for it. Even though I skipped the scene--I still caught enough to be puking in my mouth a little. 

Also, Sala is one of the few authors I've encountered (apart from newb authors) who switches POV's (point of view) from character to character to character, with NO PARAGRAPH BREAK denoting it's a new point of view we're receiving. 
Eeeep! As a reader, that style drives me nuts, and I honestly thought only newb authors did it because they hadn't perfected their writing style and were making a sloppy writing mistake? But anyway, I find it jarring to be in Sally's head, then Joe's, then Frank's, all in one scene! 
Yikes. 
Whatever writing technique that is, I dooooon't enjoy it. Not one little bit. 

But so far, in reading two of Sala's books, I really enjoy her writing style (aforementioned POV fiasco aside), and some of the moments between characters are surprisingly deep. The sex scenes aren't my thing, but I do love her writing style and how she writes characters (for the most part) and plots.

2) The Lady of Shalott \\ Tennyson \\ 5 Stars 

Such beautiful, haunting writing! How magical & romantic, yet tragic this poem is!

3) Whisper \\ Lynette Noni \\ 5 Stars

Second or third time reading through this one! 

How much power do our words hold? A lot more than you realize. 

Whoa. What a book. I'm only slightly groaning over here because book 2 is not out yet, and I need it, like--yesterday! 
When I started Whisper I didn't know it was going to turn into mutants or people with special powers, but hey, I didn't mind it when it happened. I was like--hey, cool. I'm digging this. 
I loved the plot--I was surprised by all the twists and turns and gaping like a codfish for others. The characters--check. Loved them and their different relationships with J.D. 

I very much enjoyed the foray into showing just how much power our words truly have. When I started reading I was thinking to myself "wouldn't it be interesting if someone wrote a book showcasing how powerful our words are?" and then bam. That's what the book is about. I loved how it was written and executed and how it played out. Now I really need to get my hands on book 2!

4) The Traitor's Ruin \\ Erin Beaty \\ 4 Stars

The book curse on the copyright page sucked--who even does that?--but the plot was woven well and I enjoyed the characters. The atmosphere was lovely, and though set in a fantasy world, it reminded me of the medieval time period--which I always love.

5) Solace Island \\ Meg Tilly \\ 2 Stars

Some cute moments and a beautiful island atmosphere (this book had potential--great potential!) but it was just so dang smutty. I don't know how Solace Island floated by an Erotic labelling and just get slotted into Romantic Suspense. Romantic Suspense, MY EYE. If I read the word 'cock' or 'erection' one more time, I'm going to toss my toast. 

Add to that, the plot didn't really get moving until halfway into the already pretty short book, so by the end, it ended up feeling rushed and like we didn't have time to get to know the characters or the flow of the story.

6) Dead to the Last Drop \\ Cleo Coyle \\  4 Stars 

Dead to the Last Drop had such a multi-faceted plot--it was really quite clever. I'd love to see something like this make it into movie form.
I felt the emphasis was more on the plot than the characters, if that makes sense? Yes, the characters were all fine and good, but I didn't feel like, as a reader, we ever got one of those "reader-character" connections, ya know? So, to me the emphasis was on the complex plot, rather than on meaningful character interactions or romance. Which is fine. 

The one thing that irked me about Dead to the Last Drop, is that most of the story was told in retrospect, in the retelling of certain events. 
For instance, Clare is fleeing the law with her agent boyfriend Quinn, and instead of progressing with the story in real time, Clare tells Quinn--like thirty stories!--about how they've come to the situation they are currently in. Then another question, and do we move forward with the plot? Nope. We get ANOTHER backstory. I just don't get down with that style of storytelling, personally, as I like to see things unfold as they unfold, and not hear about them later, as a memory. 

But all in all--a truly brilliant, layered plot.

7) Anything but Ordinary \\ Lara Avery \\ 2 Stars

Really tragic coming-of-age story. I wasn't expecting the ending--but...that happened! It was an interesting plot, I just didn't much care for the depressing slant...

There we have it! 

My favourite read this month was The Traitor's Ruin. Everything (apart from the word curse thing on the copyright page that I just hated) was so well done. Plot, characters, setting, atmosphere--all of it. Just such a tasty nuggle. Can't wait to read the third book! 

January 2019 Reads

Now is the time to do a roundup (a late one, but one nonetheless!) of my January reads! 

1) Shatter Me \\ Tahereh Mafi \\ 2 Stars

I like me a good figure of speech, but this conglomeration of--poetry?--and metaphors nearly every single sentence--whoa. Just. Whoa.  The only thing saving this from a one-star rating is the fact that the plot intrigued me. MC has an interesting "ability". There were a handful of solid character interactions. Other than that, I don't know where to start...I want to be open-minded regarding different writing styles, but the writing in Shatter Me felt so...melodramatic. Silly. Like a hormonal teenager who overreacts with every. single. fibre. of. their. being. And I can handle a lot of melodrama and still get to the heart of the matter and enjoy something, but I just found the writing so jarring. Like the author was trying to write a YA Fantasy, but also a poetry book at the same time? 

I love it when an author says something and it's eloquent and as a reader you're like "Whoa, that was a stunning capture of the English language. Simple stunning." But it was like the author was trying super hard to be a poet with every single line, and it felt unnatural and super cringy. Some writers can wax eloquent about a sunset, or a puddle in the middle of the freaking road, and it works. It works! It makes you smile and think about the beauty of life while feeling inexplicably warm and fuzzy inside. 

Here are some examples of Shatter Me's prose that just didn't float my boat down the poetical river. Though I tried. 

"I've always wondered about raindrops. I wonder about how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors. I am a raindrop." Just wow. That's one talkative raindrop, Juliette. 

"I close my eyes until I've sewn them shut." What. What? I understand metaphors, but honestly...I like them used sparingly. Also, exaggerations. If they're used often, it makes the characters unbelievable and annoying. 

"Every organ in my body falls to the floor." I see. Or do I? I don't know. 

"...my cheek is pressed against his chest and he smells like strength and courage and the world drowning in rain." The world drowning in rain sounds pretty awful, honestly. 

"His gaze is fixed on me: calm, unflappable; 2 buckets of river water at midnight. I'd like to cry into his eyes." You'd like to cry INTO his eyes? That sounds creepy AND painful, girl. 

"My jaw falls off." Like...right off, off? Or kinda sorta off? 

"I'm dripping red paint on the carpet." I wasn't aware you were holding a paintbrush. And I get this is a metaphor for being COMPLETELY HUMILIATED, but...that's a lot of red. 

"He's stolen my bed my blanket my pillow." I think the lack of punctuation was on purpose, but I found it pretty jarring to read. 

"I take 2 steps backward." I never knew seeing ACTUAL numbers and not having them spelled out could be so jarring. 2 steps vs. two steps. I cringe. And Shatter Me is filled with numbers. Everywhere. Not spelled out. Just 323453. 2 fingertips. 2 lips. 2 eyes. 4 trucks. But then I stumbled across "Five five five five" spelled out, just like that. And I was confused. Again. And jarred. Again. 

Admittedly, I'm not much of a dystopian fan, definitely not a dying earth fiction fan, but I've enjoyed a few in my time and really got into them. But this one...yikes. It was just a whole lotta something that was too much but not enough, all at once. Like I said, the plot did intrigue me. It was interesting in its own way. The characters had some good chemistry and moments. But that cannot carry a book the whole 100 for me as a reader. 
The way the author tried to make almost every sentence a sonnet or a line of heartrending poetry, it grated. It didn't flow. It didn't captivate. It annoyed me. I tried hard to like it and be open to a different creative expression, but it just really rubbed me the wrong way.

2) Sky in the Deep \\ Adrienne Young \\ 4 Stars

This is YA fiction done right. I LOVED Sky in the Deep. The atmosphere was just different. Really unique from all the other books I've read and I was definitely digging it. I also loved how the characters were so raw and intense, and how life for them was so...primal. The character development and arcing were so beautiful to watch! Also--the way Fiske and Eelyn weren't gobsmacked-attracted-to-each-other immediately, went against the popular YA flow of the river--and it worked quite well. 
The only thing I felt was a bit of a plot hole was the Herja people group...I felt they weren't explained enough, considering how they were practically legendary, more spiritual than human beings? Like...where did they come from, who are they and the like. That never really got explained, which I would've liked, considering they were like THE BIG BAD DUDES. But ah well. It didn't cramp my style enough to make me mad, lol. 

From the plot, to the writing style, to the characters--SKY IN THE DEEP had me reading this book with major heart eyes. It was a bit slow in parts, but I loved it nonetheless!

3) Unravel Me \\ Tahereh Mafi \\ 3 Stars

Definitely better than the first book. The odd poetry thing that was an issue in Shatter Me was definitely more toned down in Unravel Me, which majorly helped matters. I like being surprised with plot twists--I was surprised, a lot, actually, with all that went down. The creep factor was pretty high in some parts, but that comes with the...ahem...Warner territory. Can the monster be redeemed? I guess I'll have to wait and see. 

I wasn't a fan of the quasi-sex-scene thing that spanned like FIVE pages that I just kept skimming and being like--ARE WE DONE YET EW--but...yeah. I hope the characters decide to make better decisions in book 3, lol.

4) Eyes Wide Open \\ Ted Dekker \\ 1 Star


Ladies and gentlemen…here comes a wee little rant. And I don’t want to rant—but this book…*shakes head in abject frustration* I’m sorry, because I tried to like it. I tried so hard, and yet…Eyes Wide Open was not the jam to my toast. The honey to my tea. Rather, it was the burr in my sock. 

This is my third or fourth Ted Dekker read. I read two or three of his YA fiction books and found them rather odd…no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get into his writing style and I often found myself confused, so I didn’t continue the series. I thought, hey…why not give his writing another shot, but this time try some of his adult fiction books. So…

I have come to the conclusion after three books…I think Dekker’s writing style just rubs me the wrong way. I know he’s one of the most popular Christian fiction writers out there and a New York Times bestseller and all that, but his writing style and me as a reader…we don’t play nice in the sandbox. Uh-huh. Nope. 
I find it so abstract that I don’t find it enjoyable—and in all truth—I love a good abstract concept. 
While the plot of Eyes Wide Open was fairly fast-paced and a sort of psychological thriller, it seemed to last forever while still feeling like it lagged at times. I felt like Dekker was telling most of the time rather than showing, and somehow, at the end of the book, I felt like I’d never really even met the characters because their story was told in such a…one dimensional way. I really struggled with Dekker’s tone of voice, as it were, in telling the story. It really didn’t make me dance for joy as a reader. It made me feel like I was reading someone’s grocery list rather than actually walking through the store with them—but also like I was reading the list after drinking Benadryl on the rocks. 

The characters. I don’t know if I was supposed to like them or empathize with what was going on, but honest first, second and third impressions? They seemed pretty dumb and weak of mind. Christy was a far worse offender in that regard than Austin, but honestly, they felt like pretty flat and bland characters to me. 

The psychological element of the plot was just…weird. So weird. The plot interested me, what with two young people being committed to a psych ward when they’re not crazy and everyone thinks they are. I was intrigued, but the execution of the plot just left me shaking my head and kinda giving the whole book one stupidly long moment of side eye. 
The preaching bit at the end of the book felt somewhat stiff and in-your-face, and by the end of the book I was just peeved…on so many levels. 

I cannot say I didn’t try—and hard—at that. I tried to love Dekker’s writing. I read three or four of his books. I. TRIED. But I think his writing is just not for me. His tone of voice as an author rubs me the wrong way. The way he writes his scenes honestly confuses me—and I read a lot and don’t encounter that—thus I find it frustrating when I do, and the three plots I’ve read thus far just haven’t grabbed my attention. 
I don’t like it when I feel like an author is “poking” me with their abstract, probing ideologies. If a worldview comes through naturally, and the thoughts come about organically, as it were—that’s great. But when I feel like an author is trying to “poke me” as a reader and get inside my head, I feel inclined to dislike them, no matter what. 

I wanted so badly to board the Dekker train and shout my love of his writing for the world to hear—because people keep telling me to read his books because he’s ‘the best author ever’. Obviously he has a niche readership that LOVE his books. I’m glad that’s the case! He writes for an audience that appreciates his writing style. And as writing is a rather relative thing, I can respect and appreciate Dekker’s writing from a distance, but not read it myself if I want to keep from having a hissy fit because his writing frustrates and confuses me, as a reader. 

I hate saying anything negative about a book (or not having something positive to say about the book—honestly I hate doing that) because I know the hard work and effort that goes into creating one. I can tell that Eyes Wide Open took a lot of creative effort, brainpower and brainstorming. Like a ton. It was a complex situation, to be sure, so kudos to Dekker. I want to say all the things I enjoyed about it, but I’m just being completely honest in that it was really not my style and it did frustrate me. I hate to say it, but it’s true. But for all of you fans of Eyes Wide Open, I’m happy it was such a hit! 

5) Ignite Me \\ Tahereh Mafi \\ 4 Stars

As I say, I like being surprised by characters and plot twists, and that doesn't happen often. While the first book did drive me somewhat crazy with the overtly flowery prose that I found annoying--this series has come far and I'm glad I stuck with it. 

I loved how each character was starkly different from the others. The character arcs in this book were amazing. Yes, everyone was pretty dramatic, but...what's a person to expect from a bunch of parentless teens who haven't learned much by way of controlling their emotions that live close to the surface while the world is going to end, like, yesterday? Exactly. Explosions to the left. Explosions, to the right. 

It's dramatic, I'll admit, but entertaining. 

I never go into a YA book expecting the characters to be calm, cool and collected. I go in for a colourful brouhaha, brought forth by my favourite teen characters. If I want sensible and logical and under control--I know to look someplace else.

The pacing was fast--and as I said before, I was always being surprised by the twists in the plot and how different characters reacted to different scenarios. It was heartily entertaining. 

The sexual content was a wee bit heavy for my tastes in certain "let's take off all our clothes and touch and kiss EVERY square inch of each other's bodies" scenes. I like romance and some sensual content, but I'm not much for graphic foreplay in books--but I'm a good skimmer when something doesn't suit me. 

All in all--I loved Ignite Me. Warner and Juliette's character growth was so cool to watch.

6) The Cost of Betrayal \\ Henderson, Pettrey & Eason \\ 3 Stars

I enjoyed each of these short stories, but I didn't have an over the top reaction to any of them, hence the three stars. I struggle with novella's because it's hard to get across a relationship in such a short period of time. 

With Betrayed by Dee Henderson...

I was super intrigued by the plot. Such a cool idea. But...the novella was 152 pages, and we didn't actually "meet" the MC Janelle, until page 52. In full-length novels usually the MC is introduced on the first page--or at the very least the first, maybe second chapter. In this short story, Janelle wasn't introduced until a third of the way through the novella. 
Add to that, we never actually ever had, even ONE scene, told through Janelle's POV. What is with that? I honestly don't know, but it really irked me that each scene was told through one of the secondary character's POV (point of view) and never the primary character's--AKA Janelle. 
I was so into the plot! I loved Greg's character and would've been all over a full-length novel of his and Janelle's story--if only scenes were told from both his and Janelle's POV's. 

Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey...

Interesting plot. Teni and Cullen's relationship was cute--I would've liked more time for it to unfold, because it felt somewhat rushed, considering the surrounding events at the time, but they did have a sweet relationship and I totally would've been into a full-length novel where things could've come about a bit more...organically and not in the space of twenty-four hours. 

Code of Ethics by Lynette Eason...

In all honesty--I started but didn't finish the third novella in this collection. I had so many other books on the go, the plot nor the characters were really grabbing my attention, so I skimmed through the second half and called it finished. It's not that the writing, plot or characters were bad--Eason is a great writer, I just wasn't that interested in the atmosphere or pacing of the novella. 


7) Life of Lies \\ Sharon Sala \\ 3 Stars

The atmosphere in Life of Lies was so on point. Kinda Nancy Drew-esque but with some good Southern charm. 

Loved the plot. So intricate and multi-faceted. 

If not for all the sex scenes, I would've rated Life of Lies at four stars, but...there were a lot of graphic sex scenes, which isn't what I look for in romantic suspense. But, sex scenes aside--great book. 

I struggled with the narrator's depiction/voice for Brendan...it was so goofy and overplaying his deep man voice, like seemingly all female narrators do, but...I still enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

8) The Choosing \\ Rachelle Dekker \\ 1 Star

Was given rave reviews/recommends on this book, but honestly, when I wasn't apathetic regarding the plot & characters, I was fuming mad about how sadistic & twisted the mindsets showcased in The Choosing were. 

Now, I have to say Dekker's writing was good, stylistically. But the characters she penned didn't jump off the page to me, nor did the plot or atmosphere really pique my interest as a reader. If the book had have been about something else & the characters had really come alive, I'd have been totally into it. But that just didn't happen with this book. 

From early on in The Choosing, I found myself apathetic about the plot, characters & atmosphere of The Choosing—but because I’d heard such rave reviews about it I committed to reading all of it. I wish I hadn’t finished The Choosing, honestly. 

This was probably one of the most sadistic books I’ve read in my time. Just so creepy, what was going on with the bad dudes. How they’d twisted the Bible & added to it & turned it into something perverted & really sideways. It made me cringe and feel somewhat sick, reading all the half Bible verses & the add-ons that were so gross. I wish the author had have made up an entirely different referencing point for the bad guys, instead of taking from the Bible, twisting it & not ever referencing that this was some really demented spin-off from Christianity. Or something. What is annoying is that if someone doesn't have any real background with Christian theology, they might confuse the deranged insanity of the bad dudes for supposed "sound theology". Nope. Not working for me. 

Honestly, it was just so messed up. Apart from the disgust this book made me feel regarding the bad guys, I felt nothing while reading this book. Nothing but a mild disinterest. 
And that is what makes a book flop for me. Not caring or feeling invested in the characters or their plight.

9) Promise Not to Tell \\ Jayne Ann Krentz \\ 

3 Stars

A well-crafted murder mystery with likeable characters. A bit much on the sexual content for my tastes, but overall, Promise Not to Tell was a fast-paced, well written romantic suspense read!

10) Restore Me \\ Tahereh Mafi \\ 3 Stars

Felt somewhat disjointed and lagged for a considerably large chunk of the book...but it was still an enjoyable read :)

11) Botanical Line Drawing \\ Peggy Dean \\ 5 Stars

Best book on Line Drawing I've found yet! I found the examples clean, beautiful, and easy to replicate. Such a good book for those wanting to get into the basics of illustrating nature :)


















12) Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger \\ Beth Harbison \\ 2 Stars

An intriguing plot with some witty writing at moments, but altogether too much smut, crazy amounts of woolgathering, an unlikable, wimpy Quinn (the MC), more talks with Quinn's gay best friend than the love interest(s) combined...I felt like this book had so much promise, but the execution of it all felt rather...disjointed. 

I strongly dislike it when a character says something like (and this is theoretical, by the way), "I'm making coffee. You want some?" and then proceeds to reminisce in their mind for like FOUR PAGES, about some obscure memory regarding coffee, or just explaining their internal world in general, at that moment in time. It's okay if it happens, once or twice, but from the first chapter it seemed every sentence spoken was followed by about two pages of mental rabbit trails. After the first few chapters, I no longer felt gracious regarding the never-ending bunny trails. No one could carry on a conversation with all those needless inner dialogue interruptions! In all the books I've read, I don't think I've ever seen the likes of the bunny trails I encountered in Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger. 

Also, Quinn was one of the most unlikable main characters I've come across in a while. She was whiny, weak-willed, had seemingly zero sense of confidence or self-worth, and though ten years had passed since her non-wedding, the way she behaved and talked made it seem as though she'd done nothing but mope. For ten whole years. She hadn't grown as a person, hadn't changed for the better. 
Regret. Mope. Pine. 
Regret. Mope. Pine. 
Repeat. 
And that daily challenge that her best friend Glen set up, each day getting her to do something different (of his choosing) that would help her get out of her comfort zone? Watch the sunrise, go speed dating, wear your hair in a side pony-tale, go commando for a day, have a one night stand, be drunk all day...firstly, bad friend. Secondly, Glen got wayyy more airtime than both of the love interests combined. Thirdly, most of the fringe characters introduced were either gay or lesbian...and reading a heterosexual romance I was just like...why so many? Isn't that a little more down the appropriated labelled Lesbian/Gay genre? 

The writing of Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger wasn't bad at all. In fact, it WAS good. It was quite witty in parts, in fact. Made me laugh a time or two. But, good writing does not a good book make, to me as a reader. 
The level of crass/smut factor was just too high for me to enjoy reading my way through the book, Quinn was so insecure and annoying as a character, and the relationships were purely physical & chemistry related...I mean, I love me some good chemistry, but not without the basics. Personality's jiving. Attractive elements BEYOND just the physical. And I get it, this is a chick-lit novel so it's not gonna be deep or profound, but honestly...a sexual response to someone is gonna get old fast if there's nothing else to back it up or add to it. At least for me. 

Yeah...so, this one was a bit of a miss for me. I was hoping for a great chick-lit, but...not for me on this one.

And there you have it for January! 

A month of reading, with some real hits, and some REAL misses. 
Have you read any of the titles from this month? What were your thoughts? Leave them down below! 
Also--let me know your favourite book you read in January & why you liked it! 

Conspiracy Of Silence by Ronie Kendig | Tox Files #1

First book in Ronie Kendig's new Spec Ops, Globe Trotting, Dive Into History series, called the Tox Files, aptly named after our MC, Cole "Tox" Russell, a former Green Beret who- after a gone rogue mission, is persona non grata to the United States...so basically he doesn't exist. 

Synopsis from Goodreads: 
"Four years after a tragic mission decimated his career and his team, Cole “Tox” Russell is persona non grata to the United States. And that’s fine—he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed at an archaeological dig where three Bronze-era censers are found, Tox is lured back into action. Partnered with an archaeologist and an FBI agent who’s an expert in deception, Tox and his team are pitted against a secret society, a plague dubbed the New Black Death, and a revered codex—which may hold the key to stopping the deadly outbreak."


CONCLUSION:

Pulse-pounding, adrenaline pumping, history digging, globe trotting GLORY- Conspiracy Of Silence has officially won "Book Of The Year" for me. 
The action scenes were fresh and gripping, the characters unique and compelling, and I can say I most certainly fell in love with the Wraith-squad. 
Their foray into history was dizzyingly intricate- I think I may have to give it another read to fully comprehend all that was going on, but it was amazing. Also- Cole Russell gets the BAE award of the year. The writing style is fresh, gripping and powerful. So- READ THIS BOOK. THE end. Boom.

Injustice For All by Robin Caroll

Summary: 
(taken from goodreads)
A federal judge lies bleeding on his office floor, betrayed by a most unlikely source- people who helped him bring criminals to justice. Now, why would someone working for the FBI need to disappear after witnessing this crime? 
When Remington Wyatt sees her godfather's murder, she recognizes the killers and knows it's only a matter of time before they come to silence her. She must do the only thing possible to stay alive...run. 
FBI agent Rafe Baxter is serious about his career, and solving a cold case involving a federal judge's death puts him in line for a promotion he so desires. But the case leads him to the small town of Hopewell, Louisiana, where some secrets seem inextricably hidden deep within the bayou. 

PLOT: 

It kept along at a pretty steady pace. It was fresh, intriguing. It didn't blow me away with it's "wow" factor, but I genuinely enjoyed it. 

VIOLENCE: 

Suspense fiction whatnot. Hand to hand combat, gunshot wounds, the judge is murdered at the beginning. Just expect the usual action/suspense/murder mystery type violence. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

There's mention of a few affairs, nothing explicit. Characters falling in love, that kind of thing. 

CONS: (what I didn't like) 

1) The religious content felt kinda stiff, uptight and scripted.

2) The phrase 'oh-my-stars' was overused to the extreme. I don't who'd say 'oh-my-stars' in their head if they found someone murdered in their house. And using it upwards of 20-30 times throughout the book, is annoying. But...perhaps things in the deep south are...different? 

3) I didn't understand why the MC puts a rather large emphasis on how much she enjoyed the feeling of being doped up after she's injured and in the hospital. It just didn't make sense, when the book has nothing to do with drugs or drug users, and the character thinks to herself that she would basically do anything to stay feeling 'high'. It seemed an unnecessary addition to the book, especially given the very conservative nature of the characters & author. 

4) Speaking of which, there were a few plot strains that were added to the book, that never got resolved or finished. Thus, that leaves me, as a reader, thinking all they were, were plot "fillers" and not actually needed. 

5) I found it a tad bit confusing, the "Day 1" or "Day 27" sections where the MC is telling the story in the first person. Especially because the timing is jumping back and forth (to all the other parts that are either in the future or the past, comparatively speaking, and are described in the third person), and then they don't even continue throughout the rest of the book. There's three or four or so, and then they just up and go poof. That was just plain tacky, in my opinion. 

CONCLUSION: 

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters, especially Hayden. Remington I found a little hard to connect with, and I really was hoping for a little more connecting (getting to know you) time with Rafe, but- I enjoyed this read, even with the above mentioned 'Cons' section. Of course, I would've enjoyed the book more if the mentioned cons weren't in the book, but...it is what it is. 

So I'll give it 3 Stars & I'd recommend this book for readers aged 16+ (it is adult fiction, but some teens may enjoy this read) 

BeoWulf by Ronie Kendig | Books She Loves

Book 3 in the Breed Apart 

series by Ronie Kendig, doesn't disappoint!!

VIOLENCE: 

Military suspense type stuff. Hand to hand combat. People get beat up, shot down, blown up, and there's blood. Nothing terribly up-close gory. There is one scene where an explosion rocks a team, and a soldier's leg is almost blown off. He nearly bleeds out, there's a lot of blood and he's pretty traumatized when he comes to in the middle of it- clearly in a lot of pain.  

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Timbrel has a few painful flashbacks from being raped- not really descriptive, more just the pain that she felt in the moment, or the breath of her abuser etc. 

Our two MC's fall in love. There's attraction between the two (duh, lol) several kisses, some more passionate than others. Nothing very steamy. 

CONCLUSION: 

Adrenaline, suspense, romance, conflict, cat and mouse, solving the mystery- this book has it all.
I loved Candyman & Timbrel as characters. They were relatable, lovable, colourful and unique. I found myself laughing over their blunders, and my heart cried when they weren't doing so hot. These characters are keepers that I will never forget, and will come back to re-read again and again! 

5 Stars, and I'd recommend it for readers 18+ 

No One To Trust by Lynette Eason

Summary 

(taken from book cover): 

Summer Abernathy wakes up one morning to find her husband missing, three men in her home intent on finding him, and the life she's been living based on a lie. Which Kyle Abernathy did she marry? The computer programmer she met in line at the bank? Or the one who was apparently using that image as a cover? 

The search for her husband- and answers- takes Summer even deeper into a world of organized crime where people are used one moment and discarded the next. And with her deepest relationship of trust already shattered, Summer doesn't know who to believe. 

VIOLENCE: 

Hand to hand combat. Some explosions. People get shot, some at close range. There's an element of domestic abuse, and a recording a child plays with audio of their parent beating their sibling. Not in great detail, however. 

You can expect general violence that comes with the suspense genre, but nothing that gory or graphic. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

A few kisses are shared between our MC's. When the baddies break into the Abernathy's house at the beginning, one of the goons implies his sick intentions for Summer, but doesn't follow through with them. 

CONCLUSION: 

Overall, this book was...underwhelming. The plot sounded great, and I had high hopes for the characters, but apart from a few cool action scenes, this book just didn't cut it for me. 

I found the characters emotionally flat and hard to identify with because of that. 

The MC kept making comments that irked me...like when someone would ask if she was okay, she'd reply "I have to be" or stuff like that. Without being outright whiny, to me it just felt like she was being a baby and a tad bit entitled. It's just not an attractive quality. At all. 

And her being angry with her husband- I can understand the betrayal- but she just seemed like she was being immature about the whole situation- it was annoying. 

The plot was okay, but it didn't jump out and catch me with being fresh or unique. The villain was eh, and there was nothing that really stood out to me about the characters, plot, or writing style. 

Which, while we're on the writing style, Eason's writing didn't seem succinct enough to be suspense fiction. It would have been fine if she'd been writing general fiction or even historical fiction, but with the suspense genre, I was thinking the writing style would be a bit more to the point, using more powerful, eye catching vocabulary, and taking less time to explain certain situations. 

While there were a few cool action scenes, I wouldn't re-read this book, nor would I recommend it to other readers. Of course, the content explained above might not be annoying to another reader, so part of the "problem" with this book is subjective and will change with each reader. 

2 Stars. I didn't hate this book, but there was nothing that made me stand up and root for it. Ages 15 ish + 

Firewall by DiAnn Mills

The synopsis intrigued me immediately with this book...when catastrophe strikes a newlywed (mainly, an airport terminal blowing up enroute to their honeymoon) woman, and her husband may not be who is claimed to be...honestly- this it brought me in immediately. Right from the first chapter- action, intrigue- questions!!! So awesome. 

Forgive the fact that I don't have a nice photo of this book- I read it on my phone, so I grabbed an image off of google! 

PLOT:

Started intense straight from chapter 1, and always kept a good pace and flow throughout the book. This plot was multilayered and COMPLEX, people. There were so many plot strains and levels going on...as each one was presented and uncovered, I was like, whet?!! So impressed. People. This plot was GOLDEN. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Some kissing, attraction, falling in love- that kinda stuff. This book is a romance! As our MC is a newlywed, the first chapter beginning the morning after Taryn and Shep are married, she remembers how passionate their wedding night was, etc etc. but nothing is explained or expanded on. Mentions made to Shep always wondering why she waited for marriage...that kinda thing. 

VIOLENCE: 

There's an explosion in an airport terminal. Lot's of people end up dead, or injured. Hand to hand combat. Someone is taken out via a long distance sniper shot, shot at close range, drugged, etc. A character finds someone murdered in their house, their throat having been slashed and a pool of blood surrounding them. 

CONCLUSION: 

I loved this book. The suspense kept me turning the pages in rapid fire, waiting to see what would happen next, how everything would work itself out- it was marvellous. So many plot twists. So many turns and unexpected events. I enjoyed the characters, the slight romance, the plot, everything. I loved this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the suspense genre. 

5 Stars & recommend this book for ages 17+. Again, some 16 year olds would dig this one, but for some, 18 would be better. It's different for every reader.