Book Review: My Girl by Jack Jordan

30109213you can find the book at:
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Author’s website
Amazon
my review:
Rating:★★★☆☆

*ARC received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

Ten years after her daughter was murdered and only two months after her husband’s suicide, Paige thinks she has nothing to live for. Until she uncovers her husband’s gun and she goes in a desperate search to find out her husband’s secrets.

I have to admit I was not expecting this book to go where it did. And I now feel like I need to read something happy next. My Girl was definitely a weird one. We follow Paige reeling in the aftermath of her husband’s suicide when peculiar things start to occur around her. I really enjoyed the suspense that book starts with but I felt like it ended way too soon and we’re thrown straight into the turning point without a clear introduction. She goes from looking into her husband’s suicide to something completely different which is a shame because a stronger build up and clear insight into the other characters would’ve improved the novel so that transition wouldn’t have felt so strange.

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: July 4th 2016 by JJP
ASINB01F7U2SVG

 

Book Review: The Foxhole Court (All for the Game #1) by Nora Sakavic

18874651you can find the book at:
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Amazon
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Author website

my review:
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Having just finished this, I must say that I’m not exactly sure what to say about this book. I didn’t like certain aspects of the novel, but overall plotline interested me enough to actually want to continue the series.

The Foxhole Court focuses on a fictional sport called Exy, which seems like a mix of lacrosse, hockey, and some other sports I can’t quite remember. It’s extremely popular and the only thing that makes Neil happy. But Neil is on the run from his father, an abusive man in the mob, and signing a contract with the PSU Foxes should be the last thing Neil should ever do. The lie that has kept him living for five years begins to break under the pressure of his new teammates and the truth about him could get him killed.

To be honest, it’s hard to explain this whole book because so much happens and would spoil the book immensely. I enjoyed the plot, but I had bigger problems with issues like rape jokes and homophobic slurs within the book that made it uncomfortable to read. I originally gave this book 1 star but it was like 12 at night when I finished it so I slept on it and decided a 3 rating was more suitable. The concept of Exy was interesting to read and despite the weirdness of the plot, I liked how realistic the characters were. (I have the biggest soft spot for Nicky and Kevin) Each character has a fascinating backstory which captivates the reader and makes you love the minor characters even more.

Kindle Edition, 230 pages
Published July 30th 2013 by Smashwords Edition/ Self-published
ASIN: B00E9BLRUI

 

Book Review: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

28453981you can find the book at:
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Amazon
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my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~

Parker Grant lives by her own set of die-hard rules which she developed over the years, after losing her mother and sight at age 7, and refuses to let anyone treat her differently because of that. But when Scott, otherwise known as Parker Enemy Number One for breaking the most important rule, reappears into her life, Parker is forced to wonder if she was too quick to judge Scott while attempting to handle her new way of life after the death of her father three months prior.

I’m not going to lie, I was going into this book expecting it to be bad but, honestly, I thought it was pretty good.

Continue reading “Book Review: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom”

Book Review: The Awakened by Sara E. Santana

26847637you can find the book at:
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Amazon
Author website

my review:
NOTE: I’ve already posted this review when I was apart of The Awakened Blog Tour but I wanted to post it again because the review is buried underneath so much blog tour stuff.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review~

Zoey Valentine’s life revolves around avoiding her irritating next door neighbour, Ash, and surviving the constant self-defence classes her police officer father makes her take. That is until the zombie apocalypse hits the USA, and the entire country is thrown into a frenzy. What seemed like an unusual illness, is actually turning everyone into a zombie-like state. Except, they’re much faster than the usual. When Zoey learns that the US government decides to bomb every major city, including her home city NYC, she finds herself on the run with her father and Ash in a desperate dash for survival.

This book was really great, in some sense, was really guessable in certain scenes but the way Santana writes makes it a really interesting read with a great cast of characters, each different in their own unique way. I enjoyed the doses of humour and heart within the novel and alongside Sara’s writing style which is easy to follow and compelling to read. She has the makings of a decent storyteller with this fast-paced debut novel.

Anyone who actually read my reviews knows that no good book ever goes unscathed. What really dragged this down was mainly due to certain aspects I personally didn’t like.

I think I’m the only person so far that didn’t like Ash? No offence, but he’s so irritating! Despite he does change in the end, and he ends up with Zoey. But, honestly, I didn’t find it cute that Ash was just terrible to Zoe since she was little. And Zoey knows it but yet she was still attracted to him? If I was being bullied by a boy and would in no way have some sort of attraction to him. Honestly, I would have ditched him the minute the apocalypse started. Despite Zoey telling him explicitly, she doesn’t want to be near him, he continues to flirt with her despite having a girlfriend and she’s already said no? And then when another survivor lowkey flirts with her, he gets annoyed? I just thought that behaviour was problematic and he should’ve backed off a bit.

Also, what was going on with her dad? I honestly hate it when adults assume boys teasing girls means he likes her? Her dad wanted them to get together despite Zoey CONSTANTLY telling him he’s been bullying her at a young age and the way he puts Ash on a higher pedestal than his own daughter was extremely worrying. He does kind of admit it in the end and apologise, but overall, the only character I found myself rooting for was Zoe. The romance in this novel was a bit off to me. Ash and Zoey literally pick the worst moment to get all hot and steamy, especially towards the end.

Kindle Edition, 317 pages
Published by Oftomes Publishing (first published December 1st 2015)
ASIN: B017AD8K9W

Book Review: Secrets in Phoenix (Phoenix Holt #1)

You can find the book at:

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Amazon
Barnes & Noble (unavailable)
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

When fifteen-year-old Sophie is sent, alongside her twin brothers, to a remote village and enrolled in a strange boarding school by their Great Aunt Ness, they never expected to find a hidden room which reveals that the residents of Phoenix Holt are anything but ordinary. And neither is her family.

I have to say I was extremely impressed with this one from Lapore. She seems to have this ongoing thing with witches in her novel, and since she has so many, I went in reading thinking it was going to be waay similar to How I Found You. But it wasn’t. And I certainly preferred this one than How I Found You.

It was a fun and energetic read from Lapore as we follow Sophie and her polar opposite twin brothers Sam and Todd in a journey to Phoenix Holt from their home of Port Dalton. I really enjoyed her writing style, it’s simple yet descriptive that you’re not overwhelmed by the language. What I really enjoyed were the moments between all three siblings, they played pranks, treated each other like crap, but at the end of the day showed that they cared for each other. It was just a nice difference compared to other YA I’ve read recently where siblings don’t exist or just distant to the storyline.

However, I wish there was a better development between Sophie and Jaxon. I know it would develop in the next novels, but it felt quite plain although I did enjoy Jaxon’s past which was really interesting. I also did have an issue with the boarding school. It was boys only, but it was never addressed why? Since the reason behind them being there is a massive spoiler, I won’t say, but it was confusing as to why no girls were there.

Overall, an interesting novel about witches, family and just the beginning of what Gabriella is capable of doing with this world.

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published October 13th 2015 by Oftomes Publishing

ASIN: B015L0GPD4

Book Review: The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

26196106you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble (unavailable)
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~

Sean Jackson’s three-year-old twin daughter, Coco, has gone missing leaving only Ruby and no one has a clue what happened. The media blames their mother, but what really happened to the little girl? The Darkest Secret plays over two weekends, set twelve years apart. The first is in 2004 where various friends and family are attending Sean’s 50th birthday weekend while the second is set twelve years later during the weekend of Sean’s funeral.

This book was an intense read with engaging characters and drama that focuses on a terrible group of rich people. (for some reason, I can imagine this being a BBC program??) They were horrible- to themselves and to each other. I’ve never read a more self-absorbed group of people like these, which makes it even more fascinating to read as you read on trying to figure out what happened and hopefully learn the truth behind the disappearance of Coco.

Marwood has written a relentless novel that creates a group of egoistic characters, and throughout the narrative, there is a sense of complete horror as they reveal how far they will go. Overall, a thrilling novel which I felt had a slow start but once the story kicks in, it’s really compelling.

Format: ARC Kindle Edition
Expected publication: January 1st 2016 by Sphere
ASIN: B010RALUP6