Steve Cavanagh: The Defence

 

In the first of a series, Steve Cavanagh shows the length a father will go to to save his daughter:

I have been wanting to start this series for a long time and this is the second book that I have read by Cavanagh. This book starts off with a bang (almost literally) and does not stop. It is a shorter book so Cavanagh does not waste any time getting right into the story. 

This book is really fast pace and does not slow down for a minute. Whether Eddie is in the courtroom trying to get a mob boss off for murder or in the "downtime" outside of the courtroom where he is trying to find to thwart the circumstance he has found himself in you wont want to put this book down. I enjoyed trying to figure everything out with Eddie from the evidence that he is reviewing the files for the trial, to trying to find his daughter, the bomb and what was really going on with the Mob. Cavanagh tackles all of this in this book but it never felt overwhelming or too much for the book, he was able to seamlessly put it all together.

If you don't want Eddie Flynn as your lawyer you should give your head a shake. I loved his ability to take his life experiences on the other side of the law and apply them to tactics as a lawyer. Eddie is smart, capable, manipulative, adaptive and able to think on his feet like no other. Plus he has a heart, especially for his daughter and how he got into his predicament in this book.

I don't think there are many courtroom procedural books that are written these day and i hope that the trend flows back that way as when done right they can have just as much mystery and thrills as police procedural ones.

I really enjoyed this book and I am look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Enjoy!!!!

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Alexis Maragold: This Safe Darkness

 

In her debut novel Alexis Maragold shows that Light can be found even in the darkness:

When I read the premise of this book I was really excited to read this book. It had the whole dystopian feel to it with human now living underground as the life above has taken on a hostile environment, not just from the sun but from Sols. I'll call the Sols like a reverse Vampire in a way as they only are able to come out when the Sun is up but they also suck all the blood out of any individual that they catch.

The world building is pretty straightforward and one that is common in Dystopian type books. Humans have been forced underground and a new rule/regime has been implemented. Women are seen as property and their worth is only determined as to whether they have the ability to have children. If they are not able to have children or do not yet have a husband or a child they are at the very bottom of society. This society rules by fear, and the greatest punishment of being taken to the surface. However, in order to keep numbers low, and to learn more about the Sols, 10 women are forced to the surface every year and if they are able to survive they are welcomed back, very few have ever returned.

I loved that Maragold decided to make Orelle an older FMC. She is in her 30s, has a disability (other than not being able to have children) that makes her weak and frail but she is neither weak or frail. She will do anything and everything to protect those around her. She really just wants a better life for not only herself, but also women who are seen 4th class citizens I will say I don't know what her overall diagnosis was, I don't think we are ever told it, just that she suffers from some sort of disease.

This book really had me for about 2/3 of the book, but the last third of the book felt really rushed and all of a sudden information dumping about the outside world. It was like Maragold needed to wrap a whole lot of story plot points up in the book in order to finish it that just took me out of the story. When I read this book I thought it was going to be a stand alone (and it could be as Maragold does wrap quite a few things up) and not a series but I now know it is going to be a series, so I am unsure why Maragold felt she needed to info dump right at the end,

This was was a good debut novel. I found the society and the life when Orelle is living underground to be really interesting and the highlight for me in the book. If there is a second book in the series I would check it out to see where Maragold takes the story but I'm not sure I would be invested in it if it does not have Orelle as the main character.

Enjoy!!!!

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Jaysea Lynn: For Whom the Belle Tolls

 

Jaysea Lynn redefines what happens to people once they pass away:

This book has such an interesting concept from the very beginning and Lynn's idea of what happens after we die, honestly sounds amazing. I love that Lynn had all the different religions come together in the afterlife and there is the paradise for those who do not believe as well and honestly is sounds (for lack of a better word) heavenly. This really has Lily exploring what she believed beforehand as well as her trying to decide if she wants to live another life.

Lily is such an honourable character. She has a huge heart, and wants to do better for those around her, no matter what religion they are or what they look like. She will put herself in danger to protect others time and time again because that is the right thing to do. Bel is a demon, but he is such a golden retriever that you can't help but love him. The way he is patient with Lily and how he respects the decisions that she makes is admirably, even if those decisions could harm him in the end. You feel their chemistry from the first time they meet, and I love that Lyn took her time in building their relationship.

This book also does a great job of what it means to be an adoptive parents and how Lily handles the whole situation is admirable.

I liked that Lynn had a whole different take on Demons, that they are actually really nice, in need of help and making sure that the souls go to the proper level in Hell depending if they were bad or horrible in their life. Your heart breaks a few times when younger souls come down and think they have been bad and deserve to to a level in hell based upon what they have been told by adults in their life.

The first 200 pages of this book are used to set up the afterworld and who Lily is as a character and this seems a little excessive. The book is over 600 pages that I feel like this part could have been shorten and more could have been focused on Bel, the war he was fighting as well as who was trying to access Hell. This part of the story is very much glazed over and not explained. I kept hoping that Lynn would have some battle scenes for Bel and who was trying to attack them, but this never happened.

This was a good read and i enjoyed my time, even if i thought it was a bit long. I would read another book by Lynn.

Enjoy!!!!

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K.M. Moronova: Your Knife, My Heart

K. M. Moronova put a whole new perspective of keeping those alive around you.

If you are wanted a twisted dark modern day military romance, then is this is for you. This book was all kinds of dark and Moronova didn't shy away from the details all the times. You really feel the stakes throughout the book as well as the tension between Cameron and Emery so your heart really gets going when you read this book. I personally did not want to put it down.

Basically Cameron is a Black MMC, who you don't really know if he is going to protect her or kill her, which is really his MO for all the partners that he gets. I mean he tries to kill her in their very first meeting even though he was told not to. You cannot help for feel for him though, the more you get to know him as a character. What he goes through to prove his worth is absolutely crazy.

Emery is a contradiction a lot of the time. there are times when she is the badass killer and other times where she doesn't seem capable of it and she is more timid than I thought she would be. I'm still not sure if that is Moronova writing her that way to keep the people around Emery on their toes or if Moronova really didn't know which way she wanted to take Emery as a character.

This has trial and games that many people will like, but these games are super super high stakes, as in fail and you die kind of stakes as well as you may complete them and still die, so you really don't know which side characters are going to make it in the end. Plus, everyone is out there for themselves except for Cameron as his main trial is to keep Emery alive. This may be seen as an advantage but often it is not as it creates more of a target on there back.

This is the first book that I have read by Moronova and I know it wont be the last, I need to read more by her and I can't wait to pick up another book by her. Truly one for those who like things on the darker side.

Enjoy!!!

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Laurie Forest: The Iron Flower

In the second book in Laurie Forest's Witch Chronicles series, things are about to get dark and desperate for the resistance.

I don't know why this series has does not have more hype about it. Forest has created an interesting world, plot/story and characters that rivals some of the popular books out there. The book is fast paced and you're not sure where Forest is going to take the story or characters and it is quite a ride throughout. This book had some amazing highs and some horrible lows that you didn't quit know where Forest was going to take a reader next. 

I enjoyed that Forest takes this book to a lot darker place and shows the Vogel followers ramping up in their hatred of people who are different from them. Forest also lets readers know that none of the characters are really safe in her books, and when I read the third book in this series that knowledge is now going to keep me even more on the edge of my seat. This book is bleak at times and you have to wonder what will break Elloren and what will keep her going.

Elloren is an interesting character as she is far from perfect. She has power within her that she cannot access, she make assumptions about people and events often. This is really seen when she interacts with the Amaz and not taking the time to understand their culture and their beliefs. However, Elloren is truly empathic to those around her, fiercely protect as well and she is not afraid to admit that she was wrong or to ask for help. Elloren feels like a full character who is changing and developing as the series goes on.

I think my one criticism is that I wish there was more than just Elloren's POV. We do get a few chapters that are written in third person to set the stage for some events but there are not many of them.

I can't wait to read the third book in this series to see where Forest takes the characters and plot and what she has instore for the resistance next.

Enjoy!!!

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Stacy Willingham: Only if You're Lucky

Stacy Willingham takes you to College where you can reinvent yourself and hope your past doesn't catch up to you:

This is the third book that I have read by Willingham and all I can really say is that I was expecting more. I was expecting a more interesting and fast paced plot with dynamic characters that would draw me into their story. The book moved at such a slow pace and personally i was able to figure out one of the major twists right at the beginning. Does Willingham throw a few more in there for good measure, but it all comes in the latter part of the book, I'd say with 20% left, that I was already over the story

The only character that I did find interesting was Lucy. You can tell there is more to her, you can tell that she manipulates everyone around her and is glad to be doing it. She had way more personality than Margot does in the story, which is probably why Margot is drawn to her over and over again.

I liked the dual main two timelines. There is a third one in there as well but we get so few chapters from when Eliza was alive that I don't count it as a main aspect of the book. personally I would have loved from the Eliza time frame, as it may have sped up the pacing of the book a bit.

This book wasn't for me. I have read a few college psychological books and this just didn't add anything new to the ones that I had previously read and was way slower. I understand that these books are often character led but there needs to be some interesting plot points to hold it all together.

Cheers!!!

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Riley Sagar: The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager show that spying on your neighbours may cause more trouble that it's worth and even murder:

I have read quite a few of Sagar's books and I find that they are hit or miss for me, but i seem to still keep grabbing more so I continue to give them a try. I was 100% into this book and was so curious how Sagar was going to pull the plot together and what was actually happening across the lake but then he totally took me out of it. If you have read this book you’ll know what I’m talking about and I think it is one of those things that you either love or hate. Did I see it coming, No, but after reading several books by Sagar I didn’t think his books took those turns. 

I love an unreliable narrator, whether you know they are unreliable or not. This one you know that Casey is unreliable because she is an alcoholic. She starts drinking from when she wakes up, till she passes out for the night. This plays with her perception of events and the time frame of things. More often than not the events she witnesses are from the darkness of her deck as she is watching things unfold across the lake and how one interprets the things she seems. Once again she is an alcoholic so there are times when things really can be questioned. I find it just adds something more to the story as we question what can be true and what cannot.

I enjoyed the main two timelines and it had me turning the pages pretty fast to get to where they meet as Sagar does a great job of characters in the book all could have committed a crime. You even question has a crime even been committed against Katherine as that is how well Sagar has laid out the plot of the story.

So this book was not for me in the end, but I was enjoying it up to that one point/twist in the book. So I know that I will read more books by Sager (plus I have two more on my physical TBR shelf).

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Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Naturals

In the first of a YA series, the FBI is determined to start it's profilers early with some teenagers who show a certain type of promise.

I have seen books by Barnes for a few years now and I thought the premise sounded really interesting, plus I grew up watching Criminal Minds and this had a similar air to it. And this totally has criminal mind vibes except with teens as the main characters. Each character really has a counterpart that you can point out from Criminal Minds. As the characters are Teens, they do act like teens with what they say and the decisions that they make. I did not find the "case" that they are part of in this book that interesting and found that this book was more character driven than plot driven as I was expecting it to me. I think this was part of the reason I was able to figure it out as the plot/murderer was not the main point for most of the book and it made me wish it was a bit more complicated.

Cassie is a good character, and you cannot fault her for wanting to join the team as she is looking for who murdered her mother. It was interesting to see Barnes Spin of what a profile would be and how one could be as young as Cassie and Dean. 

This book has the love triangle that I find seems to happen a lot in YA books especially ones that were written in the early 2010 and to be honest the love triangle is just not my thing whether it is YA or adult book. I probably wouldn't have picked this up knowing that it was there as it very much has the two guys playing against each other fairly constantly in the book. You can tell that there is going be one almost from the beginning when Cassie meets the main to MMC that are in the Naturals program.

I think better for a YA audience than an adult one, which is totally fine, that is who this is written for. I don't think that I will continue on in the series, as this was good, but I was hoping for more.

Enjoy!!!

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Sangu Mandanna: A Witch's Guide to Magical Inkeeping

Sangu Mandana takes readers on a whimsical journey of a witch trying to reclaim the powers she lost.

I was really excited to return to Mandanna and the cozy witchy reads that she has created and I really wanted to love this as much as the first book in this series but if just fell flat a few times and I think this was through the pacing of the book. 

I loved idea for this plot of this story of Sera loosing her power and having to live without it but always looking for a way to get it back. She is trying to survive in a world of magic and those who have magic around her and now she has very little of her own. Sera tries to put on a brave face to the world around her but she wants nothing more than getting her magic back and is willing to go to great lengths to achieve it. She has defined herself by the magic she has and lost and can’t seem to see that she is great and thriving without it.

Luke is amazing. Such a great example of a man, he puts other’s needs over his own, will go above and beyond for those he loves especially his sister.

I didn't really feel the romance. To me Sera and Luke relationship lacked a spark and their relationship felt more of one of friendship than anything else. Which I would have been fine with Mandanna having it stay that way, I don’t really see the found family changing much by not having them in a relationship.

I appreciated the ending of where the book end up but i don't think that it will be for everyone.

Overall, this book is a darling read and I did enjoy it I just preferred The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches more. I hope that Mandanna continues to write in this cozy witchy world as I will be there to read them.

 Enjoy!!!

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Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti: Never Keep

In the first in a new series Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti show the lengths that two women will go to in order to prove their worth:

Now this book may be set in the same world or type of world as Zodiac Academy but it is completely different in all ways except for the ability based system. This one has more of an us or them feel to them based upon one's Zodiac Sign and Powers than ZA does. This also has a cult like feel to it at times not just within the power signs but all the aspects that surround the Reapers.

This book did not have me hooked from the beginning, I found it slow and especially Everest's POV. However, once they enter Never Keep the plot and intrigue really pick up that I found things flipped I preferred Everest's POV. 

Everest is resourceful, cunning, naive at times with her main goal in life just wanting to get her father's attention, love praise. You really feel for her in the moments when she interacts with her father. Vesper is basically the complete opposite of Everest except in one aspect. Vesper is strong, confident in who she is and where she wants to go in life. She has immense power and is willing to do anything to get and keep this power. The one thing that Vesper is looking for is love, she has her friends, but she wants more than that, even if she tries to hide it.

The world in this book is interesting, borders on confusing at the beginning of the book. We are really rushed into the world with not a lot of explanation. Why are all the different factions at war? What is the true reason for Never Keep? (maybe this one is answered in the later books), why is this profecy that they all speak of? The plot of this book is really based around the world, so that is why it can be confusing at times. I think once you look past the world as a whole and just focus on Never Keep things around the world become more manageable.

This book is Dark at times and let me say prepare yourself there are time when Peckham and Valenti do not pull their punches and I am here for it. The cliffhanger at the end of the book was amazing and will have you wanting to pick up the second book right away. 

This book exceeded my expectations and once I was able to get invested in both Characters and the plot picked up I did not want to put this book down. Peckham and Valenti truly know how to draw readers in and I look forward to seeing where they take this story and Everest and Vesper.

Enjoy!!!

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Juliette Cross: Firebird

In the first in a new series Juliette Cross, Where Dragon rule Rome and they are always looking for more power, more treasure, more riches:

This is the first book that I have read by Cross and I will 100% admit that I picked this book up due to the cover and then after reading the premise I thought it might be a good fit. This book was really hit and a partial miss for me. 

I'm a big fan of Dragons, though I will say I haven't read many Dragon Shifter books in the past, but I like that they had both their Human side and Dragon side to them. I enjoyed that there was different classes of Dragons, with each having a different ability and then there was just the humans who were seen as the lower class. I wish that there was more use of the Dragons within the book and that the battle scenes were drawn out more to create that action aspect.

I personally loved that this book took place during the Roman Empire and that those in charge are Dragons and the corruption that has occurred due to it. The political intrigue within this book had me. I wanted to know more about the rebellion that was being planned, how would it play out and would it resemble what happened in real like. I think that Cross did a good job of melding the harsher side of the Roman Empire and the fantasy aspect of the Dragons.

Now where I struggled with this book was the relationship between Malina and Julian. First i don't see this as a true enemies to loves book, more like slight hate to lovers and I just didn't feel the spark between them. It really just felt more like something of convenience than a full blown romance/relationship. The only time I think the Spark was felt was when Julian was in his dragon form.

I looking forward to seeing where Cross takes this series as it seem like the next book has a new FMC. I want to see how Cross is going to bring it all together, but so far I am totally here for the political intrigue more that the relationship.

 

Enjoy!!!!

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Tarryn Fisher: The Wrong Family

Tarryn Fisher takes you into a life of a family, where nothing is what it seems and perfect white fence isn't enough to keep secrets in:

This is the first book that I have read by Fisher it is a good domestic suspense book but it does take a little bit for the storyline to pick up but it is worth it. 

There were times when I thought I had this booked figured out Tarryn would throw in a twist I didn't see coming, but then at the same time some of the plot lines felt predictable. And wow there are quite a few plot lines that Fisher weaves throughout this book, that there are times that it feels like a bit too much, that I didn't really feel invested in Winnie story and really only focused on Juno's story, which is a shame as the the POV go back and fourth between the two of them.

I don't really think that I liked any of the characters in the book, but I don't think that you are supposed to especially when you start to know more and more about the main and secondary characters. I personally more invested in Juno's story, where she came from and what has lead her to living in Winnie's  home. You cannot help but feel for her especially in the present timeline, with what she is dealing with and you want to know what was lead her to live this life. 

The last 20% of this book are completely insane, like crazy insane, that I did not see it coming at all. I think the ending of the book is one you are either going to love or hat. I think from where this book started and where Fisher takes the book in the end, they feel almost like different books.

As this is the first book that I have read by Fisher, and I enjoyed that she was able to surprise me along the way. I look forward to reading more books by Fisher.

Enjoy!!!

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Deidra Duncan: Until I Die

Deidra Duncan shows what happens to a country when becomes so divided:

I'm a big dystopian lover, whether the book is in the midst of an apocalypse happening, going to happen or if things have already gone to Shit and we are in the dystopian future, I want to read it. There are several types of Dystopian out there but recently there seems to be a surge of them that are focusing on countries turning to more traditional values, especially for those who are elite and high up in the army. This can seem very pointed of the time of events and calls for returning to traditional values in the United States, which coincidently is where this book takes place.

First off I will say that I did enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the beginning and I was invested in the characters, the world the plot and I felt that Duncan did a great job of pulling the reader. 

This book is all about the relationship between Sophia and Lucas. You feel the pull between the two characters right from the first meeting even though things don’t go as either of them planned. You are in this story for them and that is about it, as there are not really any side characters that you get to know. I’m not sure what to think about Sophia, I liked her as a character but I felt like Duncan had her contradicting herself all the time and maybe that has something to do with the time shifts in the book but I just felt something off with the overall flow of her character.

My main problem with this book is that I feel like Duncan pulled too much from another resent release and that is Manacled/Alchemized by SinLinYu. And it begs the question of where does it become inspired by instead of plagiarism. When I first became aware of this book, in the premise it states that it is inspire by Alchemized as well as the Handmaids Tale, so the reader and I would think Duncan is aware that these similarities exist and may be called into question.

The similarities between these books and are quite vast that if you have read Manacled/Alchemized  you will recognize the scenes that Duncan has written in this book. They are not verbatim to fully suggest plagiarism but there is enough there at times where I would find myself thinking that I have read this scene before. Even from Sophia's curly unruly hair and her working as a medic in the resistance that you can draw the similarity to that of Hermonie/Helena. 

Now where I think that Duncan was a bit different from the books listed above is that I did find this book was darker at times and she takes the fights scenes to a little more extreme as she is not relying on magic. I think she could have pushed it a bit more at times, but I understand why she held back in certain places. Additionally Sophia's backstory is very different and we do get some glimpses of that, as well as her overall role within the resistance differs. I did find that the further you read into the book Duncan does move away from similarities to Manacled/Alchemized almost like she had found her footing in the story she wanted to create.

So Yes I enjoyed this book. I liked the tension that Duncan created in the book as well as the suspense, especially towards the end when you realize that no one is truly safe. I just struggle with the fact that I don't know where the line is for inspiration and when it crosses past that. Would I read another book by Duncan, I would but I, like many who read this book, may be scrutinizing it a bit more than I normally would. 

Enjoy!!!

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