Review: The Gatekeeper by James Byrne

The Gatekeeper by James Byrne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a paperback ARC of this ages ago from Minotaur books. I'm not sure if I requested it or won it in a giveaway, but I never got around to reading it, I borrowed the audiobook from the library recently because it fit a prompt for one of the annual reading challenges I do. This isn't my normal genre, which is why I never felt an urge to pick it up. I'm so glad I finally picked this up! This is the first book in series that follows a retired former special forces mercenary. This was action packed and pretty funny.

This follows Dez, who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but fortunately he is the right guy for the situation. Dez is a former special forces mercenary who gets caught up in the politics and legal manipulations of a major military contractor. He just happens to have the skills to uncover and protect his charge, the daughter of the CEO who happens to be in line to take over the company and in charge of the legal department.

If you are a fan of The Terminal List, Jack Reacher, etc I think this would be a good one to pick up though this is a bit more light-hearted Dez is tough and protective, but he is also a musician and has a sense of humor and is always cracking jokes or makes light of situations in his inner monologues. I often lose interest in military type thrillers as they are too serious, but this was fun and funny which kept me interested. I was able to connect with the characters as they felt like real people not just unrealistic military superheroes dealing with crazy situations. Dez is a charming character, and that alone has me wanting to continue with the series. As he and Petra uncover the sinister plot surrounding her famly business, Dez also uncovers a much darker conspiracy that includes murder, politics, and so much more.

This was fun and action packed and while I'm sorry it took me so long to pick it up, I'm glad that there are more books in the series now for me to read.

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Review: I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan

I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

If you enjoy non-fiction of the medical or scientific nature give this one a read.  It is easy to follow and doesn't contain a ton of terminology a layperson like myself is unable to follow.  Kaplan, a scientist in his own right, who has turned to journalism writes about those who chose to challenge the status quo in their fields of expertise and where shunned for it only to be proven correct later on.  In some cases those brave souls were give credit for their findings, in others they never saw their ideas and findings do the good in their field.

Kaplans spends a good deal of time focusing on bias that is still present today in archeology, medicine, science, and other industry.  If you don't come from the "right" background and look like everyone else you can't possibly know what you are talking about.  Many women, and people of color (men and women), those of different religions backgrounds, or from different countries, etc, are still not respected despite how much education or expertise they possess in a field and are ridiculed and held back from making breakthroughs because it may bruise the ego of someone higher up the chain or challenge the status quo.  Kaplan points out the science and medicine have been held back for years because scientists and doctors don't like to be told that they are wrong and are slow to adapt to new methods that may produce better results.

I found this fascinating and was shocked to see that the hostility and bias that was present back in the days of Galileo is still rampant today across the world.  The scientific community hasn't learned it's lesson or grown from the many amazing discoveries that have been made from the diversity of minds and diversity of thought that have been brought forth since that time.  While marginally better the fact that any sort of racism, sexism, or -ism in any form is still occurring is unacceptable.  I think of all of the diseases that could have been cured or breakthroughs in medicine if that we could have had if humans weren't so stubborn, selfish and mean to one another.  While humanity has come along way, there is still much work to be done.

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Review: The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinion are my own.  

This was so creepy and intense, I don't usually have to take breaks from horror books, but I had to put this down and read something while I was reading this.  I'm not sure how to classify what type of horror book this is.  While this does have some paranormal/magical realism (I think), I think I would classify this more in the social horror category.  Morrow's books tend to fall in that space and this one is an unsettling commentary on religion, power dynamics, misogyny, morality, and more.

Mavis was brought what I would consider by two religious zealots.  She never could quite live up to her parents expectations, and when she didn't marry the man they wanted their judgement and guilt trips become almost unbearable.  When she finally gets married and breaks away from their church, she is still harshly judged, but Mavis is able to gain a bit of control over her life or so she thinks.  Now seven years into her marriage, she suspects that something is wrong and takes things into her own hands.  Her choices and actions lead her down a path of gruesome attacks on herself and her marriage that have her turning back to the two people she least wants advice from.  

This book was unexpected, and while Mavis seems naive at times and you are often left asking "what did you think would happen?"  Her upbringing and desire to please lead to a reckoning when she finally lets her rage out and she has to come to terms with the consequences.  The ending was equally unexpected, but it fits the story perfectly.  This felt like a fever dream the whole time where you weren't sure if Mavis was actually experiencing what was going on or if was all made up.  It had moments of "gore" but they weren't over the top, most of the horror was phycological and trauma based as Mavis comes to terms with what is going on and the things she has experienced and been told to accept.  I'm not usually one for religious or cult horror but this was dark and creepy in the best way!

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Review: After the Fall by Edward Ashton

After the Fall by Edward Ashton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the latest standalone from Ashton, which I was really looking forward to after having really enjoyed the Mickey 7 duology and The Fourth Consort.  This didn't have the action and humor of the previous books I've read.  It did have the unlikely relationships we've come to see in Aston's work

This follows John, who I would describe as an indentured servant or pet to Martok, an alien from the species that no dominates Earth after The Fall over 100 years ago.  Martok treats John like a beloved puppy than a bully.  Martok treats him well and has never harmed him, but when a great opportunity comes up he puts John's bond up as collateral for his latest investment.  Martok is not known for making good choices which has left the pair homeless and broke, so naturally John is concerned for his future.  Upon arrival at their new investment property, Martok, John and their newly acquired bond Six hope to turn the place into a retreat where the wealthy can relax.  

I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  This takes a much more philosophical turn and begs the question of who is more deserving of rights in society?  I would like to reread this when I am in a different headspace, as those questions are worth pondering but I was not in the right place to think about those questions when reading this.  Sometimes its the right book at the right time.  The premise was interesting as were the characters and the concept of Earth at the time.  The concept of feral humans and aliens who conquered earth was fascinating.  Martok was also a very unique character, who added some humor to the storyline.

The narration was very well done.  The narrator did a great job with giving Martok, John, Six, and all of the other characters life in this future world.

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Review: The Marriage Bet by Olivia Hayle

The Marriage Bet by Olivia Hayle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book by the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book in The Billionaire Games series, however you can read it as a standalone.  This is a 4 part series of interconnected standalones following four wealthy friends who find love with unlikely partners.  This is a true enemies to lovers, where business rivals marry because it will save her business.  If they can make the media believe they are truly in love, she can save her company and make it the successful brand it once was.  Rafe is a successful business man with a track record and for helping luxury businesses succeed on the business side so they can focus on their craftsmanship and artistry.  Paige expects him to gut her company and stomp on the legacy her parents and grandparent left behind for for her to lead.  Unfortunately her uncle has already started the company down that road already, and with Rafe's help she just might be able to save the company she loves and find love herself.

I love the banter between Rafe and Paige.  They were so cold to each other in the beginning, but you could feel that tension was going to turn into attraction eventually.  I loved all of the outlandish things Paige would do to push Rafe's buttons and annoy him.  I also enjoyed watching them connect when it came to past trauma.  They realized that underneath their business deals and competitive natures, they could actually connect and support each other on a human level that no one else could understand.  Their chemistry builds slowly as does their true relationship, so when they finally admit their feelings it is no surprise as they've been getting to know one another for quite sometime while "pretending" to be a couple madly in love.

I also really enjoyed seeing the friend group again and getting to know them a bit more.  The group chats are always entertaining between the guys, and I'm looking forward to James' story later this year.

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Review: Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux

Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Blue Swan series, I do no recommend reading this as a standalone.  You really do need to read [book:Order of Swans: A Novel|211665659] first to understand what is going on and who all of the characters are.  

The series is set on another planet, where fairy tales are real and certain people have the power to alter them.  In this installment we mainly follow Princess Aradella as she hides in plain sight under her evil aunt's rule as queen.  Queen Olina is the quintessential evil queen from every fairy tale, she wants to be the most powerful, the smartest, the most beautiful, etc. so of course she makes up crazy proclamations to ensure that Aradella never takes the throne as the true heir.  Aradella teams up with Kaley, Tanek, and Mekos, who we met in the first book to escape an arranged marriage to a horrible prince and take back her kingdom.  She has been pretending to be plain and meek to escape the notice of her aunt, but there are many changes she would like to make once she takes the throne.  With the help of her new friends and her new found confidence she just may be able to take back what is rightfully hers.

While this follows Aradella and Mekos' journey and love story, we also can't forget about Kaley and her ability to connect with fairy tales.  As she was studying fairy tales back on Earth her knowledge of the tales gives her the ability to understand and influence situations when a tale is taking over.  Her relationship with Tanek and the other people she has met along her journey continues to develop as she learns more about her background and the planet of Bellis.

I enjoyed this series as a whole and this book wraps things up nicely.  

The audiobook was very well narrated.  The narrator does a great job distinguishing between the many characters and conveying emotion throughout the book.

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Review: The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

At it's heart this is a beautiful story about grief and love.  Our female main character, Aurora is terrified to love anyone after seeing her mother fall to pieces after her father passed.  She loves her family, but when it comes to relationships she never wants to feel that kind of loss.  Our male lead, the Starmaker, has lived for a very long time and has become numb to losing people and has long learned to stop caring about those around him as while he has been gifted an immortal life with many comforts one of the curses is outliving those around him.  When Aurora discovers that she is to be the next Starmaker, she has a hard time coming to terms with what that means and why she was chosen.  As she trains with the Starmaker, they both must come to terms with mortality, immortality, loss, grief, love, and what it means to truly live.

The world building in this was fantastic.  The descriptions of the landscape, the animals, and the emotions of the characters was excellent.  I loved the story of the Sun and the Starmaker that is at the heart of the story.  The concept of the town and pulling in the light each day was really unique.  Unfortunately, I didn't feel the chemistry between our two main characters which is essential for me to connect with the romantic aspects of a story.  It did eventually click towards the end, but I didn't feel the yearning.  Aurora's insufferable attitude also turned me off to her character for much of the book, though she did redeem herself in the end.

Overall this was a unique story that starts off slow and builds to a satisfying end.  It has emotional ups and downs as it deals with some heavy topics.  This features Griffin's beautiful writing style and as always I look forward to reading whatever she writes in the future.

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