RELEASE BLITZ: The Love Plot by Samantha Young

 

The Love Plot by Samantha Young is now live! 

There’s a magnetic attraction when a happy-go-lucky gig worker agrees to a fake relationship with a rich, uptight New Yorker in this steamy romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

Star Shine Meadows is all about freedom, thanks to the hippie parents who raised her. Juggling her jobs as a professional costume character actor and a line sitter, she believes in no expectations, no stressful ambitions, and no-strings-attached relationships. So when she meets a birthday girl’s grumpy uncle while working a princess party, she can’t help but needle him. She’ll never see him again, and honestly, he's pretty hot.

Rafe Whitman may be a veterinarian with a great bedside manner, but that doesn’t mean his patience extends to anyone with opposable thumbs. His family will not stop nagging him about finding “the one,” so when he runs into obnoxiously cheery Star again, he makes her an offer: He’ll pay her more than she would make doing her odd jobs if she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at family gatherings. She can stop sitting in line waiting for someone else’s new phone, and he’ll get his family off his back.

When the tension between them heats to a breaking point, Star’s desire for "no strings" is tested against Rafe’s staunch stability. They say opposites attract, after all....

  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3YX77f0

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/3m3mtjD

Nook: http://bit.ly/3xNWGi0

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3xLzRez

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3YEJhoN

Audible: http://bit.ly/3SzhkvH

Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3SnRv1q

Meet Samantha

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She's been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries.

She resides in Scotland.

 

Connect with Samantha

Website: http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/2FWgYdn

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2H47kEP

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamanthaYoung/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1520019958258238/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsamanthayoung/

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2D241eO

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/samyoungauthor/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorsamanthayoung

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/authorsamanthayoung

Review: Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a fun YA fantasy novel inspired by East Asian culture.  I do believe this is the beginning of a new series by the author.  This ends nicely and closes out this first adventure with Zhara and her companions, but sets us up well for the next installment.  There is still much to learn about the magic and the other characters but we aren't left with a huge cliffhanger.  I am interested to see where the story goes in the future.

This follows Zhara, a magician in hiding in a world where magic is forbidden.  Her father was executed for being a magician and her step mother has hidden her away.  She fills a sort of Cinderella role in her household doing the cooking and cleaning, but she also has a job outside of the home.  Her stepmother is not a nice person and treats both Zhara and her own daughter poorly.  Zhara doesn't know how to control her magic, so when she accidentally comes into contact with a secret organization that protects magicians and is trying to protect the people from a strange blight taking over the land she quickly learns that her magic might be the only thing that can save them.  She also has a chance encounter with an handsome boy, who isn't who he seems. Han's little brother is also a magician, and he is seeking the help of the Guardians of Dawn, the secret organization, to help protect his brother.  Han and Zhara quickly strike up a friendship that shows signs of turning into more.  They team up with the Guardians and other allies to figure out what is happening and figure out how they can save those with magic within the realm and prevent the blight from spreading.

This was a little on the slow paced side for my tastes.  This was a bit juvenile for my liking.  This is YA and the characters are teenager, but they read more like middle schoolers from their maturity and naivety at times.  Zhara is constantly giggling every time Han is around, and their romance was a bit cheesy.    This was definitely a case of I felt like I was not the audience for this book.  The magic system on the other hand was interesting and I enjoyed the plotline.  

View all my reviews

Review: On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This follows Everly, a plus sized artist who has lost her way after the death of her beloved grandmother.  Everly is a talented artist and she used to have big dreams.  Without her biggest cheerleader by her side, Everly has chosen to hide behind neutral colors and no longer take risks.  She can't fail if she never tries for anything beyond her perfectly average existence.  When someone nominates her for a reality TV show On the Plus Side that focuses on giving plus sized guests not only a wardrobe makeover but a life makeover, Everly is given the opportunity to revisit the girl she has hidden away and redefine her happiness.  

This was such a heartwarming book.  I loved going on Everly's journey of rediscovering herself and figuring out what she wants to do with her life.  I found her story to be very relatable, and I loved watching her go from feeling like she was "too much" to feeling just the right amount through the support of her friends and the sweet romance she developed with Logan.  I also loved that she got to define happiness for herself despite what she looked like.  No one should close themselves off to make other people feel comfortable, and she faced that on her journey.  It was so awesome to see her transform into someone who could advocate for herself in both personal and professional situations and throw caution to the wind a little bit here and there.  This had great banter and side characters to add some humor and fun to a book that deals with some heavy topics.

Overall, I really enjoyed this.  If you are a fan of the show What Not to Wear, this has a similar vibe.  I'm not a big reality TV show person, but I loved that show.  This had a fun romcom element, but also dealt with some very real issues.  This is my first book by the author but I'm looking forward to reading more!

View all my reviews

Review: In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery by M.L. Ortega

In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery by M.L. Ortega
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting cozy mystery. I was interested in picking this up after having read Shampoo & Condition by the author a few months ago. This is novella length (around 150 pages) and follows the same characters from the first book on another murder investigation. I don't believe you need to read the books in order, the the same characters are involved in unrelated cases. This reads like a standalone or what I consider a companion novel in a series.

This follows Jane and Maggie as they happen to find yet another dead body and insert themselves into the investigation. It almost felt like there were two different stories being told and they were connected by the victim.

Parts of this feel a bit far fetched, but if you like cozy mysteries you are here for the entertainment factor not the technical details of a police procedural. While this is pretty clean it does mention past trauma that Maggie experienced, so it may be triggering for some readers.

View all my reviews

Review: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I'm not really sure what I just read.  This book was one of those very confusing story within a story and you aren't really sure what is actually happening and what is happening to the characters and what is happening in the internal story.  This is told a bit out of order, which is not my preferred style of storytelling and it adds to the confusion of what is happening.  This seems to be a common trait with Wards books, Little Eve was also told with an out of order timeline.  This book also haphazardly switches points of view.  I'm all for misleading the reader in a thriller, but the random switching of narrator and the disjointed writing style didn't work for me.  I don't feel like all of elements came together in the end.

I found this to be very slow paced.  I prefer my thrillers to be more faced paced and action packed.  I never really got a suspenseful feeling from this, perhaps because I had no idea what was going on the entire time I was reading this.  There were a couple of interesting plot twists, but at no time did I ever feel that any of the characters were in any real danger from anything sinister.  There are some gruesome descriptions in the book in relation to some of the plot points.

This book isn't going to be for everyone, but I think some readers are going to absolutely love it.  If you are looking for a uniquely told coming of age thriller/horror novel I'd give this a try. If you liked Sundial or Little Eve I think you will enjoy this.  They both have elements that are similar in both the way the story is told and the atmosphere.

View all my reviews

Review: The Love Plot by Samantha Young

The Love Plot by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley from the author, the publisher, and Valentine PR. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

I'm torn between giving this 4 & 5 stars. This was such a wonderful book, I loved Star and Rafe!

Did you know you can pay people to sit in line for you? Well that's what Star does when she is not dressing up as a princess or another character for a party or event. Star doesn't want much in life other than to be happy. She makes enough from her 2 jobs to cover expenses and support her lifestyle, she has a great groups of friends that act as her family and she doesn't really need much more than that. Enter Rafe Whitman...he is a veterinarian who give Star all kinds of feelings that she is not interested in. Rafe makes a poor first impression on Star at his nieces birthday party where she is performing as a princess. Rafe has it all, the looks, a successful veterinary practice, a trust fun, what he doesn't have is a steady relationship. While that isn't an issue for him, it is an issue for his mother and his sister in law who keep playing matchmaker. Star is his opposite in every way, so he proposes that they fake date to keep his family off of his back. Star is of course hesitant at first, but it will support her dreams of travelling and she decides to go along with it.

Star and Rafe couldn't have come from more different family backgrounds and that quickly becomes clear as they being their fake relationship ruse. What neither of them expected is that they would actually like one another. Star quickly becomes friends with Rafe's younger sister Gigi who is fun and eclectic. Rafe who is typically grumpy starts to smile a bit more and have a little fun. Star was brought up to believe that traditional relationships aren't natural so when Rafe turns the tables on her, she wants to run for the hills. She also doesn't want to put a wedge between him and his family because her free spirited ways are so different from their traditional ones.

This had wonderful character development. We get to see Star go through quite a bit. Some of her turmoil was self-imposed while some was not. She was doing what she thought was the right thing, even though no one asked her to. She made changes to her appearance and lifestyle because she thought it would make things better for other people, when it made her and the people who loved her miserable in the end. This was such a good lesson in being yourself and not pretending to be someone else for someone else. The lack of communication about what was going on between our couple could have prevented some of this, but that is actually pretty realistic when it comes to relationships. How many times do you tell your partner "Its fine" when it really isn't?

I really loved this grumpy-sunshine, opposites attract romance. It had great banter, which is something I love about Samantha Young's books. This has a moderate spice level. There are some spicy scenes but they aren't over the top and they don't overtake the book. If you are a fan of the author or romance in general I think you are going to enjoy this. It is low on the angst factor and I really fell in love with the characters.

View all my reviews

RELEASE BLITZ: The Proposal by Adriana Locke

 

An unexpected proposal occurs when a Vegas oops marriage turns into a marriage of convenience between a rugby player and his best friend's little sister.

The Proposal by Adriana Locke is now live! 

Breaking News: Rugby’s bad boy marries his best friend’s little sister

If Renn Brewer would’ve asked me to marry him, I would’ve said no.

Why?

One, his reputation precedes him. His name is in the headlines at least once a month. Two, he’s not just my brother’s best friend. They’re teammates. And three, I’m in my self-care era. 

Unfortunately, a version of me equates self-care with bad choices.

The cocktail in my hand—similar to the one that got me into this situation—is the prettiest shade of pink. It’s almost the same color as the giant rock on my left hand. And instead of discussing an annulment, I’m considering a 90-day marriage of convenience to the man I accidentally married in Las Vegas.

Renn didn’t propose marriage. But he does deliver a proposal I might be unable to turn down.

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/43D5Snn

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheProposalAL

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3J9vq3t

Meet Adriana

USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author, Adriana Locke, writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows best—big families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.

She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.

Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.

 

Connect with Adriana 

Website: www.adrianalocke.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379774.Adriana_Locke

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Adriana-Locke/author/B00NPBY8FE/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksbyadrianalocke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoradrianalocke

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authoralocke

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrianalockewrites 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-locke

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoradrianalo

Other: https://www.youtube.com/adrianalocke

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/adrianalocke

   

Review: Legends & Lattes

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much!!!!  

I bought the ebook, prior to this getting picked up by Tor just as it was gaining momentum and the hype was building up.  For me it lived up to all of my expectations and all of the hype.  This was so wonderful.  Sometimes you need a heartwarming story and this was it!

While filled with fantasy characters, this is filled with a wonderful found family as Viv, a retired orc warrior, sets up a coffee shop in a small town.  No one has ever heard of coffee before, which was an interesting twist.  "Hot bean water" as Cal dubs it, is a major part of my morning routine, and I loved the wonder that coffee brought to Viv and the inhabitants of the town.  Baldree really captured the essence of a quaint coffee shop and the various types of patrons you get from the person who doesn't buy anything but works all day, to the struggling musician working for tips, and so many more.  Viv and her crew built a wonderful place to congregate and share a warm beverage and a delicious baked good.

This was such a lovely book!  I can't wait for the sequel.  My ebook is older so it doesn't have the short story, but I listened to the audiobook which does.  It gives some insight into Viv's discovery of coffee and the beginnings of her shop.  It was super cute as well.  Baldree is also a wonderful narrator.  

View all my reviews

Review: The Proposal by Adriana Locke

The Proposal by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Valentine PR, all opinions are my own.

This is a new standalone by Adriana so you can read it without having read any of her other series.  It does however mention other characters from other series but only one plays a major role.  If you have been keeping up with the Carmichael Family series, we finally get some information about the eldest and most elusive brother Foxx and what he does for a living.  Foxx's book comes out this fall which I'm super excited for, but you don't have to be caught up with that series to dive into this.  This has the potential to be another family series, which is what Adriana is best known for, and I hope a Brewer Family series is in the works!

On to the actual book...this follows Blakely on the even of her 30th birthday.  She and her bestie Ella are relaxing by the pool planning a night of debauchery in Las Vegas when her older brother and his best friend Renn crash their girls weekend.  Renn and Blakely have always been drawn to each other, but out of respect for her brother nothing more than flirting ever occurred.  No one is more surprised and Renn and Blakely when they wake up to news that they drunkenly got married the night before when they were left alone unsupervised.  Blakely wanted to do something big for her birthday, but that was not what she envisioned.

Blakely has been drug through the mud in the media from a past relationship, and Renn is rugby's bad boy.  While they have been friends for years and they are attracted to each other, marriage is not something either of them wanted out of this weekend let alone to each other.  When Renn proposes a honeymoon of sorts to get them out of the eyes of the media frenzy and to talk out their next steps, Blakely and Renn come up with a plan neither of them expected.  He proposes that they stay married to protect both of their images and pretend as if they are in love for atleast 90 days.  

This is one of Addy's spicier books.  Renn lives up to his bad boy reputation in everyway, and Blakely is there for it.  At the same time, he is respectful of her needs and feelings.  He doesn't pressure her into doing things she doesn't want to do, and he does his best to protect her from the vultures that are trying to exploit them and their new relationship.  I enjoyed getting to see the interaction of the Brewer family.  There are some tense moments between them and the family dynamics are unlike any that I've seen the author write before.  I also loved the relationship between Ella and Blakely and Blakely and her brother Brock.   There are some angsty moments, but they are quickly resolved.

As I mentioned, I do hope this is the beginning of a new series focused on the Brewer family.  If not I always look forward to anything Adriana writes.  

View all my reviews

Review: The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir

The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir by Kendrick Perkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I opted to listen to the final publication version of the audiobook.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Let me preface this by saying I don't know Kendrick Perkins, nor have I followed his career.  I watch a lot of college basketball, but my son and husband who follow sports a lot more closely know who he is.  That being said I don't really have much of an opinion on him as a player or TV/social media personality.  I've never seen him play or watched him on TV.  

This is not typically the type of book that I read, but I did gain some insight into Kendrick Perkins as a person and his journey through the NBA.  I thought it was really interesting to see his perspective of what it is like on the inside and who some of his best friends and mentors/mentees where.  We get to see many of the people he mentioned on TV and what the media tells us about them through their game play, paparazzi stories, and brand sponsorships but we never get to know them personally.  Perkins gives us some insight into what these players are both on and off the court on a more personal level.  At the end of the day they are all working hard to  play the game they love, and many of them are good friends despite what the media will have you believe.

This is more than a book about basketball and Kendrick Perkins and his journey.  It goes much deeper into racial issues in the United States.  As with any non-fiction book that I read especially those that delve into social commentary that mentions historical or current issues, I would have liked a list of references so that I can continue to educate myself on the issues at hand and learn.  

The narrator did a good job conveying the information that Perkins and Rogoff wanted you to know.  I'm not a big memoir/biography person in general and I gained some information about a person I knew nothing about previously.  I think fans of Perkins will really enjoy this.  

View all my reviews

Review: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Do you like scientifically accurate horror?  If so this is a wonderful mashup of sci-fi and horror rolled into one emotionally charged novel.  This is so much more than a book about a boy who gets swallowed by a whale.  

This follows Jay, a 17 year old diver in search of the remains of his father.  Jay's family is still grieving the loss of his father a year after he took his last dive, and Jay hopes that if he gives them something to bury it will give them all a bit of closure.  Jay didn't have the best relationship with his dad, but he quickly learns that everything his dad taught him about diving and the ocean is going to be very helpful on this dive.  Jay's dive begins smoothly but quickly turns terrifying as he encounters a giant squid and the sperm whale looking for lunch.  Using all of the knowledge he gained under his father, Jay must fight his way out of the belly of the beast with only about an hour of air left in his tank and only the resources he has within reach.

This book was suspenseful and atmospheric.  Kraus really captured the whales anatomy in amazing detail.  You really felt like you were trapped in the whale with Jay.  If you don't like gory detail and don't want to know what the inside of a whale potentially looks like, stay away from this book.  He goes into exquisite detail and there is plenty of blood and guts, he is inside a whale after all.  I don't know much about diving or the biology of whales, but it is clear that the author did his homework and there is nothing that I appreciate more than a well researched book!  I also really liked how he captured the father son dynamic.  Jay didn't always appreciate what his dad, Mitt was trying to teach him but it sure came in handy when he needed it.    It also made for a good backdrop for Jay's slow descent into madness.  There were times I wasn't sure if he was actually inside the whale or if he was having a mental breakdown from his dive and dreamt it all.  I really enjoyed getting to know Mitt and Jay and how their relationship developed into what it was and how this event tackles allows Jay to tackle the grief and anger he feels now that his father is gone.

This is my first Daniel Kraus book, but it certainly won't be my last.  I really loved this and highly recommend it!

View all my reviews

Review: Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received both print and audio ARCs of this book via Netgalley. I mainly listened to the audiobook because I listened to The Night Swim prior to diving into this book and loved the narration. This follows a similar narrative but adds a male narrator in addition to the 2 female narrators. Rachel does a special report in this book versus a podcast.

You do not have to read Night Swim prior to reading this book. They are unrelated in content, but the style of the storytelling is similar. If you didn't like the way Night Swim was told, you probably won't like this as it has the same style with the special report mixed in with development of the plot. This does not feature a court room trial, so if you enjoyed that aspect it is missing here. I however really enjoyed the way the story was told, and looked forward to the special report segments. They delivered information that you didn't get from the regular chapters while summarizing information we already knew about the crime.

This installment follows Rachel as she is called in by the FBI to speak with an inmate who is about to be released from prison. Terrence Bailey is long suspected of murdering 6 women, but police were never able to prove it. They were able to get him on breaking and entering. As his release from prison looms, he receives a surprise visit from a popular influencer who then suspiciously diappears. People who know her don't think much about it as she is known to go off the grid periodically. Rachel's name popped up in their conversation, and the FBI want her to find out how she is connected to Terrence and the missing girl. Rachel's conversation with Terrence doesn't go well, prompting the FBI to think she may be in danger when he leaves prison in a few days.

Ever the investigative journalist, Rachel finds herself in the middle of the investigation for the missing girl, Maddison. In an attempt to find out more information about the missing girl, Rachel attends BuzzCon, a post influence conference that Maddison was supposed to attend. Rachel doesn't find Maddison at the conference, but she does uncover information that lead her and FBI Agent Joe to clues that they missed early on in the investigation. I don't want to spoil things, but I really enjoyed how the story unfolded. As with the previous book, I thought Goldin did a good job capturing the life of an influencer accurately in the "Instagram vs reality" conversations as well as the conversations about how cut throat and callous some influencers can be. The personas you see on the internet aren't always the real person.

This was just as entertaining as the first book, though not quite as suspenseful. I never really felt that Rachel was in real danger. I did think that the police and FBI made it way to easy for Rachel to gain access to case information. The plot is a bit predictable at times and I had some things figured out early on. Despite that, I still enjoyed the experience.
View all my reviews

Review: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a tough book to get through. If you have triggers for SA, I'd steer clear of this one. This follow Rachel Krall, a popular true crime podcaster who has successfully solved a cold case and uncovered evidence to set an innocent man free. Her skills as a journalist come in handy when she is investigating and researching new information for her podcast.

In her latest season she finds herself in a small town as a divisive court case is about to kick off. The local golden boy has been accused of assaulting's a local girl after a party. In addition to investigating the trial for the podcast, Rachel keeps getting mysterious letters about another girl who was assaulted and murdered 25 years ago. The letter writer is the younger sister who wants justice and closure for her sister Jenny. Jenny was slandered and painted as troubled, but her sister knows that there is more to the story and she hopes that Rachel can help uncover the truth.

I listened to the audiobook of this and it was so well done. We get chapters of Rachel's podcast as the trial unfolds and she does a good job staying objective, presenting the facts for both sides as she uncovers them. We also get chapters about Rachel's time investigating the trial and what happened to Jenny as she receives more letters and becomes invested in what truly happened all those years ago.

As I mentioned this is a tough read. The author does a wonderful job brining the emotion of a trial like this to the front while also hitting hard on the truth of assault cases like this. She brings forth facts about women who are assaulted and why they don't report. She goes into detail about the shame the victim feels about being attacked, reporting the attack, being examined, and going to trail. In the end it is he said she said, and at the hands of 12 people that may or may not believe her despite the evidence and the laws of the state she lives in. The defense will do everything it can to undermine her. Unfortunately this is factually accurate, I was an assault advocate and the things these women have to go through is awful and traumatizing. They are traumatized multiple times in their quest for justice and Goldin captured that. I also really liked how the two timelines finally came together as Rachel investigated both cases.

I picked this up because I have an ARC of Dark Corners and I wanted to read this in the event that there is any related content. I'm glad I did because despite the tough content, the execution was spot on. I'm looking forward to reading Dark Corners and seeing what Rachel gets up to next. As I sit down to write this review, I've just finished Dark Corners and you can read them in either order. Rachel investigates a completely unrelated case but the storytelling style is similar.

View all my reviews

Review: Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both the audio and print  ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was an interesting domestic thriller.  It follows mother and daughter Ruth and Catherine through their daily lives.  As we get to know them it quickly becomes clear that Ruth is hiding something.  Ruth has always been closed off about her past, and as Catherine is ready to spread her wings as a new college graduate and start her career as a nurse she is more curious than ever about her mom's past.  What she doesn't know is that Ruth has carefully cultivated a life to protect herself and Catherine from the past that she is so desperately hiding from.  She will do anything to keep Catherine close until she is 100% sure she will be safe from people and events that happened in her past.  As the book unfolds we find out the lengths that Ruth is willing to go to to protect her daughter, and how far her daughter is willing to go to find the truth about her mother.

There were some situations that were a bit "unbelievable".  I thought it was pretty unrealistic that Catherine wasn't able to figure out her mother's ruse a little more quickly, but overall the storyline was interesting.  There were some good twists and turns, but I didn't find this to have high level of suspense.  This may have some triggering content for some readers.  This is an interesting story of the mother daughter relationship as well as nature vs nature.  

As for the audio narration, I thought the narrator did a good job.   I would have liked a bit more differentiation between Ruth's voice and Catherine's voice as the book is told from both of their perspectives.  It was a bit difficult to tell which woman was at the center of the chapter with only one voice telling the story.   I feel the audiobook would have benefitted from a 2nd narrator or if Mara would have been able to voice once of the characters a bit differently.

View all my reviews

Review: Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin

Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for letting me read all of Rachel Griffin's books early, I have loved them all!

If you have enjoyed Griffin's previous YA books featuring witchy romances, you are going to enjoy this as well.  This is a standalone, so you don't have to read her previous books, but if you have you will see similar themes of nature, magic and romance woven into the story.  It by no means is a duplicate of the author's previous works.

This follows Tana, daughter of the leader of the local witch coven who's fate and future have been decided for her.  Her parents arranged her marriage when she was a child in order to protect the coven's way of life and the island they inhabit.  Witches and magic were once feared, and some of the mainlanders (non magic users) still fear them.  Tana has always put her duty to her coven before anything else.  When she meets a boy who isn't supposed to exist, who can practice magic that isn't allowed she begins to question everything she knows.  For once in her life she learns what it feels like to make decisions for herself and be a little bit selfish.  She also learns that this may upset the balance that her family and coven have worked so hard to create to provide a safe place for the coven and the people she loves.  

I really enjoyed Tana's journey of self discovery.  She was always a little wild and reckless and didn't really fit in, but she was loyal and obedient out of respect and duty to her parents and community.  When she finally found a place that fit, she went for it even though her actions had consequences, but she weighed the options and made a decision.  Despite the pressure put on her and the lies and betrayal surrounding her situation, Tana never lost sight of wanting to protect the island and the people on it.

This is geared toward the young adult reader, so there is some foul language and mentions of physical intimacy but nothing beyond kissing is described in much detail.  Everything is fade to black and behind closed doors so this would be acceptable for a mature young reader and teenagers.

View all my reviews