Review: Honey by Isabel Banta

Honey by Isabel Banta
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ebook and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  The audio narration was really well done and I enjoyed the song lyrics and interviews that were interspersed throughout giving it a multimedia feel.  I would have liked if the lyrics were sung instead of spoken since this is a book about her singing, but I also understand that may not have been possible.

This is not normally the type of book I go for, but it was very well written and too me back to my youth when boy bands and pop princesses were all the rage.   I was high school and college aged in the late 90's and early 2000s when Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Britney Spears were the up and coming single female acts and NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys were the all the rage.  The ladies were also pitted against the media all the time for different reasons.  I'm sure there were others but those are the ones the immediately spring to mind when I think back to that time and how they were portrayed in the media and as I was reading Amber's story.

Amber is our main character and this is told from her perspective as she seeks a solo career as a female pop star.  She was discovered at an early age by a talent agent and struggled to break onto the scene among the other stars at the time.  She has the talent, but she struggles to find her voice in other ways to find real success.  She also struggles to find support, friendship, and love as she tours and tries to build a fan base.  

This very much an adult book as it deals with some very adult topics like drugs, alcohol, and sex throughout the book as Amber faces all of those as she tours.  While she is comfortable in her own skin, she is over sexualized by her label at a young age, while the other girls her age are able to hold onto their innocence a bit longer.  She is called nasty names by the media and doesn't have much support to deal with the negativity of the media and the loneliness that develops when she's on tour for months at a time.  She also has issues with her self-worth and connecting with people and building real relationships.  

This was very well written and if you are a fan of pop music this reads almost like a memoir despite it being fiction.  I really appreciated Amber's character development as the story progressed.  This deals with alot of heavy topics, so I'd look up some trigger warnings ahead of time.

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Review: Devil Is Fine by John Vercher

Devil Is Fine by John Vercher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both a digital and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  The audiobook is wonderful, I highly recommend it!  Dion Graham does a wonderful job with the narration, giving each character a distinct voice and delivering on the emotion.

This was quite a moving and emotional story.  It deals with some very heavy topics, so make sure you check trigger warnings before diving in.  I'm not sure my review will do this book justice, but I'll try my best.

This follows our main character in the wake of his teenage son's death.  He and his son Malcom had a bit of a combative relationship, and our narrator struggles with his choices as a father and a man after Malcom's passing.  His struggles increase when he finds that Malcom was set to inherit a large plot of land from his own estranged grandfather, as next of kin it is his to deal with.  He intends to sell the land but comes to find that it has historical significance and further causes our narrator to struggle with his biracial identity.  

As I was reading this I was reminded of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred, this is told in jumps between the past and the present.  Vercher blurs the lines of reality and uses time jumps in such an interesting way.  You can't tell if our main character is actually experiencing what is described to the reader or if he is hallucinating from a cocktail of bourbon and medication.  Either way the things he is experiencing is horrifying and makes him question everything.

I thought this book was beautifully done.  There is a bit of magical realism, and you aren't sure exactly what is happening or if it is happening at all.  Our main character is dealing with alot, and it really makes you think about racism, religion, parenting, grief, and so much more.  Books told from a more stream of consciousness format are hit or miss for me, but it really works well in this book.  It is as if he is having a casual conversation with you about his life as it unfolds.  I also tend to shy away from books about loss of a child, as a mom it hits a bit close to the heart, but this is so well written and engaging.  I do highly recommend it!

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Review: Looking for Smoke by K. A. Cobell

Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  I did however end up listening to the final publication version of the audiobook.  I highly recommend the audiobook, as it is narrated by a full cast, which really helps bring the story together.

This follows four teenagers in the wake of one of their own being murdered.  As the murder investigation proceeds, it looks like it may be connected to another murder victim.  All four teens band together to try to figure out what is going on and how Rayanne and Samantha's murders are connected.  As we get to know the characters it is clear that everyone is hiding something, while they may not be the murderer they each have a secret that could ruin them.  During the course of the investigation, everyone is a suspect and you aren't really sure who to point the finger at until the very end.  The way the story was told was engaging and kept me on my toes wanting to know what was going to happen next.

This book while fictional shines a light on very real issues within the Native American community.  There is very real issue with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, drugs, violence, and a broken justice system.  I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.  It is perfect for teen readers as there isn't anything overly graphic in the book, but I think readers of all ages will enjoy it.  

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Review: There Is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore

There Is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I loved the Graceling series by the author, so I jumped on the chance to read her latest book.  I didn't even read the synopsis, which I should have.  This is nothing like Graceling.  T This is a magical realism book set during the COVID pandemic and the 2020 election.  Both of those topics a bit too raw, and the 2024 election is looking to have the same candidates run.  This book focused on a time I'd rather forget, and is heavily politicized.  I don't think I would have picked this book up had I known how politically focused it was.  

I thought the author did a good job expressing Wilhelmina's emotions through the pandemic regarding anger, jealousy, grief, chronic pain, and loss.  She wasn't coping well with any of her feelings, and I think that was pretty true for many of us as we navigated the pandemic.  The book is told in alternating timelines that eventually bring her story together with all of the strange things that have been happening to her and make her face that she isn't OK.  I can understand and appreciate why the author wrote this book as a way of coping with what we all went through especially the stress, grief, and trauma many experienced.  I hope that readers can relate to Wilhelmina and the journey she goes on.

Overall I do think this was well written, but this one wasn't my favorite by the author.  Readers are either really going to connect with the main character and the journey she is going on or they aren't going to like her at all.  Perhaps younger readers will relate to Wilhelmina a bit better than I did.  The timeline jumps are either going to be to your preference or not.   This book is very heavily politicized, and I prefer to keep real life politics out of my fiction.  I have my opinions, but I part of the reason I read is to escape real life, and this book put me right back into the center of several very hard years.   

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Review: Truth or Wolf by Anne Marsh

Truth or Wolf by Anne Marsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This is a slow burn paranormal reimagining of Penny Reid’s Winston Brother’s series, fans of the original series will see the similarities between Green Valley and Moonlight Valley.  Instead of Winston’s we have Boone’s a family of werewolf shifting brothers who run an animal rescue business and each resemble one of the Winston.  Ford Boone is a partner in the family business and he has been in love with Alice Aymes since they were teenagers.  She on the other hand thinks she is in love with his identical twin.  Ford and Alice have always fought when she came to visit her Aunt Sally.  Now that they are both adults and she has returned to town to deal with her Aunt’s estate their enemies to lovers dynamic picks up where they left off as teens.  Alice realizes that she has always been attracted to Ford, and he admits his feelings for her.  

As Ford and Alice agree to pursue a relationship of sorts with each other, they both have to deal with some unexpected emotions about relationships.  They are both planners, and they both have some hang-ups when it comes to commitments.  Alice has big plans for her life and they don't have her staying in Moonlight Valley forever.  Ford knows that Alices is his one and only, but he knows that she is going to leave and break his heart one day, so he doesn't go all in on the relationship.  He also has some dealings with some unsavory characters that he is trying to protect her and his brothers from.  I loved the interactions and conversations they had.  They had good banter and this was really funny at times.  

Overall I think this was a fun reimagining and I enjoyed the paranormal twist.  I do think it was a tad on the long side in my opinion.  

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Review: Pulse by Adriana Locke

Pulse by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an audible code via the author via Valentine PR, all opinions are my own.

This does read as a complete standalone, however it does mention characters previously mentioned in other books. It isn't necessary to read any of the previous books to follow along here. Longtime fans of the author have been asking for Troy's story for years, and now he has finally gotten a starring role.

I loved Troy and Dahlia, they had great chemistry. Dahlia and Troy work together at Landry Security, which if you have read some of Adriana's other books you will have noticed it mentioned. She receives a very disturbing and threatening email indicating that she may have a stalker. Troy is between bodyguard assignments and is due for a vacation, so when his favorite assistant is threatened he decides to finally take some time off and take her with him. Dahlia thinks her ex is behind it and doesn't think she needs a security detail, but Troy and their boss decide she needs to get away for a few days while they figure things out. She and Troy are left to their own devices for a few days and sparks fly. She is a ball of energy and she doesn't put up with much, while Troy is a complete grumpy alpha protector. They offset each other nicely in this fast paced story. This has a nice little suspense element to it, and I hope we get more romantic suspense in the future from the author.

If you are looking for a spicy book, this delivers. This is definitely NSFW, so make sure you have headphones handy or are in a place where you can listen to racy scenes because some of them are downright dirty. The narrators both did an excellent job.

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Review: Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire

Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  I really enjoyed the narrator and her ability to voice all of the many different characters we encountered in this book.

This is the 3rd book in the series, and I do no recommend reading it as a standalone.  While this introduces several new characters and this focuses on the murder mystery they are involved in, there are underlying themes and explanations that you are going to need to understand first.  We are reunited with Roger and Dodger in this installment and to really understand who they are and what their purpose is you are going to need to read Middlegame and Seasonal Fears in order.

As mentioned this introduces several new characters, which I found hard to keep track of at times. A few of our new characters are lunar gods, each of whom have 2 personalities inside one body.  It took me quite a while to keep track of all of the new lunar deities and how that all worked, but it was a really interesting concept.  McGuire always ties the novel to some type of lore, and in this one it was various mythology related to the moon.  When one of the dieties is found murdered the other lunar gods/godesses band together to solver her murder and find out what is going on.  This leads them down an alchemical rabbit hole of strange occurrences and interactions.  We are reunited with Roger and Dodger and The Impossible City as they try to solve the mystery and stop the alchemists from taking over the city.

I feel like this is a series I need to read from beginning to end again to really grasp the entire premise.  This particular book had alot going on and I found it confusing at times.  I felt the same way about Middlegame.  I think if there is another book in the series I would want to reread all the books again to really grasp all of the concepts before diving in again.  That being said this book was still enjoyable, and the worldbuilding was great.  

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AUDIO RELEASE BLITZ: Pulse by Adriana Locke

 

Pulse by Adriana Locke is now live in audio! 

USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke delivers a spicy, age gap, grumpy sunshine, workplace romance in the first book in the brand new Landry Security series. 

Troy Castelli acts like it’s my fault that we’re cooped up together in a room with one bed overlooking the ocean. I didn’t ask for a stalker to break into my house and then send me a threatening email detailing my demise. And I sure as heck didn’t request that my boss send Troy and his uber elite bodyguard skills to accompany me out of town—although I’m not mad about it. 

A paid tropical vacation with a grumpy, gray-eyed bad boy in a suit isn’t exactly a burden. 

But it is a giant test of my willpower. 

Troy’s alpha protector tendencies drive me wild. His arrogant smirk gets under my skin. But it’s his not-so-innocent touches, heated looks and touch-her-and-die vibes that are the final strike that ignite our explosive chemistry.  

The longer we’re together, the more his broody exterior slips, and I get a glimpse of the real man beneath the sculpted muscles. I’m determined not only to unearth his mysterious past but also to make him realize what we have is more than just a fling in paradise.

That is, unless my stalker gets me first.

  Download today and listen with Amazon and Apple!

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0D5J4G2RS

Apple: https://bit.ly/pulseaudioapple

Narrated by: Connor Brown & CJ Bloom

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VphWqM

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

The author narrates the book, and he is wonderful. He does a ton of different character voices for all of the different robot characters. He really knocked this one out of the park with all of the different accents.

I loved Charles/UnCharles! I think fans of the Murderbot Diaries will really enjoy this, it has that same balance of humor and social commentary with a charming robot main character. It isn't exactly the same but it has some of the same concepts about finding one's purpose and self-awareness. UnCharles is no SecUnit, but I still think fans of one will enjoy the other.

This follows our quirky main character Charles, a valet robot who lives to serve his human master. When he finds his human master murdered his programming will not let him stop until he finds a new master to valet for. He embarks on a journey to determine if he is defective and meets with all manner of robot along the way. Now that he has no purpose he is known as UnCharles, until he is reassigned to a new position. His main companion is "The Wonk", a misunderstood character who is always encouraging UnCharles to be happy and go against his programming which is a major theme of the book. As UnCharles travels about the dystopian landscape looking for a suitable master, he discovers many different types of robots waiting for human intervention. This is filled with pop culture references from other popular movies and books that fans of the genre are sure to appreciate.

Overall, I loved this and UnCharles is a character I can see myself revisiting soon.

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