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.

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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.

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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/

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

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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.  

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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.  

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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.  

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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!

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