Review: Sundial by Catriona Ward

Sundial by Catriona Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this up until the halfway point. Then it kind of dragged until the end where it picked back up, then it just kind of ended without a resolution.  I'm not a huge fan of books that are open ended, but that was clearly a choice the author made to leave things ambiguous and undone.  I would have preferred things to be a bit more wrapped up.  If you have read any of my other reviews, you know I also am not a big fan of alternating timelines, in this case the timeline alternates between Rob (the mother) then and now, and Callie (Rob's oldest daughter), as well as the story within the story that Rob was writing really took me out of the story and made the pace very slow for me.  I think this book had some really interesting concepts but the execution was a bit flawed.  Every time I started to get invested in the story, it would switch timelines and perspectives and throw me out of the story and I would have a hard time getting invested for several chapters.

This book has alot of trigger warnings, so from that perspective horror fans and psychological thriller fans may really enjoy it.  Other readers will want to stay far away from this book.  This book has animal experimentation, domestic violence, emotional abuse, drug use, miscarriage, and child abuse.

Thrillers are always hard to review because you don't want to give anything away without spoiling the book.   They are also very personal when it comes to what a person enjoys or doesn't.  I prefer much faster paced, plot driven thrillers, so the pacing of this obviously didn't work well for me.   This is mostly told from Rob's perspective both then and now, but I was more interested in her daughter Callie.  I found Callie's chapters to be the most gripping and I kept reading as I wanted to get back to her story.  I didn't find Rob to be all that likable, but again I think that was a deliberate choice by the author and her personality starts to come together and make as we find out more about her backstory and upbringing.   As we learn more about Rob, Callie also starts to make more sense.  It just takes a long time to get there.  I like what the author did with the relationship dynamics between Rob and her sister Jack as well as Rob's daughters Callie and Annie.  What you think is happening on the surface is not what it seems, and those interactions and reveals made for and interesting read.  I thought the twist was clever and unexpected, but it was overshadowed by what felt like and unfinished ending.

Overall, this was pretty good, I think a lot of people are going to love this.  This type of thriller doesn't meet all of my personal preferences, but I think the writing was good.  The setting was well described, and the characters were well despite being unlikable.  Based on the trigger warnings I gave above I'd stay away from this book if any of those things are deal breakers for you.  

View all my reviews

Review: The Accidental Countess by Emma Hart

The Accidental Countess by Emma Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the 3rd book in this series. I do feel you can read each of them as standalones. The other 2 books in the series are just as good and you'll get to know Gabi and Addy better. You will also get additional insight into the British aristocratic society. I've really enjoyed getting to learn about the aristocracy and how all of that functions through this series.

Eva is an aspiring artist and Matthew is an Earl. Neither one of them is interested in marriage or having a family, but if Matthew wants to keep the earldom he has to get married and attempt to have a male heir. While not fond of the archaic way things work, it is how his title works and he would like to keep his estate in his immediate family. He and Eva have been seeing each other casually for some time and he proposes a marriage of convenience. Eva is well versed in the aristocratic circles as her uncle is a Duke and her mother also has a title. While Eva isn't immediately thrilled by the idea of getting married and having kids, she likes Matthew and he offers to invest in her parents slowly failing hotel.

I really enjoyed this. It is a really sweet slow burn romance. Matthew and Eva have great banter throughout, and while their marriage of convenience starts out as a sort of friends with benefits relationship you always knew it was going to develop into something more. I really enjoyed watching them fall for each other. It was kind of refreshing that there wasn't some big angsty moment in this. I thought the author did a great job taking is on a tour of the island and the places local to Matthew's estate. I haven't done my research yet, but I hope these are real places you can visit. They sound wonderful and I'd love to go there someday. It is no wonder Eva always wanted to paint and sketch. I'd love one of her postcards, I'd totally order a set. I really enjoyed how kind and patient Matthew and Eva was with Eva as she settled in to her new home and new situation. I also loved his mother and grandmother. One of the things I always look forward to in Hart's books is a hilarious grandparent character, and Matthew's grandmother brought some comic relief to this book. I loved her!

View all my reviews

Review: Sweet by Adriana Locke

Sweet by Adriana Locke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the 6th book in the Landry Family Series, but you can read it as a standalone. I started reading Adriana's books with The Relationship Pact, which I do recommend reading if you want to get to know Paige's older brother Hollis, but it isn't necessary to read this book. It will help to put some of their discussions into perspective. I was hooked on her books after reading that and I am slowly making my way through her backlist. Many of us have been waiting for this book for quite some time as the author has taunted us with Paige's whereabouts for quite some time. It was well worth the wait.

Nate owns the bar Paige works at, so despite the fact that the flirt nonstop and they are insanely attracted to one another, he has decided she is off limits. Nate is a single dad, and has decided that he needs to keep his heart and the heart of his son Ryder protected. Paige didn't have a great start in life, and while it all worked out for her in the end, she is still haunted by her trauma. She is a great person but she's still figuring out her life and what she wants. On paper she is everything Nate doesn't want in a relationship, yet they are drawn to each other. When Paige finds herself in need of a place to stay when she gets suddenly evicted from her apartment, she asks if she can stay with Nate until she finds a new place. He reluctantly accepts, and Paige easily slides into his and Ryder's daily routine.

Can I say how much I loved Hollis and Ryder in this! There is a scene, I won't spoil it, where Ryder puts his dad in his place toward the end of the book that brought me to tears. Hollis, ever the protector, will do anything for his sister and loves her fiercely. They were excellent side characters! As for our main characters, they fit so well together! Nate is so patient with Paige, and doesn't pressure her into anything she doesn't want, but when she asks for something he gives it to her. Pun intended. There are some excellent steamy scenes in this book. Paige is such a dynamic character, she is full of sass but she is also terrified of being being happy. The banter between Nate and Paige was excellent, and they had great chemistry. This was well worth the wait!

I am very much looking forward to getting to know Paige's family in the upcoming Carmichael Series. I was sad to see the Mason series come to an end, but I'm really excited that there is a new family for us to read about. They sound equally entertaining from the brief introduction we've gotten!

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

View all my reviews

Review: All Her Little Secrets

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, however I ended up listening to the audiobook.  All opinions are my own.

This was a good political thriller full of social commentary.  The book is full of secrets, some stemming from the main character's past and some that she must uncover to save her future.  Ellice Littlejohn is a lawyer at a transportation company.  She has worked hard to get where she is from the small town she is from.  She doesn't like to talk about her past or her personal life.  In fact, most of her friends and coworkers don't really know anything about her.  Ellice likes to have her life in order, so when her entire life is thrown headlong into chaos when her boss is murdered she isn't sure what to do.  Ellice quickly finds herself in the middle of the executive suite and in the middle of a shady corporate business deal.  As she begins to question the business dealings of her new peers, they begin to question everything about her and the secrets she has worked so hard to keep may not be secret much longer.

The main character is supposed to be extremely smart and well educated, yet she was portrayed as having no common sense.  Not that there aren't real people like that out there, but in her inner monologues she knew what the right choice was and made the wrong one anyway.  I'm not a fan when this technique is used in writing to make the main character, especially a female MC look lesser.   This just goes to show that secrets and lies always backfire in the end.   At times it felt as if her image was more important than saving her own life and solving the crime.

Overall this was an entertaining listen.  The audio narrator did a good job and the story kept me engaged.

View all my reviews

Review: Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli

Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Emeline wants nothing more than to be a professional musician.  She's got the talent and things are finally coming together for her.  When her grandfather goes missing, she realizes that her plans might be in jeopardy.  Emeline returns home to look for her grandfather, but she is pulled into a fantasy world that she thought was made up.  The silly stories and superstitions she grew up with turn out to be true, and she has to enter that world and restore something that was lost to save the ones she loves.

I think alot of YA readers are going to love this.  It is a quick and easy read, and has alot of YA tropes that I think younger readers will enjoy.   For me it was a bit underdeveloped.  The magic system was never really explained and I never really connected with the characters.   Emeline is a bit immature for my taste and kept me from fully connecting with this.  With this being so heavily character driven versus plot driven, connecting with the characters is really important.  I will say that the author did a good job setting the scene, the creatures and scenery were explained with good detail.  

View all my reviews

Review: Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss, all opinions are my own.  I can see I'm in the minority here, but I didn't love this.  It is lacking in the suspense and horror elements I expected to find in a book that features such a unique and creepy house in the woods.  I love a good haunted house story and the premise of this was really promising.  The Octagon House is situated in the woods, it is the scene of a murder, and for some the house call out to them.  The basement is the setting for the creepier parts, but I feel those scenes lacked the detail that would have taken this book to the next level.  I never felt any suspense for the characters.  The house and the basement should have made me feel something, and they didn't.  There is a bit of a supernatural element to the story, but I didn't find it scary.  

 

There were many scenes about loss and grief.  If discussions about loss of a loved one and miscarriage are upsetting to you, I'd skip this book as they are a main focus for the main character.  I felt like this story was more about Clare and her personal losses and grief than it was about the horror and suspense.

View all my reviews

Review: The Plan by Karla Sorensen

The Plan by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is a companion novel to The Lie, as they can both be read independently. This follows Lydia, younger sister of Faith, and daughters of Allie and Luke who you may know from the Washington Wolves series. Lydia is suffering from a bit of PTSD after a run in with the paparazzi and a car accident that has left her with a broken arm. She has quite the social media following, and while it makes her good money, the accident has left her questioning her goals for the future. Her parents are happy to have her stay at home while she heals and decides her next steps, however they want her to feel safe when she goes outside. Enter Erik Wilder. Erik is a former Wolves player, and perpetual grump. He left football after an injury and to deal with some personal issues, which you have to read the book to learn about. They explain alot about his personality and are worth waiting for. Erik has found himself in the personal security business, so Luke gives him a call and a generous offer to protect his daughter until she feels safe in the world again. The two of them don't initially enjoy each others company, but they begin to grow on one another. Lydia slowly finds herself able to reenter society without being scared she is going to be attacked, and Erik realizes it might be time to let someone in again.

This is a slow burn, opposites attract, age gap romance. The age gap isn't huge she is 22 and he is 30. Lydia mature for her age and you often forget she is 22. She's a good fit for Erik and since they are both consenting adults the age gap doesn't at all feel taboo in anyway. THeir relationship has the forbidden aspect more because she is the boss' daughter. Lydia's playful side evens out his serious broody side. Erik feels alot of guilt for what happened at the time of his injury and the fallout that occurred within his family. Some of that was self imposed and some of it was not his fault. It takes him quite a bit of time to work through his feelings and guilt over that, all the while Lydia is trying to figure out her life and how to move forward from the accident. I adored Lydia's relationship with her parents. I especially loved her conversations with her dad. The Wilder family was pretty fun too.

View all my reviews