Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Accidental Makeovers: A Romantic Comedy (Rom-Com on the Edge Book 4) by Carol Maloney Scott

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Accidental Makeovers: A Romantic Comedy (Rom-Com on the Edge Book 4) by Carol Maloney Scott

A Romantic Comedy Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (03/31/16)

Summary:

“I just want to make people look pretty, for God’s sake.” (Kindle Location 2892).

Bianca isn’t satisfied with the turn her life has taken. She waitresses with her mother’s catering company and is in a relationship with her baby’s daddy. She would like to move out of her mother’s house and use her cosmetology license in her job. Her boyfriend and baby daddy Max is fine living in Bianca’s mother’s house, playing video games and playing in his rock band, until Bianca tells him it’s over this time. Now Max must grow up and show how responsible he can be or let the new beau Eric take his place in Bianca’s life.

Keywords:

Single Mother, Son, Cosmetology, Catering, Waitress, Band, Musician, Friends, Makeovers, Relationship Issues, Baby Daddy, Dating, Family, Romance, Love, 2-Year Old

My Review:

This book was difficult to read. There were very few dialogue tags and with the amount of characters it was confusing and hard to keep track of who was talking. I had to work to decipher who was talking. The characters didn’t have enough diction differentiation to tell who was speaking based on style alone. Many sentences and character thoughts were also left unfinished. There were many ellipses. I wanted most of those thoughts to be finished and not left hanging.

I didn’t quite care for the main characters. They were adults but many times acted and talked like teenagers. They would sometimes talk things out and communicate all their feelings and other times act on impulse.

Max talks bad about Bianca in his head all the time, specifically pointing out her flaws as a mother and housewife. Because of these thoughts I did not like him. His actions spoke louder than his thoughts, but he was still continuously thinking poorly about Bianca.

I forgot Bianca was a single mother for much of the book because she never really seems like a mother or a single mother because her own mother is always helping her out and she’s not worried much about her kid, unless she wants to introduce him to her new boyfriend.

Eric was perfect and then he was not because as soon as Max wants Bianca back and to make the relationship work, suddenly Eric isn’t so perfect after all.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on March 31st, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.50

Links for more information:

Carol Maloney Scott’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Girl on the Brink: A Novel by Christina Hoag

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Girl on the Brink: A Novel by Christina Hoag

A Contemporary YA Novel published by Fire & Ice Young Adult Books (8/30/16)

Summary:

“People have to help themselves. There’s nothing you can do. You have to protect yourself from dangerous people, and that means walking away.” (Kindle Locations 4238-4239).

On an assignment for her newspaper internship the summer before senior year, Chloe meets Kieran. He is attentive and charming and wants to be with Chloe. After her last relationship that went nowhere, Chloe is alll too happy to be with Kieran, but he immediately starts to take over her life. He is with her at all times and she slowly starts losing her friends because she only wants to be with Kieran. It isn’t all roses and dates, though, as Kieran’s possessive side is also full of violence just below the surface waiting for an opportunity to lash out. Relationships are never perfect, but Chloe will soon learn that this one with Kieran is bringing her down a path she will have a hard time leaving.

Keywords:

Physical and Emotional Abuse, Reporter, Internship, High School, Friends, Boyfriend, Romance, New Relationship, Bad Relationship, Bad Boyfriend,

My Review:

I wasn’t really sure if Kieran was a bad boyfriend or not. He gets possessive early on. On their special date it’s all about him and his acting and using her to video him to get ready. When she wants him to meet her friends he cleverly manipulates the situations so they don’t meet and she doesn’t see her friends that night. This could be normal or it could be the shallow end of a bad situation. Kieran is the puppy dog lover who follows Chloe around and makes her feel special with all the attention. So what if he’s jealous? So what if he makes her do things she doesn’t at first want to do? They are made for each other like peanut butter and pickles on a sandwich, right?

Anyone who’s been in a bad relationship will see the signs, but innocent Chloe doesn’t know any better. This book was so scarily accurate I had trouble putting it down and going to bed. I was waiting for that climax. I was waiting for something truly dreadful to happen to Chloe. I was waiting to see how far Kieran would go.

The beginning was a bit slow to get to the plot of the story, but the smooth writing style and interesting insight into Chloe’s relationships with those around her will keep you reading until you get to the meat of the story: Kieran.

Much like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Girl on the Brink is a book people NEED to read. Chloe had few relationships herself before Kieran came along and what he did might have appeared normal or justified, but seeing it from the outside the signs are much more clear. This could happen to you. It happens every day. Domestic abuse is NOT okay, either emotionally or physically and both boys and girls need to know what it looks like.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and this is an honest review.

This novel was published by Fire & Ice Young Adult Books on August 30th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Christina Hoag’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

GirlontheBrinkPressRelease

Book Review: Chubby & Charming (Big & Beautiful Book 1) by Mary E Thompson

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Chubby & Charming (Big & Beautiful Book 1) by Mary E Thompson

A Romantic Comedy published by BluEyed Press (11/29/15)

Summary:

Mandy works as a customer service rep. She has a smooth voice and likes her job and helping people. When Xander calls in, Mandy is able to help him out and her voice captures his interest. He asks her out and she says yes. What Xander doesn’t know and what Mandy lives daily with is the fact that she’s not skinny and doesn’t say no to a good cupcake. What will Xander say when he finally sees her face to face for the first time? If it doesn’t matter at first to him, won’t it later on?

Keywords:

Friends, Customer Service, Telephone, Trust, Job, Cupcakes, Meeting Up, Date, Health Insurance Rep, Attraction, Lust

My Review:

The first few chapters of this novel were amazing! Mandy was interesting and different as the main character. Enter Xander, the hottie who wants to meet her. There’s tension. There’s excitement. What will happen?! Then they meet and like each other a lot. The rest of the book is about them being together and the only point of tension is Mandy’s insecurity about being with such an attractive HWP male. It’s hard to build a story around that. I kept waiting for the complication to settle in and the story to pick up. Even the climax was all in Mandy’s head and a complete disappointment and letdown.

Halfway through the book, almost every thought Mandy had was on sex and how hot Xander is. We get it. Mandy likes Xander because he’s sexy. There are paragraphs and paragraphs devoted to her thoughts about his body and I ended up skimming through most of them after the first couple. Mandy spends so much time thinking about herself, Xander, and her worries about her weight that there is no time left for subplots or plot points.

I was disappointed in Mandy and her lack of character development. She is shown as a woman who’s trust has been broken in the past regarding men and relationships. Great place to start, but she doesn’t change. Throughout the book she drops her trust of Xander any time he remotely seems like he might be pointing out the fact that she’s overweight and that he’s not. Mandy never gets over this fear. She never gains confidence in their relationship.

SPOILER:

Mandy acts and thinks like she’s very much in lust/love with Xander and all it takes is something small for Mandy to lose confidence in Xander. Does she really love him, then? Mandy and Xander breakup over nothing (just a miscommunication) like they’re teenagers in high school. The climax scene at Xander’s friend’s house was very high school. There were even fat jokes!

Xander was unrealistic every time he showed up and said or did anything. I wanted more realism from him, not a Stepford Wives boyfriend! Only in his initial pursuit of Mandy did he seem authentic as a person.

This novel was published by BluEyed Press on November 29th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.00

Links for more information:

Mary E Thompson’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: Never Forgotten Love: A Story of Second Chances (Second Chances Series Book 1) by SM Stryker

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Never Forgotten Love: A Story of Second Chances (Second Chances Series Book 1) by SM Stryker

A Chick Lit/Romance Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (12/26/14)

Summary:

Becket hasn’t had his growth spurt yet. At home and at school he’s bullied and belittled. Then he meets Harlow, who stands up for him at school and gives him a place of solace after school. When Beckett’s mother moves them away and takes away his computer and cell phone, Beckett loses touch with Harlow and misses her for years. Finally able to move out of his mother’s house when he graduates from high school, Beckett gets his college degree while he works for a tech company. His life is going well, but it’s still missing Harlow. He can’t get her out of his mind. When he decides to search for her he ends up finding her through a chance encounter at a local deli/bakery.

Keywords:

Bothell, West Seattle, Bakery, Cupcakes, Child Abuse, Neglect, Friendship, Love, Romance, Sex, Child Narrator, Confidence, Self-Esteem, Krav Maga, Growth Spurt, Technology, Entrepreneur, Best Friends, Lost Love, Off the Grid

My Review:

A novel wins over readers in the details of the story. This novel was lacking in the details. The child abuse of Becket did contain a lot of description and action, but not enough of in the moment action and thoughts to show the vulnerability of Beckett. His abuse did not seem to infiltrate his life beyond this abuse. As soon as it was over, he got out and he wasn’t very much affected at all. The setting lacked details. The action lacked details. Even the backstory lacked details. The story was told to the reader and it rushed through the life of Becket from age 4 to 6 to 10 to 12 to 16 to 17 with a lot of tone and telling and feeding of descriptions. There were a lot of written out contractions that broke the flow of the narration, especially for a young kid and a good portion of the beginning was told by Beckett as a child before the real plot began.

I didn’t believe in Becket and Harlow’s love. They were separated as pre-teens and then pined for years for each other without moving on? I don’t really get it.

The story was predictable. Usually there’s some satisfaction with the happy ending with all ends tied up nicely, but I never felt truly invested in the main characters or their love and their story to care that everything ended happily ever after.

I did enjoy Becket’s transformation from small self-conscious young boy to confident man, even though I wasn’t shown this transformation fully.

I thought it was super cool to include the cupcake recipe referenced in the book at the end of the print book. I love the integration of extra bonus content into novels.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on December 26th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

SM Stryker’s Website

Book Review: Falling From Grace (The Gift of Grace Book 3) by Esther Jones and Frog Jones

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Falling From Grace (The Gift of Grace Book 3) by Esther Jones and Frog Jones

A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Novel published by Sky Warrior Book Publishing, LLC. (02/12/16)

Summary:

“We’d been re-branded from “summoners” to “reality terrorists” overnight in order to give the politicians a bigger gavel.” (Page 8).

Robert and Grace freed Andrea from her centuries’ long slavery to Cythumau in Book 2, Coup de Grace, but is she really free? Though it has only been several decades in this weave, she has been away so long and in captivity so long that being human is now something foreign. But when someone takes a bullet for her, she will have to step up to protect him, right? Meanwhile, Robert is trying to live a normal college life, but summoning keeps getting in the way of his plans. At least, that’s what he tells himself. Robert is still the cause of his own undoing, but with Grace gone, he will have to lead the Spokane Grove out of trouble all by himself. Unless, that is, Andrea is willing to help.

Keywords:

Summoning, Magic, Danger, Big Beasts, Escape, Fighting, Police, Damage, Power, Runes, Blood, Hunting, Organization, Politics, Hiding

My Review:

The main focus of this book was on Andrea. The way she processed and thought about everything going on around her was fascinating. Her thoughts were thorough and interesting and quite logical. She is a character with quite the background story to overcome, but she doesn’t always make the sympathetic choice, sometimes her past overwhelms her. Andrea’s perspective was super cool and though I miss Grace, I fell in love with Andrea quickly.

Robert continues to get himself and others into trouble and then has to get them out of trouble. This time, however, the trouble has built up beyond what he’s capable of handling. Or has it? Calling on all resources, Robert will stop at nothing to keep those he loves safe.

Rick the Cornuprocyon continues to amuse in this book and has a decent role to play. The mind link between him and Robert is explored a bit more and is fascinating as an aspect of world building. Summoners and their abilities are also so very, very interesting as world building goes. The rules! The possibilities! Such a cool concept to watch unfold in a world where not everyone is a Summoner and not everyone wants to be.

This novel was published by Sky Warrior Book Publishing, LLC. on February 12th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Frog and Esther Jones’ Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love With You by T.M. Franklin

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How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love With You by T.M. Franklin

A YA Humor Novel published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop (6/10/14)

Summary:

High Schooler Oliver is a nerd. He’s a list-maker and a straight-A student. And he wants to win over the lovely Ainsley. Using advice from his family and friends as well as his sure-to-succeed list, Oliver attempts to win Ainsley over. The only problem is that she already has a boyfriend!

Keywords:

Lists, Boys, Goals, Awkward, Play, Screenplay Writing, Drama Club, Nerd, Determined, Friendship, Advice, Family, Socially Awkward, Younger Brother

My Review:

Boys will be boys… Wrong! Oliver broke that mold completely. He is sensitive and thoughtful and adorably awkward. Girls won’t always be girls either because Ainsley appears to be shallow at first, but as Oliver gets to know her so do we and everyone can see why Oliver has a crush to end all crushes on her. This novel featured realistic characters, even the ‘bad’ boyfriend. Ainsley isn’t an airhead, she has substance to her, even if she is dating the ‘bad’ boyfriend.

The dialogue is absolutely clever and Oliver’s awkwardness and inner thoughts are hilarious. This book shows such a great, and what I think of as accurate, insight into young men and women in high school.

I love how Oliver received a lot of good dating advice… from mothers and fathers and friends and siblings. Make her feel important. Listen to her. Find what’s meaningful to her. All good advice! And Oliver actually puts it to use!

This novel was published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop on June 10th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

T.M. Franklin’s Website

Book Review: Outbid by the Boss by Stephanie Browning

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Outbid by the Boss by Stephanie Browning

A Contemporary Romance Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (7/13/14)

Summary:

Sam Redfern takes a risk when she changes her business plane flight in order to bid on a historical silver candlestick and has to pay for it with company funds. It just so happens her boss is also there to bid on the candlestick. Both Sam and her boss, Chas, have a personal connection to the candlestick. Will this piece of silver get in the way of Sam and Chas developing a romantic relationship?

Keywords:

Candlestick, Family, History, Silver, Senior Appraiser, Auction, London, England, Horses, Riding, Estate, Boss, Countryside

My Review:

From the very first page I was hooked to this story. The first scene held an amazing amount of tension and emotion and intrigue with just a hint of suspense. The two main characters were rapidly introduced and I felt an immediate connection to both Sam and Chas.

This romance had both a plotline and a story. The mystery element was well integrated into the plot and carried the story well without becoming the story. It was all about Sam and Chas and their histories!

I loved Sam and Chas as characters. Chas was just the right amount of “Chas Bloody Porter” and never once went too far. I liked him, even when he said the wrong thing or acted cold at times. Sometimes, he had to be cold to save face, just like a real person. The tension between Sam and Chas was amazing, not only because they were boss and employee, but the sexual tension was alive.

This book delivered a great and satisfying ending. Worth the read.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on July 13th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Stephanie Browning’s Website

Book Review: Level Up: A Geek Romance Rom Com, Book 1 (Fandom Hearts) by Cathy Yardley

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Level Up: A Geek Romance Rom Com, Book 1 (Fandom Hearts) by Cathy Yardley

A Chick Lit Humor Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (12/30/15)

Summary:

“…relationships are problematic. Careers last. All I obsess about now is work and my fandoms.” (Kindle Locations 55-56).

Tessa Rodriguez is ready to level up in her career, but as a female video game engineer amidst a male-dominated field, she’s pushing at the glass ceiling. Her roommate happens to work at the same video game design company and tells her if she were to be more social she’d fit in more with the guys and they’d probably accept her as one of them. Adam, her roommate is still recovering from his last breakup, a year ago, and his guy friends bet that he can’t find a girlfriend before they fill the open position in the company. A job that Tessa wants is available! Can she snag it or will getting involved with Adam put them both behind?

Keywords:

Introvert, Friends, Romance, Roommates, Library, Gaming, Programming, Career, Video Games, TV Shows, Fandoms, Video Game Engineer, Deadline

My Review:

What an adorable romance! Both main characters were full of personality and quirks. Tessa is shy but opens up immediately when she enters into an accepting environment. In real life, a shy girl would probably not interact as well as self-proclaimed introvert Tessa, but I loved how open she was to being around others and rooting for them. Tessa shows extreme loyalty and devotion!

Adam is the geeky, attractive nice guy. He is the whole package without being over the top! He displayed uncharacteristic respect of his roommate Tessa, which I very much appreciated.

I did not get all the geek references but enjoyed them all the same! This contemporary little romantic comedy was very enjoyable and well put together if a bit dependent on certain situations to occur that wouldn’t normally happen. I especially loved the characters and the setting.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on December 30tht, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: The Heaviness of Knowing (The Conscious Dreamer Series Book 1) by Sharolyn G. Brown

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The Heaviness of Knowing (The Conscious Dreamer Series Book 1) by Sharolyn G. Brown

A Science Fiction Novel published by Sharolyn Brown (07/01/16)

Summary:

“Do not let your fear make you dumb to what you know is the truth.” (Kindle Location 796).

Roxal lives in the safety of a compound on Trebor, where her planet has been destroyed, but she has a chance to save the parallel world of Earth through Dream Travel. Roxal connects with an Earthan woman named Lauren in her dreams to influence her work so that Earth can be saved and not meet the same fate as Trebor.

These are all lies. Treboran Keepers want to take over Earth through influencing Earthens using Dream Travel and Roxal and Lauren are both very important cogs in this mission. When Roxal finds out and comes to terms with the lies, she agrees to help. Lauren will also have to come to terms that aliens are trying to use her to take over her world.

Keywords:

Dystopian, Totalitarian, Slaves, Gods, Strict, Order, Fighting, Earth, Alien, Pre-Invasion, Caste System, Parallel Universe, Microprocessor, Technology, Balance, Sleep Deprivation, Meditation, Therapy, Hypnosis, First Contact

My Review:

The first few chapters painted this book as an over -the-top totalitarian style dystopian novel where the caste system was very strict and the citizens were constantly monitored and lied to by the ruling class. The book went so far as to label the ruling caste as “gods” and to not allow the lower castes to even look at the “gods.” The lower castes submitted to everything the gods told them to without question, even going so far as to chant their acquiescence and acknowledgement of the gods’ power and their submission to them. Then Lauren’s story unfolded. Lauren is an unsuspected earthling and her narrative balanced out the typical dystopian society that Roxal lived in.

All the backstory was sandwiched into those beginning chapters in large info dumped chunks, slowing down the narrative, but the intrigue of the completely controlled society and the juxtaposition of Lauren and Roxal and the connection between the two women was enough to keep me turning pages. The author placed many little teases between all the info and I was willing to wait for the meat of the story to begin.

I loved the sign language for communication in the dystopian society and thought this was very clever.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and this is an honest review.

This novel was published by Sharolyn Brown on July 1st, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

Sharolyn G. Brown’s Website

Book Review: Crushing on the Rock Star by Darci Doll

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Crushing on the Rock Star by Darci Doll

A New Adult Romance Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (06/08/16)

Summary:

“In your head, you think that you’re a conservative but in your heart, you’re a pure rebel, through and through.” (Kindle Locations 1678-1679).

Birdie Frost wants to make a difference in the world through documentaries. She only works as an intern for a production company, but when she gets the opportunity for her big break she hesitates. It’s with a rock band on the other side of the country not with the philosophical world-changer she had proposed. When her family, her best friend, even her fiancé don’t support her decision, Birdie decides to turn down the opportunity at first. Will she be able to set aside everything she’s known to jump at this chance to make a difference or will she stay with what’s familiar and comfortable?

Keywords:

Rock Star, Rock Music, Metal, Concert, Live, Band, Practice, Performance, Travel, Conservative, Family Ideals, Old-Fashioned, Sexism, Producer, Documentary, LA, Identity, Introspection

My Review:

I liked Birdie. She sticks to her guns when it comes to morals. She is dedicated to her ideals and her job. She’s unwilling to let a little failure derail her completely. She is positive and thoughtful. She is a well-rounded main character. Her fiancé, on the other hand, is a complete jerk. The author may be painting him as ‘old fashioned’ but all I see is sexist on-the-verge-of misogynist guy who won’t listen to her opinions or give them any worth. He cuts her off when she’s talking and tells her point blank what she should and shouldn’t do as well as what he expects her to do. How is that attractive?

Birdie tells us that she was attracted to Timothy for his family values and old-fashioned views, but I don’t see how she’s attracted to him at all, even from the beginning. She does not seem conservative, since at the first sign of adventure she’s willing to give it a try and enjoy every minute of it.

The issues in this book are very contemporary and interesting. Birdie’s point of view is so very dramatic and very detailed. She so completely and vividly describes her first rock concert and riding a motorcycle that I intimately know how she feels and can see the scene completely.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on June 8th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads