I’m back! The Night Swim Review

I’m back! It’s been a while since I reviewed or posted anything. A lot has happened, especially at the beginning of this year.

I’ve been looking for a job since moving to Nashville last year and it’s been pretty much intense during this pandemic. That was why I took some time off reviewing. But I have been keeping myself busy by writing and reading.

My first review this year is on The Night Swim. I have read a lot of books in the last few months but this book has stuck with me. I devoured it once I started reading and couldn’t put it down until I finished. Let’s take a look at The Night Swim.

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In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlan Coben) The Escape Room, a true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small town’s dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before.

Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name―and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The new season of Rachel’s podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation―but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases―and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Order the book here: Estelita’s Library

Note: Each Review I will link a Black Owned Independent Bookstore for you to order from. Let’s support our small bookstores!

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Tawney’s Review:

I’ve always been into true crime, weather it’s podcast, books, documentaries or my favorite series Dateline and Forensic Files. That may be why I got a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies and went on to work for the court system.

Rachel Krall is a successful true-crime podcaster with Guilty or Not. She is an investigative report who knows how to research, as her podcast last two season overturned a conviction and solved a cold case. She puts her listeners in the jury seat so they can decided if the person is guilty or not.

Now Rachel finds herself following a trial of Scott Blair, a North Carolina resident charged with raping a sixteen year old. Just like real life, the town is divided on who to believe. Scott is a swimming champion and very much liked. His wealthy parents have hired a top attorney to fight the charges as Scott, as a good chance to go to the Olympics. The victim is unable to speak up for herself as the court ordered her silence. She has been put in anonymity but everyone in town knows who she is. She is being bullied with defamatory language on social media. But when Rachel receives a note from a woman named Hannah, a new case emerges. Hannah’s sister drowned 25 years ago and she wants Rachel’s help in solving it. Hannah believes her sister was murdered.

The point of view flips from Rachel, as she investigates these cases, and to Hannah, as she describes her sister Jenny’s life. The back and forth point of views was very interesting and kept me engaged as both characters revealed new clues and suspects.

This was a very good psychological thriller. Golden did a fabulous job at placing the reader in each scene, whether it was in the courtroom or investigating witnesses. There were also transcripts from Rachel’s podcast that made for an interesting addition to the story. The victims’ stories are so relevant with what is happening in the world today regarding rape. The twists and turns made for an intense read. The dual mysteries combined to a fantastically shocking ending.

Should your read this? Yes! A psychological thriller with fantastic twists and turns.

The Vanishing Half Review

“People thought that being one of a kind made you special. No, it just made you lonely. What was special was belonging with someone else.” Britt Bennett the Vanishing Half.

As a twin this sentence resonates with me.

 

Today’s book is a must read!

Today’s book is a fantastic read with wonderful writing and characters in a heartbreaking story about twins and their lives taking different paths. Let’s take a look at The Vanishing Half.

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The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect?

Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person’s decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.

As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.

Order here!

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Tawney’s Review:

This book was a wonderful read that explored race, identity, family and sisterhood. Identical twin sisters Desiree and Stella were born in a town of light skinned Black people, where the lighter skin you are the better. The twins runaway to live very different lives. Desiree lives as Black marrying an extremely dark skinned man and Stella lives as white in a privilege life with her white husband. As years pass Desiree returns home with her very dark daughter Jude, while Stella lives her life with her very blonde daughter Kennedy. The story is told third person following the lives of each woman and her daughter through a multi-generational story. It was a very intriguing story that entrapped me until the very end.

As a twin I found it hard that Desiree and Stella would leave each other and live their separate lives. I couldn’t imagine living without my twin…however, twins are their own person, with different personalities, and desires. Sometimes a traumatized childhood could shatter things like Desiree and Stella’s had witnessing their father be lynched by white men. I found their split fascinating because Bennett did a wonderful job at making it real and believable. But the loss of the twins connection to each other broke me.

The characters were relatable and vivid. Not only were Desiree and Stella wonderfully developed but the supporting characters were excellent as well. Jude, Kennedy, Early and Reese had their own engaging stories with prejudice and identity issues. This book was beautifully written with each chapter raw and real. The book is also a great learning experience educating the reader on understanding issues that Bennett weaves into the book such as race, class, privilege and identity.

This book is so relevant for what is going on with our world today that I HIGHLY recommend reading The Vanishing Half.

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About the Author:

Brit Bennett

Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and later earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction. In 2014, she received the Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, and her debut novel The Mothers was a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel The Vanishing Half was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Her essays have been featured in The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

Follow her on: Twitter * Instagram * Facebook

Twin Book Review: Final Girls

During this pandemic we have found ourselves a bit lazy and depressed. Not blogging or writing. But we have been reading. There is something comforting in reading books.

Psychological thrillers are our favorite reads right now. There’s something twisted and dark about murder and coming along for the ride to solve it. This was Kristen’s recommended book and we devoured it. Let’s take a look at Final Girls.

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Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls: Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them and, with that, one another. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet.

Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.

That is until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit; and Sam, the second Final Girl, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.

Order here

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Tawney’s Review: Final Girls is a saying in a Horror movie, where the last girl is standing, the survivor, after all the massacre and death is the Final Girl. That is what Quincy is, a Final Girl, the only one to survive her friends’ murders at Pine Cottage. She joins two other Final Girls, Sam who fought for her life against the Sack Man and Lisa who lost nine sorority sisters to a murderer. Together they are trying to live normal lives…until Lisa is murdered.

The book started slow at first. Of course the setup has to happen and the pieces slowly come together. However, once Lisa dies and Sam comes into the picture things pick up to the point I couldn’t put the book down.

Should you read it? Yes! A twisty psychological thriller with a surprise ending.

     

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Kristen’s review:

This is definitely a book for slasher fans and lovers of B-rated horror movies. It was a dark psychological thriller with several plot twists.

I did enjoy the book, though it was a slow burn.  I almost put it in my DFR pile but the ending made up for the slow pace. Riley Sager is a talented writer and knows how to throw a few misdirection towards his readers. He added the B-rated corny, eye rolling comedy mixed in with the suspenseful ride. I would definitely like to see this made into a movie. I’m looking forward to his new book Home Before Dark, which is out now!

1/2

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Review: I’m Not Dying With You Tonight

It’s been a rough week and now more than ever we need to support the black community. I’m trying my best to support and so can you! There are many ways to do it. Take action and use the Black Lives Matter resources or help support George Floyd’s family on their GoFund me page. Use your privilege to support those in need by speaking up. Or maybe stepping back and seeing how your own life may have played a part, whether intentional or not.

Informing yourself on what is going on is helpful too. You can follow Colorlines for daily news on race matters or follow Civilrights.org on civil and human rights. Or you can read whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.

Today’s book is about two very different girls thrust into violence and relying on each other. Today’s book is very relevant on what is going on in our nation this week. Let’s take a look at I’m Not Dying With You Tonight.

 

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Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.

When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.

They aren’t friends. They hardly understand the other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night.

This book is perfect for:

• Sparking conversations about prejudice and the racial tension that exists in America
• Parents and educators looking for multicultural and African American books for teens
• Fans of Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, and Jason Reynolds

Order here

 

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Tawney’s Review:   Lena and Campbell don’t know each other nor are they friends. They are two strangers with different backgrounds and social groups, but they are thrust together in an unexpected way.

Lena is black, fashionable in style, knows what she wants…which is her boyfriend Black and knows she will make it big one day. Campbell is white, new to town, quiet with no friends and basically invisible. The two teens are thrown together in a night of violence and they soon come to realize they have to work together to make it out alive.

The pace was quick and I was hooked, hoping the girls made it home safely. It was good to see the two different point of views of a black and white American teenager. What’s great is that the authors are black and white too. That alone gives this book the much need viewpoint of the character’s thoughts and actions. You get the knowledge of what Lena and Campbell both feel and how different they look at things, especially the riot going on within the book. You feel like you are right there with them every step of the way as they try to make it home. It is a fantastic book to bring intense and much needed discussions to a classroom or book group.

 

Should you read this? Yes! With the events going on currently this book is a fantastic read to bring the reader into the chaos of riots and protests and to understand the view of two very different characters.

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About the authors:  

Kimberly Jones is a former bookseller, and now she Hosts the Atlanta Chapter of the popular Well Read Black Girl book club, as well as the infamous, viral sensation the YA Truth or Dare author panel at the Decatur Book Festival. She has worked in film and television with trailblazing figures such as Tyler Perry, Whitney Houston, and 8Ball & MJG. Currently, in addition to writing YA novels, she is a director of feature films and cutting-edge diverse web series. She also regularly lectures on working and succeeding in the Atlanta film market.

Kim’s book roots run deep. She served on the Selection Committee for Library of Congress’ 2016-2017 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, the 2015 Children’s Choice Illustrator Committee for The Children’s Book Council, and the advisory board that created the Creative and Innovative Education Master’s Degree program at Georgia State University. She has been featured in Redbook, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and was Book Brahmin in an issue of Shelf Awareness. James Patterson and the American Booksellers Association chose her out of over 3,000 booksellers to receive a bonus for her outstanding work as an indie bookseller.

She resides in Atlanta and is the proud mother of a gifted boy. She lives for synthetic wigs and nail art, as her style icons are Dolly Parton, Chaka Khan, and Diana Ross. Her  YA novel, I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT, co-authored with Gilly Segal, was released on Sourcebooks Fire August 6, 2019.

Follow Kimberly here.

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Gilly grew up in Florida, came of age in Israel, where she served in the IDF and graduated from Hebrew University, and finally decided to call Decatur, Georgia home. By day, she’s a lawyer for an advertising agency. By night, she is a caped crusader! No, just kidding (she wishes). Her real not-actually-secret identity is writer. She’s been writing in one form or another since she wrote her first young adult novel – a Sunfire YA romance fanfic – typed out on an electric typewriter. Although she will confess it was titled CLAUDIA, she will neither confirm nor deny that any copies still exist. Whatever you do, don’t ask her mom if it’s in those boxes still stored in the closet of her childhood room.

When Gilly’s not reading and writing, she can be found exploring Decatur with her three kids and searching bakeries the world over for the perfect French macaron. Her favorite so far is rose lychee.

Her debut young adult novel, I’m Not Dying With You Tonight, co-written with Kimberly Jones, will be published by Sourcebooks Fire, with an anticipated release date of October 1, 2019. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

Follow Gilly here

The Phantom Twin Review

Today’s review touched me. I love graphic novels but as a twin I connected with this book.

But you don’t have to be a twin to connect to this wonderful heartbreaking story of loss and love. Let’s take at The Phantom Twin.

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A young woman is haunted by the ghost of her conjoined twin, in Lisa Brown’s The Phantom Twin, a sweetly spooky graphic novel set in a turn-of-the-century sideshow.

Isabel and Jane are the Extraordinary Peabody Sisters, conjoined twins in a traveling carnival freak show―until an ambitious surgeon tries to separate them and fails, causing Jane’s death.

Isabel has lost an arm and a leg but gained a ghostly companion: Her dead twin is now her phantom limb. Haunted, altered, and alone for the first time, can Isabel build a new life that’s truly her own?

Order here!

 

 

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Tawney’s Review:

The Phantom Twin was a great read with wonderful art and a heart wrenching story of conjoined twins who live at a freak show. It’s set in the 1920s with a traveling cirucs. Here one twin feels at home among the other freaks while the other wants a normal life.

Jane and Isabel are joined together by an arm and a leg. Jane urns for a life of her own so when they are approached by a physician to separate them, she jumps at the chance. But things turn for the worst and Jane dies leaving Isabel alone in the world. Of course this brings on such emotional turmoil. I couldn’t image life without my twin so this is just gut-wrenching.

However, Jane is not too far as a phantom twin, still attached to Isabel. And this does bring problems and drama to the story. The art work was wonderful and help capture the twins world. You felt the hate of the villagers to the freaks and the pain of Isabel’s loss.

The Phantom Twin was a swift read that takes the reader into the 1920’s and the life of a conjoined twin. It was a heartbreaking story of loss and finding love again through tragedy and triumph.

                                    

Should you read it? Yes! A wonderful story that shows the darker side of the circus and the triumph of a former conjoined twin who must now live her own life.

One Minute Out Review

From Mark Greaney, the New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical and a coauthor of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels, comes another high-stakes thriller featuring the world’s most dangerous assassin: the Gray Man.

While on a mission to Croatia, Court Gentry uncovers a human trafficking operation. The trail leads from the Balkans all the way back to Hollywood.

Court is determined to shut it down, but his CIA handlers have other plans. The criminal ringleader has actionable intelligence about a potentially devastating terrorist attack on the US. The CIA won’t move until they have that intel. It’s a moral balancing act with Court at the pivot point.

Order here!

 

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Tawney’s Review: 

I liked The Gray Man novels. They are intense action packed thrillers!

One Minute Out finds Court in the dark world of sex trafficking. We start off in Croatia where Court is attempting to assassinate a war criminal. It always a pleasure to see Court try and keep his moral code when in danger or dealing with enemies. Each chapter is filled with intense adventure where the reader is transported to cities around the world.

I did find this book a little different from the others in the series because it was in first person. As it was nice getting into Court’s head it was a little jarring. I’m not sure I liked it this way but I do applaud the author for giving us a different view of the series.

The pace is fast and writing smooth. As always there is action and lots of twist and turns throughout the plot.

Should you read it? If you haven’t read the series I would start with book one, but it’s a good instalment if you have.

All the Stars and Teeth Blog Tour: Review

Today we are excited to be part of the All the Stars and Teeth Blog Tour!

All the Stars and Teeth is a highly anticipated book full of adventure, a strong heroine and magic! 

Let’s take a look at All the Stars and Teeth.

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“Fierce and unrelenting…Do yourself a favor and get lost in this beautiful book!” ―Tomi Adeyemi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Children of Blood and Bone

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer―the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder―and more peril―than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stowaway she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

Order the book here!

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Tawney’s Review:

I love fantasy. Whether it be children’s books, YA or adult, fantasy always takes the reader on an epic journey with great chacarcters and magic. I was very glad to find that All the Stars and Teeth had all the characters of a great fantasy.

Amora is the only child and heir to the throne of Visidia. To prove herself as a leader she must harness soul magic and show complete control. Of course things don’t go as expected and Amora looses control. Locked away to an unknown fate she is saved by a stranger and thrust into a perilous journey to harness new magic. Thus unfolds an adventure of saving her kingdom. 

Amora was wonderfully written. She was a strong and independent and takes dangerous chances upon herself for the sake of others. Bastian was a great secondary character feeding off of Amora with wit and humor.  My favorite secondary character was Vatea the vengeful mermaid who saved their lives many times. Amora and her crew had a wonderful connection with each other and you couldn’t help but root for them every step of the way.

Adalyn Grace does a wonderful job at worldbuilding. Her magic system is unique and interesting. Each Visidia island holds a different magic and whatever magic you choose to harness you go to that correlating island. Grace’s description was vivid and effortless seeping into the reader’s mind. There was no info dumping or overly descriptive pages but a fresh perspective of a unique type of magic system that piqued my interest.

Should you read this? Yes, a dazzling epic fantasy debut with wonderful characters, high stakes adventures and intriguing magic that makes for an enjoyable read.

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Adalyn Grace graduated from Arizona State University when she was nineteen years old. She spent four years working in live theater and acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper before studying storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra.

Adalyn splits time between San Diego and Arizona with her bossy cat and two dorky dogs, and spends her days writing full-time while trying to find the best burrito around. All the Stars and Teeth is her debut novel.

Follow: Blog * Twitter *Instagram 

 

Waiting Forever Review

Today’s book review is an author that I love! From her YA retelling Fated to Die to her NA Romance books The Forever Series, Tara captures your attention and pulls you into her books. Today’s review is the 5th book of the Forever Series: Waiting Forever.

Let’s take a look at Waiting Forever!

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Waiting Forever: Vol 5: New Adult Romance (The Forever Series)

Nathan

Life used to be fun. College, parties, close friends, girls—one in particular, who I can’t let go no matter how hard I try.

I’m not talking about my girlfriend. That relationship lost its momentum months ago. The girl who haunts my dreams and memories from my childhood hates me. I blew her off twice for her own good.  Now she’s coming to live with me.

It’ll be torture having her so close and not be able to touch her. I’m supposed to protect her from guys with bad intentions, but who’s going to protect her from me?

Kensington

I’ve adored Nathan my entire life. He was supposed to be my first everything, my forever. But after multiple rejections from him, those days are gone, along with my innocence.

I got myself into trouble, and now I need a safe place to stay until life calms down. Until my parents can forgive me, and I can forgive myself.

The last thing I want to do is move in with Nathan. He’s made it clear with his distance, he’s not interested in my life. But after what happened back home, he’s my only escape from the hateful rumors and betrayals of so-called friends.

As much as I don’t want Nathan to be my safe haven, everything about the him still feels like home. I need to be careful, keep my distance, and never let him find out what happened to me.

Waiting Forever is a standalone and part of The Forever Series, serial romance.

Order here!

The Forever Series Collection includes:
Risking Forever: vol 1
Daring Forever: vol 2
Claiming Forever: vol 3
Free bonus novel – Sebastian – Risking Forever: vol 4

The Forever Series Four Book Collection

Waiting Forever: Vol

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Tawney’s Review:

First off, Tara picks the best yummy covers! Can we just sit back and enjoy the cover?

Waiting Forever is the 5th book in the Waiting Forever Series in the POV of Nathan and Kensington. We dive into the aftermath with Nathan’s best friend Sebastian getting killed. Now Nathan is trying to move on and when Kensington comes along maybe it won’t be so bad?

Nathan is unhappy with his on and off again girlfriend Harper, oh the ever so crazy we love Harper, until Kensington arrives as his fake cousin. Nathan used to be the ladies man and party boy but lately he has been boring, as Harper states. But Kensington ignites that fire within Nathan again. Is it hot in here or just me?

Tara is fantastic on character building and descriptions, especially the sex scenes. They are steamy and hot and you just flip each page with that thrill of excitement. The characters are well developed and have such a chemistry that you love every scene and dialogue they have together. You can’t help love that scene stealer Harper with her witty crude sense of humor.

You could read this book as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the other books too. Dive right into Tara’s NA Romance The Forever Series world and fall in love with all her characters and stay for the smexy. I did!

 

Should you read it? Yes! Sexy steamy romance that get’s your heart pumping and you won’t want to put it down until the very last page!

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About the Author:

Tara Gallina is the author of the serial romance, The Forever Series. She writes and reads romance in a variety of genres but has a soft spot for retellings.

She believes in fairies, true love, and happily ever after. She favors characters and/or couples who defy the odds and make a way, even when there isn’t one.

She grew up in a small town by the beach but soon after moved to Orlando, Florida with her patient hubs, two older sons, and two fur-babies. With local theme parks like Disney World and Harry Potter, it’s no wonder her life is filled with fantasy and make believe.

Follow here:

Instagram * Twitter * Facebook * Blog

 

The Starless Sea Review

Today’s review is by Erin Morgenstern author of The Night Circus. I don’t like giving bad reviews but sometimes it happens because a book is not up to par  This was not my cup of tea.

Let’s take a look at The Starless Sea.

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Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Order it here

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Tawney’s Review

 

I wanted to really like this book but alas it was not meant to be. This book was a jumble mess of a story within a story that led to confusion and substandard characters. I loved the Night Circus. I had hoped Morgenstern’s follow up would hold up to the magic of her first novel. Unfortunately, The Starless Sea didn’t connect with me and I was frustrated the further I read because I was just bored and forcing myself to finish the book.

Morgenstern has a lovely imagination and strong description but in this book I felt it was over powering the story. There was too much of it and the story was just too wordy. And though it was quite beautiful in imagination it didn’t help the story nor the characters. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found myself unsatisfied with the book. I understand that it would be hard to follow up the Night Circus but this book was very disappointing.

Should you read it? No, The Starless Sea was an underwhelming story with so many plot holes and unappealing characters.

 

Glow Girl Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

On the blog today we are part of the Rockstar Book Tour doing a review for Glow Girl.

Let’s take a look at Glow Girl.

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About the Book:

Title: GLOW GIRL

Author: M. Weidenbenner

Pub. Date: October 31, 2019

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 266

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

Willow is just your average sixteen-year-old girl. Okay, maybe not so average. She can heal animals. For her own safety, her veterinarian parents have made her promise not to use her powers. But sometimes her compassion just takes over, and she can’t help … well … helping.

Willow is a Droit, but hides her Droitism because people like her are feared and hated by those without special abilities. Two of Willow’s schoolmates, rumored to be Droits, have simultaneously disappeared.

When Willow’s non-Droit friend, Rain, is targeted, Willow wonders whether she should get involved–even if that means putting herself in the line of fire.

A mysterious new friend, Trae, just might be the key to unlock her courage.

In the end, she has a choice: she can deny who she is or declare her ability to heal, but either way, her life will never be the same again.

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Tawney’s Review:

Glow Girl pleasantly surprised me.

I was given the book for a review up knowing that I would enjoy the story. It was a superhero story, much like Xmen, where people have powers and those without fear them.

They are called Droits and there is much prejudice against them. This reason is why Willow keeps her powers of healing animals to herself. I loved that her Aunt Fifi was there to help her find her path as a Droit. Their relationship was heartwarming and Aunt Fifi was a good secondary character. I always like a book with a positive family dynamic.

Weidenbenner did a wonderful job at creating her world of Droits. It’s a lot like our own but with superpowers.The description was vivid thrusting the reader right into that world. The characters were likable and the pace was quick and the reading easy. I finished this book wanting more.

Should you read it? Yes, a pleasant read that makes you want more.

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About the Author.:

AWARD-WINNING and AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR.

GOLD Medal WINNER in the 2014 READERS’ FAVORITE International Awards.

Bronze Medal Winner in Dan Poytner’s Global eBook Awards. Winner of the Kindle Book Promotion Awards. SPIRIT and INSPIRATION MEDALS in the NEW APPLE LITERARY AWARDS.

AWARD-WINNING SPEAKER. John Maxwell Team Leader.

To obtain a free copy of one of Michelle’s children’s books, and receive her newsletters, go to www/MichelleWeidenbenner.com/gift/

Michelle is an author, speaker, trainer and coach dedicated to leaving a legacy of leaders who care about bringing value to others and equipping the future generation. She’s also known as the UNCOVER AGENT who helps people uncover their messages so they can UNLEASH them into the universe.

She grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home from the hospital Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting–without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn’t so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which comes in handy with book reviews.

CACHE a PREDATOR and ECLAIR GOES GEOCACHING are currently hidden in geocaching sites throughout the US. If you’d like to see where they might be in your area, please log in to geocaching.com and search for trackables at IN SCRIBE–that’s Michelle.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads

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Giveaway Details:

50 winners will receive an ebook of GLOW GIRL, International. Via Goodreads

Enter here!

 

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/28/2019	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
10/29/2019	Lifestyle Of Me	Review
10/30/2019	BookishRealmReviews	Review
10/31/2019	Yna the Mood Reader	Review
11/1/2019	Cuz I’m a Nerd	Review

 

Week Two:

11/4/2019	Southern Girl Bookaholic	Review
11/5/2019	PopTheButterfly Reads	Review
11/6/2019	Tawney Bland	Review
11/7/2019	lori’s little house of reviews	Review
11/8/2019	Shelf-Rated	Review

 

Week Three:

11/11/19	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
11/12/19	The Pages In-Between	Review
11/13/19	A Gingerly Review	Review
11/14/19	Turning the Pages	Review
11/15/19	Adventures and Reading	Review

 

Week Four:

11/18/2019	Jena Brown Writes	Review
11/19/2019	@fictitious.fox	Review
11/20/2019	Two Dogs and a Book	Review
11/21/2019	Fire and Ice	Review
11/22/2019	two points of interest	Review