Review: Book: Bound by the Heart- Ashley Goss

 

Title: Bound by the Heart

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Ashley Goss

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Page Count: 225 Pages

ISBN: B06XRNDKB7

Author or Book Website: https://www.ashleygoss.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: Bound by the Heart

Link to Goodreads: Bound by the Heart

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

After living what she thought was her fairy tale, she is now trying to escape the tethers of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Dwayne. After being found unconscious on the floor by her friend Elijah, she has gotten away from Dwayne but it won’t be the last of him. Elijah helps her fulfill her dream of escaping the monster. Elijah tries to protect her from Dwayne but will he fall short? Between Elijah being accused of murder and moving out of state, will she be able to find true love or is this new relationship going to be as detrimental and heart breaking as her last?

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say that this book was well done, but it really should have come with some kind of warning because it can be a bit triggering for those who have come through some type of trauma. This is about Nikki who thought she was living the life only for the man she loves to turn into a monster. He comes very abusive in many ways. After a bad moment in her life she has had enough and she wants to get away from him. So a friend of her’s is willing to help escape but there are a lot going still. There ends up being a few hiccups. If you want to know how it turns out then grab a copy of this book and find out the ending for yourself. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars

Review: Book: Apple Pie Promises- Hillary Homzie

 

Title: Apple Pie Promises

Series: Swirl

Author’s Name: Hillary Homzie

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Genre: Middle Grade

Page Count: 256 Pages

ISBN: 151073922X (ISBN13: 9781510739222)

Author or Book Website: https://www.hillaryhomzie.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: Apple Pie Promises

Link to Goodreads: Apple Pie Promises

Release Date: October 2, 2018

How I Got the Book: ARC 

Summary of the Book:

Lily has lived with her mom since her parents got divorced several years ago, and her dad has recently remarried to a woman with a daughter her age named Hannah. But now, Lily’s mom has gotten a once-in-a-lifetime work opportunity in Africa and she’ll be gone for a year, so Lily is moving in with her dad–and new stepmom and new stepsister. It’ll be as easy as apple pie, right?

Wrong. Lily promises her dad that she’ll try to get along with everyone, but she is not happy about it. Her stepmom is nice, but she’s no replacement for her real mom, and Lily feels like she barely gets any one-on-one time with her dad anymore.

The real problem, though, is Hannah. What starts out as tension between the new stepsisters becomes a full-on war, both at home and at school. Harmless pranks turn into total sabotage. Can Lily survive the year–or is her family fractured beyond repair?

My Personal Review: Lily has lived with her mom since her parents got divorced several years ago, and her dad has recently remarried to a woman with a daughter her age named Hannah. But now, Lily’s mom has gotten a once-in-a-lifetime work opportunity in Africa and she’ll be gone for a year, so Lily is moving in with her dad–and new stepmom and new stepsister. It’ll be as easy as apple pie, right?

Wrong. Lily promises her dad that she’ll try to get along with everyone, but she is not happy about it. Her stepmom is nice, but she’s no replacement for her real mom, and Lily feels like she barely gets any one-on-one time with her dad anymore.

The real problem, though, is Hannah. What starts out as tension between the new stepsisters becomes a full-on war, both at home and at school. Harmless pranks turn into total sabotage. Can Lily survive the year–or is her family fractured beyond repair?

My Rating of the Book: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Book: A Dead God Awakes- John White

 

Title: A Dead God Awakes

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: John White

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Page Count: 336 Pages

ISBN: 198314276X

Author or Book Website: N/A

Link to Amazon purchase page: A Dead God Awakes

Link to Goodreads: A Dead Body Awakes

Release Date: N/A 

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

Charlatan. Brute. Apostate. Desperate. Outcast. Finch Crushluck is no Death Priest. But he’s posing as one to make a fortune in pursuit of an amulet that contains the blood of First, a powerful alien being of pure entropy. Finch is not alone in his quest. Seduced by First’s promise of power, a holy man betrays his faith and seeks the amulet to free the creature. To save her kidnapped daughter, a merchant captain delivers the ransom of a gilded dirigible to First. To avenge the murder of his family, a giant risks the fate of the world by using the amulet as bait to lure a hated foe and his monstrous war machine into combat. First waits for them in the heart of a nightmare landscape of destruction and madness. But the greatest dangers Finch and his companions face on their journey are deceit and disdain. The clash of their desires can destroy First or unleash him from his ancient prison. They can save the world. Or hasten its doom.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.  This book has left me with a lot to think about. Of course I can’t tell you if they save or bring on destruction of the world. It is an adventure that a group of misfits all end up going on for their very own reasons. Not all of them are in it for the right ones. First kind of scares me with all that ancient talk and all the think he could do. I had a feeling that someone was going to turn on them and all hell would back lose. I feel a little strange about this. It is like something from an ancient and dark prophecy. It needs more attention brought to it. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Book: A Body’s Just as Dead- Cathy Adams

 

Title: A Body’s Just as Dead

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Cathy Adams

Publisher: SFK Press

Genre: Literary Fiction

Page Count: 332 Pages

ISBN: 9780997951875

Author or Book Website: https://cathyadamsauthor.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: A Body’s Just as Dead

Link to Goodreads: A Body’s Just as Dead

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

In the town of Drayton, Alabama, the once high-paying manufacturing jobs have been replaced by nail salons and bail bonds. Pete-O Hemper, a diabetic amputee in a wheelchair, feels betrayed by the America he once loved and believed in. On a steady diet of hate radio, he blames everyone around him for trying to remake his country into a place where men like him are no longer in control. Pete-O’s nephew, Robert, jailed on assault charges, is desperate for money and hatches a plan to rob a meth lab. Pete-O’s sister, Lilith Ann, struggles to hold everyone together when Pete-O brings a Chinese bride with a past as dark as his to America. Darkly funny, A Body’s Just as Dead captures the twenty-first century frustration of small-town families who feel the American Dream is in shreds and resent having to share its remnants with people who “aren’t like us.”

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This book gives a small pictures of what is going on in America. While reading this I thought about the America I grew up in and comparing into this one and the current state of the world. It is a bit dark. I am not saying this is a bad book or anything like that. I do think the characters in this book were very real and couple relate that the world has really changed a lot. I don’t want to go to deep into it for I want to leave some meat of the story so that those that read it can discover what is really going on this book. I am still not sure how I feel about this all. IT has given me a lot to think about going forward. 

My Rating of the Book: 3 Stars

Review: Book: Spellbound- E. E. Robens

 

Title: Spellbound

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: E. E. Robens

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: NA Romantic Suspense 

Page Count: 392 Pages

ISBN:  B073S92PZP

Author or Book Website: N/A

Link to Amazon purchase page: Spellbound

Link to Goodreads: Spellbound

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

Back from a refreshing trip to Europe, free-spirited Alexa returns to college to pursue a dream career. While reluctant to blend academic demands with emotional attachments at first, she befriends Zeke, who fascinates her with his wits and poise. Disciplined and conscientious, her world is shaken to the core when an abrupt change in his behaviour unfolds a chameleonic Zeke and spirals her mind into a haze of turbulence.

As she reconstructs her sanity, along comes Vinson, who charms her into the perfect romance. But when he suddenly disappears, she begins to search for answers, unaware that someone’s hidden agenda is manipulating her obsession with finding the truth to the verge of madness.

Spellbound is a tale of the young and troubled at heart, toxic relationships and bittersweet memoirs.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say this book was a little confusing for me. I mean liked Zee, but then he just went POOF. Then did not re-appear later in the book. Then there was Ethan. I am not sure about him. He came off a bit too needy and demanding. I found that he was just too much to take. I wanted and thought that Alexa and Zee should have been together. I was not sure about the second part that was in the book. It was not like the first part. If you want to try it go get your own copy. 

My Rating of the Book: 3 1/2 Stars

Review: Book: The Tiger at Midnight- Swati Teerdhala

 

Title: The Tiger at Midnight

Series: The Tiger at Midnight #1

Author’s Name: Swati Teerdhala

Publisher: HaperCollins Publishers

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Count: 496 Pages

ISBN: 0062869213 (ISBN13: 9780062869210)

Author or Book Website: http://swatiteerdhala.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: The Tiger at Midnight

Link to Goodreads: The Tiger at Midnight

Release Date: April 23, 2019

How I Got the Book: ARC

Summary of the Book:

Esha is a legend, but no one knows. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup, and now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha.

Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has been growing only more volatile.

Then Esha’s and Kunal’s paths cross—and an unimaginable chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces. As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both rebel and soldier must make unforgivable choices.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology, the first book in Swati Teerdhala’s debut fantasy trilogy captivates with electric romance, stunning action, and the fierce bonds that hold people together—and that drive them apart.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I loved this. The characters of Esha and Kunal where just so thought out and know what they stand for. I always love to read debut books by authors in my chosen genres. There lands are so unbalanced and in tragedy that each think they are calling the shots and know what is to come. The interactions and the writing style just pulled me in and would not let me go. I know this book is not going to be out for a while but I am so ready for the next book in the trilogy. The description of the world and the mythology and legends that gave inspiration to this story is amazing. It hold on to you long after the final page has been turned. 

My Rating of the Book: 5 Stars

Review: Book: Jake, Lucid Dreamer- David J. Naiman

 

Title: Jake, Lucid Dreamer

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: David J. Naiman

Publisher: Kwill Books

Genre: YA/MG Coming of Age 

Page Count: 190 Pages

ISBN: 9788494754882

Author or Book Website: http://davidjnaiman.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: Jake, Lucid Dreamer

Link to Goodreads: Jake, Lucid Dreamer

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

12-year-old Jake has been suppressing his heartbreak over the loss of his mother for the past four years. But his emotions have a way of haunting his dreams and bubbling to the surface when he least expects it. When Jake learns how to take control in his dreams, he becomes a lucid dreamer, and that’s when the battle really heats up.

Using his wits to dodge bullies by day and a nefarious kangaroo hopping ever closer by night, Jake learns about loss, bravery, the power of love, and how you cannot fully heal until you face your greatest fear. This uncompromising novel is a magical yet honest exploration of emotional healing after a devastating loss.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. When I received this book from the author I was so excited. I am glad the author picked me to read this books. This book was very well written and it had my emotions all over the place. I felt a lot for Jake and there were times I got a little angry that he did not seem to notice his father and sister were suffering too. I know that he was going through a lot. Like the bullying during the day and the dreams that he is learning to controlling during the night. This book made me feel so much and I know the loss of a parent. It made me relate to this book more. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars

Package From A. L Davroe!!!!!

 

I got this beautiful group of books and some wonderful sway from the Author A. L. Davroe. I can’t even express how happy and excited I am to receive all of these goodies. I am not sure if you can tell by the picture I have included but there are four books, two keychains, a pen, little red bag with potpourri (which smells like roses), and a little ring. I am wearing the ring as I write this. I am so ready to dive in to Nexis. This is amazing. I am going to do reviews for all the books included in this gift. So keep an eye out for those in the weeks to come.

I want to thanks this wonderful and creative soul of an author for this amazing gift. I am going to my best to make her proud and please for giving it to me. Thank A. L. Davroe. You have really touched this reader and book lover’s soul.

Review: Book: Shadow Play- Jill Ramsower

 

Title: Shadow Play 

Series: The Fae Games #1

Author’s Name: Jill Ramsower

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Romance Fantasy

Page Count: 361 Pages

ISBN:  0692146415

Author or Book Website: https://www.jillramsower.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: Shadow Play

Link to Goodreads: Shadow Play

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger—if that’s the case, I better be badass by the time this is over.

After two years at a dead-end job, Rebecca Peterson finally walks away from everything she knows to follow her dreams in Ireland. Instead of dreams, the dreary streets of Belfast rekindle her terrifying nightmares, and this time they aren’t confined to her imagination. Twisted and vicious, Faeries are being unleashed on Earth to prey upon humans, who are unaware of the vile creatures walking among them. Becca must stay alive long enough to learn why she can see what others can’t, and even more importantly, discover how to keep the Fae from destroying life on Earth.

Delving into the underbelly of the city, Becca discovers that she is not entirely alone in her abilities; however, centuries of secrecy makes gathering information a challenge. When Becca crosses paths with two mysterious strangers, her life is only complicated further. The gorgeous but brooding Lochlan demands complete honesty but refuses to provide any answers of his own. On the other hand, Ronan is enigmatic and charming, and with his sights set on making Becca his, he offers more help than most. But Becca quickly learns that trusting others is difficult when you have secrets of your own. Sometimes, the enemy is within….

Warning: This is not a young adult book, it is also not erotica but does contain scenes with mature content so if you don’t mind some steamy bad boy goodness, then buckle up and prepare for the ride.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I want to thank the author for actually sending me a physical copy of this book. I love Becca she is just bold and out there. I would have to say my favorite character in the book is Ronan. There is just something about him that just speaks to me. After reading this I will never look at the fae the same way. There were times this book just gave me that chills. I do love how Ronan and Becca meet. It kind of made me laugh. She seemed a little confused by what was happening. I like that it broke the tense that seemed to building after all she had been through. I am very excited the next book in this series. My heart is still racing from reading this. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Book: Fifteen and Change- Max Howard

 

Title: Fifteen and Change

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Max Howard

Publisher: West 44 Books

Genre: YA Verse

Page Count: 200 Pages

ISBN:  978-1538382592

Author or Book Website: N/A

Link to Amazon purchase page: Fifteen and Change

Link to Goodreads: Fifteen and Change

Release Date: October 1, 2018

How I Got the Book: ARC

Summary of the Book:

Zeke would love to be invisible. His mother is struggling to make ends meet and stuck with a no-good boyfriend. Zeke knows he and his mom will be stuck forever if he doesn’t find some money fast. When Zeke starts working at a local pizza place, he meets labor activists who want to give him a voice–and the living wage he deserves for his work. Zeke has to decide between living the quiet life he’s carved for himself and raising his voice for justice.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. A book completely written in verse. I have never read anything like this before. It took a little getting used to but it was a very effective way to write this. There is a lot going on in this novel that is only really touched the surface of these issues like domestic abuse, activism, homelessness and more. Zeke is trying to survive and help out his mother who is in an abusive relationship so he gets a job and soon comes to the conclusion that money is not going to solve their problems or issues. I kind of wish there was more to this novel. It has left me with a lot to think about now that it is done. 

My Rating of the Book: 3 Stars