With All My Love by Patricia Scanlan

When Briony McAllister takes a trip to visit her mother, Valerie, she uncovers a letter from her long-lost grandmother, bringing to light a nearly unforgivable act her mother has kept secret for decades. Having always believed that her grandparents didn’t want to see her, she finds that the opposite is true: her grandmother had been seeking her out all along, and it was her own mother who willfully kept them apart.

Devastated that her past has come back to haunt her, Valerie realizes that her daughter’s anger might cause their troubled family history to repeat itself in a new generation. Rich with emotion and featuring magnificent descriptions of Ireland, With All My Love deftly weaves the stories of the past and present to take us into the heart of a family at war. As the truth is revealed, so too are the complex yet enduring bonds between mothers and daughters.

When I started reading this book I thought it was going to be somewhat of a boring story as it didn't really grab my attention.  However, after I read the through the first five chapters I was immediately intrigued by the story and couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter.  

I have never seen a character with a name like “Briony”, but I loved that Patricia Scanlan thought to use a unique and somewhat of a strange name. I wish more authors would come up with and use more unique names in their stories. I loved the character “Briony”; I thought she was strong willed and had a quite a temper as is the norm for Irish people.

I also loved how this story played out, I was able to clearly imagine how the main character felt and I could feel the betrayal she felt from her mother and how sad she felt as well. I think this was a wonderful story and I loved how Patricia Scanlan made the main character strong willed as well as a little helpless all at the same time. Overall I give this book a “A-“ and the author an “A.”

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Tiffany 

The Conduit (Gryphon #1) by Stacey Rourke

 In the past few years, Young Adult books have exploded in popularity.  For this, I am grateful.  No longer do teens have to be stuck between kind books and adult books.  And it really seems like the genre that it taking off the most is Young Adult Fantasy.  The Conduit by Stacey Rourke fits right into this category.  It is a fun, exciting book that would capture any fantasy loving teen’s imagination, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters.
 

Celeste, her sister Kendall, and her brother Gabe have had better days.  Their father has died and their mother has sent the siblings to their grandmother’s house.  Not only is this a change in scenery, from Michigan to Tennessee, but their grandmother is not your typical grandparent.  She is more likely to be wearing a zebra print muumuu and a pair of hot pink heels. 

While cleaning out the garage one day, Celeste happens to find an heirloom that belonged to her grandfather.  The sculpture of a Gryphon is said to protect people from harm.  This protection doesn’t work for Celeste immediately, since she pokes herself with the statue and begins bleeding.  Immediately, she feels as though something has changed and she sets into motion a chain of events that lead to Celeste and her siblings beginning to fulfill their destinies. 

After a few more unlikely events (and some interaction with a magical creature), the siblings are each given different powers, with Celeste being the central figure—the Conduit.  What this means entirely remains to be seen, but when the siblings are faced with evil, they must find a way to harness their new powers and learn to overcome it—together. 

Rourke has done a great job of capturing the voices of the young people who populate her story.  Their sarcasm and playful banter rings true and is often laugh-out-loud funny.  Because the main characters are siblings, their back and forth interactions built authenticity to their characters voices.  Each character seemed well described and interesting. 

While the plot of embracing your destiny and overcoming evil has been done before, I did enjoy Rourke’s spin on the theme.  I found myself turning the pages to find out what was coming next.  The evil force is not too original though, and I flashed back to many a monster movie.  My other criticism is, that toward the end of the book, Rourke violates the “show, don’t tell” principle and it affected my enjoyment of the plot “resolution”.  (There is a resolution, but this is clearly the first book in a series.) 

 I did find myself wanting to recommend this book to some Young Adults I know.  That, to me, is evidence that the book is fun and entertaining.  Just a bit of tightening up in the exposition of the plot, and The Conduit would be an even better fantasy adventure.  I am eager to read the next installment in the series.

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Regina

Drowning by Rachel Firasek Book Blast & $25 Amazon GC Giveaway!

"I dare you."

Those words would change adrenaline junkie, Alice Harrison's life forever. She's a party girl that doesn't believe in love until she meets a man that only writes about it.

Seth James escaped his overbearing father and moved into one of the James family's vacant condos, hoping to create the music he loves in peace. But the fragile calm he's envisioned shatters when a tiny woman with a world full of energy bounces out of the elevator and nearly takes him out.

With the patience of a saint, Seth seeks the dark that keeps Alice from enjoying life. He challenges her to exorcise the demons in her past in order to discover the true meaning of love. But when the walls fall down, the hidden deceptions will bare the ugly truth about a woman drowning in sorrow and a man who may not know how to be her hero.

About the Author:

Rachel Firasek spends her days daydreaming of stories and her nights putting the ideas to ink. She has spent a dull life following the rules, meeting deadlines, and toeing the line, but in her made up worlds, she can let the wild side loose. Her wonderful husband and three children support her love of the written word and only ask for the occasional American Idol or Swamp People quality hour.

She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn't truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart!

Her latest book is the new adult contemporary romance, Drowning.

Visit her website at www.RachelFirasek.com.

Connect & Socialize with Rachel!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK 

 

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Sweet Nothings by Janis Thomas Feature/Giveaway!

Life’s sweetest moments happen when you least expect them . . .

When Ruby McMillan’s husband announces one morning that he’s dumping her for another woman, she’s unable to decide which indignity stings the most: the dissolution of their eighteen-year marriage or the deflation of her white-chocolate souffle with raspberry Grand Marnier sauce. Without a good-bye to their two teenaged children, Walter leaves Ruby to cope with her ruined dessert, an unpaid mortgage, and her failing bakery.

With only royal icing holding her together, Ruby still manages to pick herself up and move on, subsidizing her income with an extra job as a baking instructor, getting a "my-husband’s-gone” makeover, and even flirting with her gorgeous mortgage broker, Jacob Salt. For as long as she can remember, Ruby has done what’s practical, eschewing far-fetched dreams and true love in favor of stability. But suddenly single again at the age of forty-four, she’s beginning to discover that life is most delicious when you stop following a recipe and just live.

Janis Thomas takes you beyond the mani-pedis and 'Looking for Mr. Rights' and straight into the heart of matrimonial suburbia. Years after the happily ever after, when the chicks from Chick Lit are all grown up and being terrorized by saggy body parts, errant husbands and little cretins-uh, children-that's where her stories begin.

 

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The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden Review & Giveaway

When prestigious plantation owner Cornelius Allen gives his daughter Clarissa’s hand in marriage, she takes with her a gift: Sarah—her slave and her half-sister.  Raised by an educated mother, Clarissa is not a proper southern belle she appears to be with ambitions of loving who she chooses and Sarah equally hides behind the facade of being a docile house slave as she plots to escape. Both women bring these tumultuous secrets and desires with them to their new home, igniting events that spiral into a tale beyond what you ever imagined possible and it will leave you enraptured until the very end.

I loved the fact that this is based on a true story. I read a review by Tom Wolfe that stated that “the reader should make any plans for the rest of the day….” and he was right about that. 

After I got through the first two chapters I could not put the book down. I had a few appointments the day I started reading The Wedding Gift and I would arrive a little early so I could get some more of this story read. I loved this book that much. I was able to completely read this book in about six and a half hours.

 I love how the story unfolded and how each chapter was labeled as to whose point of view we were looking through. Although this is Marlen Suyapa Bodden’s first novel I think I would love to read other books by her; I believe she did a wonderful job on this book and I think she will write other wonderful stories as well. I can’t wait to see what type of book she puts out next. I give this book and this author an “A+.

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Tiffany

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Waiting For Daybreak by Amanda McNeil

Just like vampires before them, zombies seem to be making inroads into mainstream fiction.  No longer are they just the disgusting undead; they have become (in some cases) funny and endearing.  While the zombies in Amanda MacNeil’s Waiting for Daybreak are definitely of the scary variety, the novel itself is an offbeat testament to the value of life and an affirmation of the quirks we all have.

            Frieda is a young woman who is having a rather crappy life. Not only does she have a job that she does not really enjoy, but she also spends most of her time alone—except for the company of her cat, Snuggles.  Her personality disorder, as well as her anxiety and depression, are hard for her to manage.  She self-harms and wishes that she had someone with whom to share her life.

            When she finally meets a promising man and goes on a first date with him, she is delighted.  Unfortunately, her insecurities get the better of her and the date is a disaster.  While staying home the next day, trying to rid herself of a hangover, Frieda manages to avoid the contamination that leads the rest of the world to turn into zombies (or “The Afflicted” as she calls them.)

            The first half of the novel is really insight into who Frieda is and how she has been able to survive as long as she has.  We learn of her methods to avoid detection, and her plans to get food.  She bonds with her cat, Snuggles, as well.  The kitty provides a much-needed source of companionship.  When Snuggles takes ill, Frieda decides to go to the animal hospital to get her some medicine.  On the way there, after a zombie encounter, Frieda meets Mike, the only human she has seen in the last year.  The last half of the novel is about Frieda’s relationship with Mike and the impact it has on their future survival.  

            Both a book about monsters, as well as a book about accepting yourself, flaws and all, Waiting for Daybreak surprised the heck out of me.  I did not expect to like it as much as I did.  I found Frieda, with all of her issues, real and vulnerable.  I loved that she was willing to face The Afflicted to get medicine for her cat.  And I loved her journey to strength.

            The introduction of Mike in the last half of the book changed the focus a bit, but he moved the plot along.  Is he just with Frieda because she is the last woman on Earth or does he deep down come to love her?  The super twisty ending reveals the truth.

            Waiting for Daybreak was just fun.  It is absolutely clear to me that Amanda MacNeil is quite a talented writer.  She has it in her to write an even longer, more fleshed out novel, and I would happily read it.  Waiting for Daybreak does have the occasional syntax and grammar issue (at one point in my Kindle edition, Mike’s name was changed to Mark), but by and large, it is a quite readable, touching, and fun book.   And if the zombies come, I would totally brave them to get medicine for my cat too!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Regina

The Princess in the Opal Mask (The Princess in the Opal Mask #1) by Jenny Lundquist

Every Fairy-Tale Ending Has a Price. . . .

Orphaned as a child in the crumbling village of Tulan, Elara is determined to learn her true identity, even if it means wielding a dagger. Meanwhile, in Galandria's royal capital, Princess Wilha stands out as someone to either worship or fear. Though no one knows why the king has always made her conceal her face--including Wilha herself.

When an assassination attempt threatens the peace of neighboring kingdoms, Elara and Wilha are brought face to face . . . with a chance at claiming new identities. However, with dark revelations now surfacing, both girls will need to decide if brighter futures are worth the binding risks.

The Princess in the Opal Mask is an engaging fantasy, told almost like a fairy tale.  Elara and Wilha tell the tale in alternating points of view.  

Wilha is the princess of Galandria.  Every since she can remember, and before she is told, she has worn an opal mask.  She doesn't know why she wears it but it creates fear and awe to all who come into contact with her.

Elara, and that's not even her real name, was orphaned at a young age.  Where she lives, she is treated like a slave and all she wants to do is find out her real identity.  She doesn't want trouble but she does come across a little assertive and cold.  I assume because she keeps people at arms length.

When an assassination attempt is made between the two kingdoms, the two girls finally meet.  Will they take the opportunity to switch places and find out how the other lives? Wilha could finally take off the mask and Elara would be out of her village.......or will they be afraid of the unknown?

A fast-paced read, The Princess in the Opal Mask reminded me of several movies and books all merged together.   However,  this story is unique and I really enjoyed reading the alternating points of view.  The landscaping is intriguing and the secondary characters were spot on, although I wouldn't have minded learning a bit more about a few of them.  If you enjoy fantasy young adult, you'll want to pick up The Princess in the Opal Mask.  It isn't heavy in romance like so many YA out there today, which I personally found to be a breath of fresh air.  I'd recommend for anyone 12 and up.

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Awakening Foster Kelly by Cara Rosalie Olsen

If only a pile of wayward curls and the inability to stay on her feet were seventeen year-old Foster Kelly’s most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, stubborn hair and clumsiness are just the tip of it. At the age of five when Foster is told, “You don’t belong here,” it was only a mistake, but the result is one broken heart. These four carelessly spoken words have shaped and shadowed Foster, and now—a senior at Shorecliffs High-school—she seeks the wallflower’s existence, denying herself the most casual of friendships, much too afraid that someone will see what she believes is certain: she does not belong anywhere—or with anyone.

This reality would continue to suit her just fine; however . . . Love has a long-standing history of undoing broken hearts.

Like a comet, an unexpected arrival knocks Foster out of the crowded, starry sky, sending her directly into the limelight. Exposed and afraid, she will attempt to regain anonymity; but it isn’t so easy now that someone is watching. He pursues this shy enigma, confronting Foster’s deepest fears head-on, and in the process falls wholly and completely in love with her. But there is something he is not saying . . . a secret capable of certain ruin. Either he will break her heart once and for all, or he will heal it.

In the end, though, it is Foster who must decide if she is worth mending.

I tend to enjoy the dystopian genre in young adult books but the description of Awakening Foster Kelly intrigued me, so I took a leap.  I'm very glad I did as  Foster is someone you won't immediately forget.

She's invisible, or tries to be.  She is an outsider, clumsy, awkward, heck we've probably all met someone like Foster or were when we were a teenager. She sings like an angel, she's brilliant and she has almost no friends.  But she puts on a great front because she doesn't want her parents to worry about her.

Then she's paired with Dominic on a project at school and he doesn't want to work with her. They work through things and she makes two new friends, a set of twins.  She begins to open up and realize that she can be normal, but then the unexpected happens.

Awakening Foster Kelly is a gem of a book.  Personally, I'd like to see it broken up into two novels or have some editing done as it is over seven hundred pages.  But, it's definitely worth the read.  The characters are fully developed and Olsen manages to throw in quite a few unexpected plot twists that really made the novel just pop.  If you want to read an exceptional young adult book, then I'd recommend picking up Awakening Foster Kelly.  I look forward to what Olsen writes next.  She just has a knack for creating characters and scenes that just bring the story to life.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.