Category: book review

Book Review: Give Me a Reason, by Jayci Lee

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Give Me a Reason   
Author: Jayci Lee      
Genre: Romance    
Rating: 4 out of 5   

For ten years, Anne Lee told herself that Frederick Nam was her past. In order to save her father from bankruptcy, she left Frederick for an acting career in Korea. This was the only way she could stop him from following her and ruining his future. It was the best way she could love him.

After Anne left, Frederick spent years loving her, missing her, and hating her until he decided to live his life for himself. He followed his dream and became a firefighter in Culver City. He didn’t need romance. He had his work and his friends.

When Anne returns to Los Angeles, she and Frederick are thrown together in the same wedding—she as her cousin’s bridesmaid and he as his friend’s groomsman. Even though he is angry and distant with her, Anne can no longer deny that she never got over him. Not even close.

With so much hurt and uncertainty between them, Anne and Frederick suffer their love in silence. But all it would take is a single leap of faith to bring them together…

This was such a sweet read! I loved how all the characters were just doing life together, a part of each other’s lives and just there for each other. Anne’s father and sister were the worst, so I liked that she had something of a found family to support her. I really enjoyed the second-chance aspect of this, and just found it to be a lovely read.

Jayci Lee lives in California. Give Me A Reason is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #339

This week, like last week, was a slow writing week. I didn’t journal every day, and I only wrote one book review, Love is an Open Book, by Chandra Blumberg. It was a tough week. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Sandy Page Bookshop, by Hannah McKinnon

Image belongs to Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

Title: The Sandy Page Bookshop  
Author: Hannah McKinnon       
Genre: Fiction  
Rating: 4 out of 5

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her sleepy coastal hometown on Cape Cod. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent historic sea captain’s home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page.

Luke Nicholson, a life-long local and contractor, remembers Leah even if she doesn’t remember him. Intrigued by her return and her project, he agrees to help her bring the old captain’s house back to life. As they work together, The Sandy Page slowly becomes the town’s go-to gathering spot for locals, tourists, and anyone who is feeling adrift during this long, sweet summer. It’s a home for second chances. But will it be enough for Leah and Luke?

I thought this was a sweet, solid read. I loved the bookstore, and the secondary characters were great, too. Leah and Luke were good characters; I just liked the quirky secondary characters more. This would be a good weekend binge-read.

Hannah McKinnon was born in the UK and raised in Switzerland. The Sandy Page Bookshop is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria/Emily Bestler Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Friends to Lovers, by Sally Blakely

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press.

Title: Friends to Lovers
Author: Sally Blakely
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in touch: they’ll be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

It’s a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families’ shared summer home for her sister’s wedding, and she’s determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren—and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. How hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you best?

But as sunny beach days together turn into starry nights, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, bringing past heartaches to the surface, she’ll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.

This was a cute read! I love the friendship between these two families and all the intermingled relationships. The varied friendships were my favorite part of this read, actually. I liked the scenes in the past and the glimpses we got of how Joni and Ren got to where they are. Their friendship was great, and I loved their interactions and little inside jokes and stories. Definitely recommend this read!

Sally Blakely is from Montana. Friends to Lovers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Sundays are for Writing #338

I was super busy this week, so I didn’t get much reading or writing done this week. One book review, Wish You Were Her, by Elle McNicoll, and I didn’t even journal every day. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Fire Mountain, by Dana Mentink

Image belongs to Revell.

Title: Fire Mountain   
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre: Christian, mystery/thriller    
Rating: 4 out of 5

In the shadow of a threatening volcano, long-haul trucker Kit Garrido wakes up in her crashed big rig, unable to recall what happened or why she’s suddenly in possession of someone’s baby. Fiercely independent, she has to admit that perhaps this time she could use a little help.

As the threat of eruption grows, former cop Cullen Landry refuses to leave his cabin in the evacuation area, which is why he’s the only one left who can help Kit escape the crumpled cab of her truck. He doesn’t want to get tangled up in the mystery of the beautiful woman with an abandoned infant, but when he sees the bullet hole in the windshield and the bloody handprint on the interior, he realizes that he’s in this thing, like it or not.

When two armed men with ill intent approach, the race is on to stay alive, discover the truth, and find the baby’s missing mother–all while a deadly mountain rains fire from above.

The imminently erupting volcano certainly added a sense of urgency to this read! I thought this was a solid thriller, and I enjoyed it. Kit and Cullen were both good characters, and their growing relationship keep me invested—almost as much as the threat of the volcano!

Dana Mentink is a USA Today bestselling author. Fire Mountain is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Revell in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #337

This was an okay writing week: I wrote two book reviews, Friends to Lovers, by Sally Blakely and Through an Open Window, by Pamela Terry. Both were good reads, but I absolutely loved Through and Open Window. I also DNFed three books, Rivals to Lovers, by Elise Wayland, Influenced, by Sarah Darer Littman, and The Book Of Heartbreak, by Ova Ceren.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Vanished, by Dr. David Jeremiah  

Image belongs to Thomas Nelson.

Title: Vanished
Author: Dr. David Jeremiah         
Genre: Mystery/thriller, Christian   
Rating: 4 out of 5 

The end of the world . . .

As leader of a special military unit charged with stopping potential pandemics before they spread, John “Haggs” Haggerty has a front-row seat to the sharp increase in natural disasters that precede the Rapture–including plagues, earthquakes, famines, wars, and rumors of war. And each crisis is becoming more intense.

Meanwhile, his own world feels like it’s falling apart. He’s still caught in the grief of messing up his relationship with his ex-wife, and he’s trying to keep it together so that he can show up for his adult daughter before she wants him out of her life entirely. As both personal and professional situations push him to the brink, Haggs finds himself stretched further than ever in his desire to be the kind of good person he knows he should be.

Just when it seems as if things might turn around, Haggs is forced to decide between his need to find solutions and his need for personal redemption.

This was a fast-paced, easy read, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the Left Behind series when it first came out, but it feels very dated now, so this was an interesting contrast to that, but I liked the more modern take. I Liked the varied settings and the characters, but their relationships showcased their personalities the best. I’m interested to see how this series develops.

Dr. David Jeremiah is a bestselling author. Vanished is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson Fiction in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: An Irish Summer, by Alexandra Paigeff

Image belongs to Avon and Harper Voyager.

Title: An Irish Summer    
Author: Alexandra Paige       
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Boston has everything Chelsea her best friend, her family, a great job. She’s worked and lived at the same bed and breakfast since graduating college, and she relishes the sense of stability. That is, until she’s informed that O’Shea’s Bed and Breakfast is being sold and she has less than a month to find a new job and apartment. Desperate, she takes a summer gig at the B&B’s sister hostel in Galway, Ireland. It’ll be an adventure, she convinces herself, and it’ll give her some time to plan her Next Act.

As it turns out, Galway has everything Chelsea nonstop rain, no iced coffee, shared bathrooms. Working at The Wanderer might grant her time and a few extra lines on her resume, but Chelsea can’t help but feel like she left her life back in Massachusetts. Her new coworkers, however, are determined to change her mind, especially the handsome and charming tour guide Collin.

Collin and Chelsea strike up a he’ll show Chelsea everything Ireland has to offer, and only then can she pass judgement. Sure enough, Chelsea finds herself warming up to the hostel and Irish lifestyle… and falling for her charismatic new friend. But as the summer comes to an end, she finds herself torn between the familiarity of home and the tantalizing adventure of life abroad.

This was a cute read. I really enjoyed the description of hostel life, as that’s something I have zero knowledge of. The characters were a lot of fun, although Chelsea’s stubborn refusal to see reality got a bit frustrating at times. I loved the descriptions of the Irish scenery/life, and that made the read even better.

Alexandra Paige lives in New Jersey. An Irish Summer is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Den of Liars, by Jessica S. Olson

Image belongs to Macmillan’s.

Title: Den of Liars
Author: Jessica S. Olson         
Genre: Fantasy, YA    
Rating: 5 out of 5

Lola St. James is the world’s best kept secret. When her father’s loss in the Liar’s Dice Tournament–a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets–made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief’s kindness came with a Lola’s heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other’s emotions because of their shared heart.

Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar’s Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief’s mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers’ shared history, and the lies she tells herself.

I was engrossed in this from the very first page. Lola is a great character, and I loved getting to know her and trying to guess what she’d do next. The Thief and the Liar were both strong characters—and both had good and bad qualities, but I was eager to find out more. Loved the worldbuilding in this, and the casino world was riveting to me. I would absolutely have binge-read the next book in this series immediately!

Jessica S. Olson lives in Texas. Den of Liars is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan’s in exchange for an honest review.)