Tag: books

Lone Wolf, by Sara Driscoll

lone-wolf
Image belongs to Kensington Books.

Sara Driscoll is the pseudonym of writers Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan. They write the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, and their new series, FBI K-9s. The first book in the series is Lone Wolf.

Meg and Hawk, a black lab, are part of the FBI’s K-9 unit, called out to disasters to search and rescue anything from a missing person, a criminal, or a body. When they’re called to bombing site at a government building on the National Mall, they find themselves searching for victims in the rubble of a mad bomber’s first target.

Their actions earn them the name “heroes,” and, as the bomber escalates, they are called to more disaster scenes in a desperate search for clues to the bomber’s identity. Because the attacks are spiraling out of control, and they’re sure the bomber has an even bigger target in mind, one that will tear the country apart with fear. It’s up to Meg and Hawk, and the rest of their team, to stop the disaster before it happens.

Lone Wolf contains some scenes that are hard to read, especially for those who can still picture the devastating scenes of 9-11. Meg is a great character, with a tenacious will that makes her fun to read, and the action in this novel never lets up. This series is sure to be a must-read.

(Galley provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.)

Tamer of Horses, by Amalia Carosella

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Image belongs to Thorskona Books.

Amalia Carosella is a former Biology major who fell in love with Classical Studies. Her newest novel is Tamer of Horses.

Hippodamia was abandoned as a baby, and would have died, were it not for Centaurus, the king of the centaurs who adopted her. Raised among the centaurs, Hippodamia thinks of them as her people, and is glad to do the one thing Centaurus asks of her:  marry future king of the Lapiths, Pirithous, son of Zeus, and produce an heir to cement their peace treaty.

But not everyone wants peace. Some of the centaurs feel that the price is too high. The King of the Myrmidons wants Pirithous’s land and his wealth of horses, and is willing to go far to get them. Meanwhile, strong-willed Hippodamia and prideful Pirithous must come to terms with each other if their marriage is to succeed, and if unexpected love is to grow.

But neither of them expected their wedding day to be the start of a war.

Tamer of Horses appealed to me because I’ve always loved reading the old myths and legends, but the more well-known ones have been “done” to death. Tamer of Horses takes an obscure bit of lore and turns it into a vibrant, breathing story, with characters that dance across the page. I was more than a little disappointed when the story ended and I had to leave the magical setting behind.

(Galley provided by Thorskona Books.)

To Capture What We Cannot Keep, by Beatrice Colin

 

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Image belongs to Flatiron Books.

Beatrice Colin is a former journalist turned author. Her newest novel is To Capture What We Cannot Keep.

In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace is a down-on-her-luck widow tasked with keeping two wealthy Scottish teenagers out of trouble in Paris. Emile Nouguier is building the Eiffel tower. The two meet in a hot air balloon, where magic seems possible. But back on the ground, their different social classes and societal expectations interfere.

Cait must either re-marry or find a permanent position if she is to survive. Emile, heir to his father’s company, is expected to take a suitable bride along with his place in the family business. As the Eiffel Tower rises above Paris, Cait and Emile must decide just how much their love is worth.

To Capture What We Cannot Keep is a vividly rendered picture of the conflicted Paris of the late 1800s. Social strata dominates everything, and the characters face the conflict of their different social stations, as well as their own conflicts over love.

(Galley provided by Flatiron Books via NetGalley.)

Enveloping Shadows, by Lauren D.M. Smith

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Image belongs to Carina Press.

Lauren D.M. Smith is the author of The Emperor’s Arrow, winner of Harlequin’s 2015 So You think You Can Write contest. Her newest novel is Enveloping Shadows.

Terrwyn is a knight and the chief bodyguard of the princess. Her sword skills are all she needs. Until a stranger cloaked in darkness snatches the princess right in front of Terrwyn before she can even move. Now Terrwyn can no longer ignore the rumors of monsters and dark monsters as she sets out to rescue the princess.

All alone and in an unfamiliar land, Terrwyn cannot afford to refuse help from the mysterious stranger who steps from the shadows. Zelek, full of secrets and after the same man who kidnapped the princess, is a shadow-whisperer intent on avenging his family. Together, he and Terrwyn must face Zelek’s old enemy and a sorceress with a demon at her side if they are to save the princess and repay a debt from Zelek’s past,

I loved the premise of this book, and Zelek’s power was intriguing—he can talk to shadows! I also loved the idea of Terrwyn being a female knight, and that being no big deal at all in this world, even if slightly unusual. Zelek on the whole was a far more interesting character than Terrwyn, whom I found to be somewhat inconsistent:  experienced with men yet super shy with Zelek (this was more on the “Ah, how cute!” level than anything.), a stellar warrior who runs into situations without thought, super focused yet oblivious to the obvious at times. I liked the world itself a lot, and would be interested in reading more set in it, but the character inconsistencies and the caricature villains were troublesome for me.

(Galley provided by Carina Press.)

What I Read in November

Late again, as usual, but I had a week’s vacation in November, so I read a lot (It was great.).

The 20 books I read in November:

As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner. (Classic book for the month.)

did-i-mention-i-miss-you

Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame. (Read to review)

Uncle Vanya, by Anton Chekhov. (For school.)

Tamer of Horses, by Amalia Carosella (Will review.)

To Capture What We Cannot Keep, by Beatrice Colin. (Will review.)

every-mountain-made-low

Every Mountain Made Low, by Alex White. (Read to review.)

unnatural-deeds

Unnatural Deeds, by Cyn Balog. (Read to review.)

no-witness-but-the-moon

No Witness but the Moon, by Suzanne Chazin. (Read to review.)

one-was-lost

One Was Lost, by Natalie D. Richards. (Read to review.)

the-cabin

The Cabin, by Natasha Preston. (Read to review.)

heir-of-thunder

Heir of Thunder, by Karissa Laurel. (Read to review.)

the-homecoming

The Homecoming, by Stacie Ramey. (Read to review.)

humble-roots

Humble Roots, by Hannah Anderson (Read to review.)

a-whole-latte-murder

A Whole Latte Murder, by Caroline Fardig. (Read to review.)

nutshell

Nutshell, by Ian McEwan. (Read to review.)

Cast in Flight, by Michelle Sagara. (Read because I love this series!)

unfolding

Unfolding, by Jonathan Friesen. (Read to review.)

Your Inner Fish, by Neil Shubin. (Book from the TBR pile.).

Gods at War, by Kyle Idleman. (Spiritual book for the month.)

Heavenly Help, by Sarah Bowling. (Bonus spiritual book or the month.)

 

Every Mountain Made Low, by Alex White

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Image belongs to Solaris.

Alex White is a born-and-raised Southern writer who likes Legos, racecars, and, of course, whiskey (He is Southern, after all.). Every Mountain Made Low is his first published novel.

Loxley Fiddleback is haunted.

She inherited her ability to see spirits, but the problem is, they can see her, too. They are drawn to her, and the pain from their touch is excruciating. Seeing ghosts is cruel and painful, and none more so than the spirit of her best friend, alive only a few hours ago.

Loxley isn’t cut out to solve a murder:   she lives near the bottom of a strip-mined pit of a city called “The Hole” and suffers debilitating anxiety and fear of strangers. But Loxley swears to revenge her friend’s murder, and soon uncovers a conspiracy that leads all the way to the top of The Hole. And her enemies are looking for her, too, especially a brutal enforcer named Hiram who will follow Loxley into the strange depths of the city to protect the secrets he’s been hired to safeguard.

Every Mountain Made Low has probably the most unique setting I’ve ever read. I was almost through with the book when I realized The Hole was in the American South (not that that really matters, just an observation). And Loxley is one of the most unique characters I’ve ever read, too. Her mental differences make her viewpoint sometimes-disorienting, but always intriguing, and I found the world both discouraging (because I could see our culture headed that way) and interesting (because it’s just so different). This book is well-worth reading!

(Galley provided by Solaris.)

Don’t Tell Anyone, by Eleanor Gray

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Image belongs to Midnight Ink.

Don’t Tell Anyone is the newest novel from Eleanor Gray.

Grace Neville lost her teenage daughter, Tara, months ago in a brutal murder. Now she watches numbly as Jordan Dukes is sentenced for the crime. While Grace still struggles to adjust to her new life, Jordan’s father approaches her, claiming that his son is innocent and that justice has landed on the wrong person. Jordan’s violent history in a gang makes Grace skeptical…until someone breaks into her home and goes through Tara’s things.

Now Grace is asking questions, questions that hint at dark secrets she never imagined. And someone will do anything to keep those secrets from getting out.

Don’t Tell Anyone is a fast-paced, engrossing read. Grace is a character I truly cared about, deeply scarred and struggling to find her way to shore before hidden secrets drag her back under. I was not prepared for the revelations she uncovered.

(Galley provided by Midnight Ink via NetGalley.)

Unnatural Deeds, by Cyn Balog

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Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Cyn Balog is a young adult author. Her newest novel is Unnatural Deeds.

Victoria Zell has never fit in. Not that she cares. She and her homeschooled boyfriend, Andrew, are inseparable, so Victoria doesn’t care about anyone else. Until Zachary Zimmerman shows up in her homeroom:  he’s gorgeous and popular, everything Victoria is not. Within the first hour, he convinces her to cut class, and now Victoria can’t get enough of that rush.

Even though Vic is loyal to Andrew, she is drawn to Z. But Z has secrets, and soon Vic is lying to everyone as she tries to unravel those secrets. Except Z isn’t the only one with secrets, and Vic’s past will come back to haunt her in its destructive rampage.

This book…I thought I knew where it was going. Seriously. All the signs pointed one way, and then we ended up completely off the map. I never saw the ending coming. Like, at all. Z and Vic are both great characters, and you’ll find yourself drawn into their mystery as they struggle to untangle it. You should definitely read this book!

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire.)

No Witness but the Moon, by Suzanne Chazin

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Image belongs to Kensington books.

Suzanne Chazin is the award-winning author of the Fire series and the Jimmy Vega novels. Her newest novel is No Witness but the Moon, the third Jimmy Vega novel.

Police detective Jimmy Vega is called to the scene of an upscale home invasion and sees a man fitting the description of the armed invader fleeing into the woods. Jimmy follows, and when the suspect reaches into his pocket, is forced to make the decision no good cop wants to make:  to shoot or not to shoot.

Jimmy’s choice upends lives in the New York community, as well as Jimmy’s relationship with his girlfriend, Adele, head of a local immigrant center. Jimmy’s investigation uncovers links between the dead man and his own mother’s brutal, unsolved murder, and Jimmy’s status as a disgraced cop only lends further scrutiny to his action. Jimmy’s discovery of shocking evidence makes him realize that someone doesn’t want the truth about what happened out there, and that someone will do anything to stop him finding out.

No Witness but the Moon is fiction about the issues of today, including racial profiling, immigration, and cop shootings. As such, it feels very relevant and on-point, but it also explores the way the media portrays events to suit its need for a sensational story…not the need to tell the truth. Jimmy Vega is a good character:  he’s a good cop forced to make a hard choice, and dealing with the consequences of his actions as he accepts the responsibility while also struggling to find out the truth.

(Galley provided by Kensington via NetGalley.)

Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame

did-i-mention-i-miss-you
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Estelle Maskame is the author of the Wattpad sensation Did I Mention I Love You? trilogy. Did I Mention I Miss You? is the final book.

Eden hasn’t spoken with Tyler in over a year. After he left her, she started a new life at a school in Chicago, and tried to forget about Tyler. Now she’s just angry at him, and she never wants to speak to him again. But back in Santa Monica for the summer, it’s hard to forget Tyler when she’s surrounded by things that remind her of him.

And she’s not the only one who returns to Santa Monica. Tyler has made a new life for himself, and he wants Eden in it. Eden is confused by this new Tyler, and she’s not sure if she can ever forgive him. But when family conflict draws them together, Eden must decide if Tyler is worth everything he’s put her through.

Okay, I’ll admit it:  cheesy high school movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. Think Ten Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance. I also love reading books like that, and the DIMILY trilogy fits nicely in there. It’s been fun seeing Eden and Tyler change and grow throughout the books, and this is an enjoyable ending to a series I liked.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)