Jax & Marbles by Jacqueline Lorraine Conwell

DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:

Things in life don't always go as planned, especially when it comes to certain life events. That was something Julian and Alexia were learning the hard way.
Passing away at a young age was something that had caught Julian off guard.
Losing touch with her best friend had left Alexia feeling lonely and confused.
Both felt alone in two completely different worlds, not sure if they would ever come across someone they could truly trust and depend on.
But then one fateful evening, Julian was given the chance of a lifetime to fill an empty void in someone's life - while getting a second chance to live the one he'd lost.



MY REVIEW:

*Between Okay And Good*

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The concept and sentiment behind the story are both alluring and touching. Some of the descriptions painted very nice scenes. Most of the characters are interesting, especially the way "G" is portrayed differently from different people's perspective.
It started out slowly for me, and I was mixed up from the beginning because the story is told back and forth between Julian and Alexia's view points - which I didn't understand right away, and after I realized that was happening it still became confusing for me at times. It also seemed to drag in places where there was more "telling" than showing by action or with dialogue.

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Browse. Click. Love. (Novel Adventures) by Cherie Kay

DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:

Cady has everything a young professional could want - a condo in Florida, fantastic friends, a job she doesn't hate, and an eye for fashion. Still bruised after a surprise break-up, she is looking for love and the meaning of life, disguised as an assignment for work. Her adventure into online dating is full of outrageous situations, epic embarrassment, heartwarming friendships, and a surprise insight or two along the way. Cady discovers that the dating world is as confusing as we are. This is her story of love, life and the pursuit of a decent date, fake or otherwise.


MY REVIEW:

This was a quick and easy read, unique in its cavalier approach to honestly real embarrassing moments. I have read similar plots a few times this year, but, I won't expand on it too much because I don't want to give any spoilers. Some of the characters and events were way over the top, none the less it was an entertaining ride through Cady's mishaps and adventures; it reminded me of a sitcom. I enjoyed it.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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"Hidden" by Lucy Flood

DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:


When your ex husband is a frightening psychopath and your new husband ends up mysteriously dead, it would seem logical to wonder... But Kate truly hadn’t. She had buried her tracks so deeply. And Lex’s death had seemed a tragic accident... Until now. 

In the space of three nights everything changes. A frightening encounter with a stranger on a lonely roadside, a prowler in the house when she returns home, a body found hanging in the bush... 

Fear prods Kate into action. Has he found her after all these years? Was Lex’s death really an accident? She has to pull herself together and tamp down the impulse to cut all her ties and run as far and fast as she can. 

Lots of people have secrets. This doesn’t have to be about her. How much did she know about Lex, really? 

Do people with a past somehow find each other?


MY REVIEW:

This book had elements of great suspense. Some of the plot ideas were brilliant. I felt like two different books could have been made from this one, both with promising story lines and thrilling suspense, perhaps even made a good series: (1. featuring her life before, with, and after Wade- and will he hunt her down and get revenge? 2. Her life with Lex, his death and the mysteries surrounding it), but thrown in together it made for a difficult read. Too many characters to keep track of who weren't memorable. Too many very strange things happening. Too many crazy people for one story.
I couldn't understand why Kate would drink so much. If I was terrified- as she was - about her past catching up with her, I would want to be fully alert at all times. Her behaviors were highly unlikable, especially when she sleeps with someone she describes as ugly and repulsive? Yuck. But, I suppose she didn't like herself very much either.
There were also too many long descriptions and repetitious paragraphs through out the book describing Kate's thoughts and fears. Once I knew she was afraid and worried about her ex husband catching her, or how much she missed Bali, or how she contemplated running to a new place to start over one more time - I didn't need to read it several more times in long detail. I started skipping over those paragraphs.
We know throughout the book that Kate is hiding from her first husband who tried to kill her. Because there was so much going on in the investigating of Kate's second husband's past, I suspected the twist to come and so was deflated instead of surprised by the end. I don't want to explain it deeper because it may ruin the read for you if you find it enjoyable and unpredictable as some have.
At the end of the book things turn around and I did find Kate's character more likable, more respectable.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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What the Faeries Left Behind by Amber Michelle Cook

DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:

After coming home from a monotonous office job to the apartment where she lives alone, thirty-something Abigail Watson is having a tough day in a hard week in a rotten month, and don’t even get her started on the year. Until that night when something wonderfully impossible shows up at her door and rings the bell insistently.

You’re not supposed to answer the door late at night to strangers who come knocking unannounced, right? 

Right. But Abigail does,

Because how can you be scared of someone with translucent wings like those of a dragonfly?

WHAT THE FAERIES LEFT BEHIND is an urban fairy tale ‘antidote’ to those times when the dullness and drudgery of grown-up life seems inescapable, and to the misconception that wonder and play are just for children.



MY REVIEW:

The meaning, message, or moral of this story was a good one - wonder and play are not just for children. My favorite scene in the story involved childhood fun with bubbles. It was descriptive and really hit home. The faeries coming in and switching babies - interesting. However, the rest of the story had me kind of confused at times. I didn't really get why they were switched, or why they had to switch back. I think Abigail was talking to herself and telling the story at the same time which added to my confusion. It was also much shorter than I thought it would be when I started reading it. It said it was only at around 60% when the story ended and the rest of the "book" contained author information and excerpts from other work.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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Olivia's Choice by Taylor Grace

DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:


When her boss asks her to complete a project that takes her back to the annax city, Olivia’s lifelong avoidance of the race comes to an abrupt end. The last thing she needs is the arrogant son of the annax leader as a co-worker. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she gets. To make matters worse, the pesky tionnax, sworn annax enemies, decide to butt in and capture Olivia. They hurt her so badly that Baphrem can only save her by turning her into what she fears most, an annax. Now, Olivia has to decide: can she love the man who made her worst nightmare come true?


MY REVIEW:

Olivia ran from her past and took refuge in a human foster home with loving but very religious parents. I could tell right from the beginning something wasn't right and she just didn't fit. Once she was forced to return to the annax world she fought her roots and wanted to shape her own destiny. She went through seemingly insurmountable odds to figure out exactly what she was and where she belonged. Baphrem did everything in his power to claim her but his strong sense of right forced him to let her make her own decisions.

There were many great aspects of this book.
The main characters were strong and stubborn, but vulnerable in their own ways. They were interesting and intelligent. They had a spark between them that they couldn't overcome. (Some of their interactions seemed a bit childish or over the top - but for the most part it was entertaining.)
The annax world was fascinating in some respects, the trees and nature - the connection which annax people found.
The jakkars - a very sensually creative twist, even though I didn't really understand what they were- or how meaningful they were, until Olivia had hers.
And Bill - what can I say? Even the annax had their enemies. He was a great villain. He took advice from squirrels and had his own tortuous little world going on inside his head. I could almost feel sorry for the evil menace. He was a great addition to the story.

With all its positive points, it still had parts that felt stagnant and didn't seem to fit well with the rest of the book. The book truly and honestly needs another go round on the editing. There were many typos, missing words, and superfluous words. I think with strong editing the book would be at least 4 stars.

I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally written for The Bookie Monster

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Next of Sin by Lisa Gordon

DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:

A string of murders dating back to 1987 and in all that time only one witness and she doesn't even know she's a witness!

A strange recurring dream is haunting you; you see a psychologist and a psychic as your try to figure it out. Then......it hits you; the memory floods back! Suddenly everything you thought you knew about yourself, your family and your past is cast into doubt.

Someone you love is a KILLER.

But who will believe you? He is popular, successful, charming and credible. The police will say that you have no evidence. People will call you mad, paranoid or vindictive.

You select your allies with great care, as there are few you dare trust in this duplicitous new world.

You set about assembling the evidence: secretively and urgently, before he strikes again. However, he gets wind of your suspicions and this time when he kills, it's someone very close to you, someone who knows the truth.

Suddenly you realise that you are up against more than just him, he has eminent and influential friends and the scales of justice are rigged against you.

What would you do? What will Gaby do?

A book that will make you wonder if you can ever trust anyone again and the safe answer.....is NO.


MY REVIEW:

You witnessed a murder when you were hardly more than a toddler and you don't remember? I'll buy that. You're depressed and can't uncover the source of discontent until you indulged in a controlled substance and the memories flooded back? Okay. I'll bite. Your brother is a diabolical - and seemingly unstoppable - decades long serial killer, and you think you shouldn't tell anyone but your sister and then decide to take him on yourselves? Whooooaaaaa. Wait a minute.
This novel unraveled pretty quickly. Almost from the beginning the identity of the killer is known. Gaby had a lot of opinions based on nationalities or astrological signs that came across as annoying, but then, I think she was a flawed character. Perhaps it was to demonstrate how "stuck up" she was, and then her eventual change. I didn't like that Chantelle was a "dumb" blonde, well, I suppose that is incorrect. I didn't like that Chantelle specifically says she is nothing but a dumb glamour model so she would just follow Gaby's lead. I found Robbie's role as private detective in the story more interesting than Gaby's as the main character, even though it seemed too easy for him to gather all the information he needed. The dialogue was strange and sometimes distracting. Too many events and confrontations in the book were difficult for me to accept.
The story had its glowing moments and yes, the villain was extremely creepy, in fact, I think the villain was actually my favorite character in this book. He was smarter than everyone, and went for a very long time doing whatever he pleased without anyone being the wiser. If it wasn't for Gaby's slip under peer pressure to smoke a joint he may never have been found out. I felt he controlled the entire story.
I think the book got better towards the end, when the suspense built, other twists to the story unfolded that made Gaby's plight more difficult and forced you to wonder if Gaby would win and see justice or if she'd succumb to the same fate as those for whom she seeks revenge.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally written for The Bookie Monster

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"It's All In Your Mind" by Ann Herrick

DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:

Will Nolan change his bad-boy ways for Vija?

17-year-old Vija Skalbe wants to be an all-American girl--no matter how hard her parents try to impose their strict Latvian standards on her. Then one day Nolan, a folksinger, steals her heart at a coffeehouse.

Soon Vija is cruising from one adventure to another, dizzy with joy, her new-found freedom and the excitement of being with the kind of guy who is a challenge.

However, when Vija's father has a heart attack, she must take over running the family lawn-care business. She feels overwhelmed until sweet brainiac Joel volunteers to help. He shares the workload and lifts her spirits with his humor. But it is Nolan who fills her heart.

It doesn't matter that Nolan wants everything his way. Or that he's constantly eyeing other girls. Or that he can be pouty and punitive. Or that he says she's seeing things all wrong. Until it does matter. But Vija's dazzled and in so deep. The thing is, she likes the excitement of being with him--and maybe Nolan will change his bad-boy ways for her.


MY REVIEW:

This story rang through to me, as a woman who survived those teenage years and also as a parent who has hoped I've instilled enough confidence and direction in my children not to tolerate a lot of the things Veja put up with in the book. She thinks she knows what she wants - didn't we all- and the good looking, motorcycle riding, smoldering folk singer, Nolan, casts attention her way sending her head over heels. There is a lesson to be learned here - and it is a good one for any young adult no matter what year it is - about valuing yourself and discerning which relationships are solid, true, and worth cultivating versus those that are superficial, manipulative, and stifling.
I found the setting very interesting and the history and culture of Veja's family was a very positive point. Thoroughly entertaining. I recommend it!
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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"Hex, Death, & Rock 'N' Roll" by E. F. Watkins

DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:

Having barely survived a haunting in her own house, 30-something journalist Quinn Matthews has vowed never to get involved with the supernatural again. But her experiences awakened new psychic sensitivities that she can’t turn off. When she attends a performance by the rock group Mad Love, she witnesses a supposed accident that claims the life of a cameraman—except Quinn saw a shadowy figure commit the “crime.”


The band’s lead singer, Alan Bardot, asks Quinn to use her gifts to discover who has been trying to sabotage the band since its last tour. Soon, she finds herself entangled in the secrets, grudges and jealousies surrounding Mad Love. Are they really under a curse, as threatening messages have claimed? If someone is using occult means to get revenge, can Quinn find out who, why and how before she ends up a target herself? And finally, can her shaky relationship with her reporter boyfriend survive her spending so much time with a sexy rock star?


Genres: Paranormal / Mystery / Detective / Series


MY REVIEW:

I was completely entertained by this book. Even though it was in a series, it stood on its own. I didn't find myself lost or confused. The main character was strong and smart, and a little bit psychic. I enjoyed the paranormal aspect of Quinn's character. The book lived up to its title, there was a "Hex", a "Death" & some "Rock 'N' Roll". The band, Mad Love, had been having too many accidents for it to be considered coincidence and wanted to offer Quinn a deal - If she uncovered who was responsible for all the trouble the band was having then she would get to write her dream article about lead singer Alan Bardow's apartment for a prestigious magazine that had been seeking Alan's permission to feature his home for some time. Even though they ask Quinn to help, Alan is holding back some secrets that Quinn won't let go uncovered. Some things in this book gave me a chill, if you believe in the possibility of curses, shadowy figures, premonitions, and things that go bump in the night, you'll probably experience it too. A seedy underworld, a controversial lifestyle, father/son clashes, friends feeling betrayed, a little crushing on a gorgeous rock star, a crazy fan - How will Quinn work through all of these things and stay balanced in her own life with her job and her boyfriend? Read and find out. I recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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