Small Spaces by Katherine Arden Review

Small Spaces

by Katherine Arden

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I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Losing a parent is never easy, so when 11-year-old Ollie loses her mother she turns to books for comfort. One night Ollie finds a lady crying and trying to throw a book into the river. Ollie grabs the book from the woman and runs. Once she is home with it safely, she starts reading the story about a woman named Beth, her farm and the two men that loved her. The next day Ollie's class go on a field trip to a local farm. Things seem to be perfectly normal until the bus tries to drive home and the bus stops working suddenly. Driven by a creepy suspicion that something is about to happen, Ollie sneaks away from the bus. Followed by two of her friends, she faces the woods and all the creepy scarecrows. Now Ollie must find out if she is simply suspicious or if there is something more sinister happening at the farm. 

I thought this book was entertaining. It was a fun little tale with good characters. I really like Ollie, she was... something else. She had quite a few good traits and I loved her personality. Coco and Brian were also good characters. The way their friendship came into being and blossomed was satisfyingly fleshed out. I felt the entire story was fleshed out well for a middle grade read. 

I found Small Spaces to be a fun and creepy read. I loved how it had the creepy factor without being actually scary. It's the perfect Halloween book for those middle grade readers who don't want anything too scary.

They Come At Night by Nick Clausen Review

They Come At Night

by Nick Clausen

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this review are my own.

When four friends take a trip to a cabin for some fun they never expected to get caught in the big secret of the town. The neighbors refuse to talk about it. Except one neighbor kid who tries to warn them, but they don't listen. When the night falls.. they wish they had. 

This book was so beyond creepy! Living on an island, I found Clausen's version of, what I would consider, an aquatic take on vampires to be slightly horrifying. The writing was good. For me the story had slow progression but in the creepiest of ways. I found myself waiting for something to jump out of the book at me which kept me continuously creeped out throughout the story.

It's short, it's quick, and it's completely scary. If that is what you're looking for than I strongly recommend this story. 

Moses & Mac by Franca Pelaccia Review

Moses & Mac

by Franca Pelaccia

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

All Mackenzie Braden wanted was for somebody, anybody at all, to remember her birthday. Instead, however, she receives a letter and a package from her Aunt Sara who died almost thirty years ago. The package contains a figure of Moses, his rod and a letter telling Mackenzie very little, just that she wants her to find the most powerful weapon in history, Moses' Rod. With the help of the VAS and a sexy pilot Mackenzie goes on the adventure of her otherwise boring life. When she decides this sexy pilot is a gift from the birthday gods and takes him for herself, a whole new version of Mackenzie is born, a badass version who won't soon be forgotten. 

The characters were fun and enjoyable. I loved Mackenzie. I loved how when Mackenzie became the badass version of herself she remained feminine. While being tough enough to fight bad guys and take on her new adventurer role she still loved all the pretty designer things in life. Her personality was adorable, she was funny and charming and I just really liked reading about her.

It was a nice, easy to read, enjoyable book. It had action, adventure, magical relics, spies, rocket launchers, and so much more all tied in to make an interesting story that kept me entertained throughout the book. The writing was good. There wasn't too much unnecessary filler. Overall it was a good story.

I absolutely enjoyed this book so much. If there is ever a second book to this series I will most definitely be reading it. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for an action packed adventure with a strong female lead. 

I Can't Tell You Why by Elaine Robertson North Blog Tour

I Can't Tell You Why

by Elaine Robertson North

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Dani is a smart, successful, independent woman. Despite her qualities Dani isn't without deep rooted issues. She ends up having an affair with her client, Alex, who is also a married man. We watch as Dani figures out how to handle her affair after beginning a relationship with Sean, a paparazzi photographer who would love nothing more than to bust Alex and whoever he has been messing around with.

I Can't Tell You Why is told through the perspective of an all seeing narrator. What I did like about this perspective is that we were able to see things from an objective perspective. What I didn't like was that we never got to get an in depth perspective on what the main characters were thinking and feeling throughout the story line.

I found the writing to be good, however, the author uses cliche phrases throughout the story. I didn't enjoy them and I thought they put a damper on the tone. For example:

“Billy sighed as he watched him go, knowing as he turned his back on the frying pan that he had no choice but to head for the fire.”

I found at the time when this was said it was a serious and sad moment for the character and this just kind of ruined it for me. I found it went from dramatic to a little bit cheesy. There are a few others throughout the book but this one annoyed me the most.

I really didn't like Dani. I found myself wanting to shake her and just yell at her to stop causing her own problems. To me Dani was a very selfish person who I couldn't relate to. There was something in particular that happened in the book and I felt like she brought it on herself, actually everything that happened to her from the time period to where the book started to where it ended was her own fault.

I hated the cheating and I really didn't like Dani but I did enjoy this book. There was something about it that made me feel content to just read it. It wasn't an “OMG I couldn't put it down!” read, and it did take a little longer to get through than I would of liked but it was definitely something I enjoyed. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a mindless read who isn't turned off by the cheating troupe.

Purchase Links - https://amzn.to/2JmRj2L

Author Bio

Elaine spent 25 years working in marketing and communications in the media and entertainment industries. This included seven years marketing national newspapers and a variety of senior executive roles in TV, radio and film. I Can’t Tell You Why is her first novel.

Elaine lives in North London with her husband and their two sons. When she’s not writing, she can be found looking harassed on the school run, cheering on the side lines of her sons’ football matches or singing her heart out at her local branch of Popchoir.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @elainerobertsonnorth

Instagram: @elaine_robertson_north

Twitter: @RobbieNorth

When We Believed In Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal Review

When We Believed In Mermaids 

by Barbara O'Neal

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I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Kit Bianci believed her sister was dead, that is until she saw her on the television news 15 years later. Kit decides to travel to New Zealand and find her sister Josie and get some sort of explanation or closure. When the two sisters are reunited all their dark secrets are revealed. They will have to share all of them in order to move on and fix the broken relationships. 

I found this book to be very slow to start and was almost halfway through the book before I started to enjoy it. I found Kit's romance and Josie's Sapphire House were used as filler during the first portion of the book. I get that Kit's romance needed to be there to show her guard weakening but it could have been shortened. I didn't see any purpose in the all the parts about Sapphire House. I don't feel like they added anything to the story and I feel like this book wouldn't have been missing anything had it of been left out completely. 

I liked how the book was told in the perspective of both sisters. The perspective keeps switching between the sisters per chapter, each picking up where the last one left off. I think it added emotion and depth to the characters as it allowed the reader to know what they were thinking about major points in the story. 

So, I ended up being slightly disappointed with this book. While the ending was partially redeeming, I expected a lot more from it. Is it possible that I hyped this book up too much to myself and it's my own fault I didn't enjoy it more? Yes it is. I consider this a lesson learned. 

● Reader Problems Book Tag ●

Reader Problems Tag!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I am going to be doing the Reader Problems Book Tag! I saw this book tag done by Erin @ The Book Nut and I thought it would be super fun to do. So here it goes! 

1. You have 20,000 books in your TBR, how in the world do you decide what to read next?

If I have any reviews coming up within a few weeks I try to get those done first. If not, I'll just spin my TBR Wheel on my phone and go with that! 

2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?

Honestly, this depends on my mood. If I'm in a blah mood before I start I'll probably just put it down. I may pick it up again later depending on how much and why I wasn't loving it to begin with. 

3. The end of the year is coming and you’re behind on your reading challenge, do you try to catch up? And if so, how?

I do try to catch up. I switch to graphic novels and novellas as they take up less time to read. 

4. The covers of a series you love do not match, how do you cope?

This doesn't bother me. I usually buy my books second hand so all the books in a series usually do not match anyways. 

5. Everyone and their mother loves a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?

My youngest sister. 

6. You’re reading a book in public and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?
I put the book down, take a deep breath and concentrate really hard on not crying until I can continue. 

7. The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?
Probably not. If I don't have a review done up for that book I will go read reviews with spoilers as a refresh. 

8. You do not want anyone to borrow your books, how do you politely say no when someone asks?
I tell them I don't loan out my books. 

9. You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?
I take a break for a couple days. If that doesn't work I pick something totally different than anything I would normally read and force myself through it. 

10. There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read, how many do you end up buying?
I don't really buy brand new books off the shelves. If I can't get an arc I'll try to get it from the library. 

11. After you purchase all of these books that you’re dying to read how long do they sit on your shelves before you get to them?

It depends on how bad I want to read them and if I have any other reading commitments to tend to. I've had books sit for years before I read them and books sit for less than 24 hours before I started reading them. 

Thank you for reading! I tag all of my fellow bloggers! As always I'd love to hear your thoughts on these questions in the comments below! 

See you on the moon! 

Angel Of Shadow by D.H. Nevins Review

Angel Of Shadow

by D.H. Nevins

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In this book we get to see a continuation in the lives of Kali and Tiamat. This time we get to experience life for the Nephilim after they believe the Earth has been fully cleansed and all the humans have gone to face God for their judgment. We also get to watch Kali discover her powers and she tries to find out who she is and how she can live with her connection to the shadows. Kali, Tiamat and the other Nephilim are all but doomed now that the cleanse is believed to be finished. With no future to speak of they must find a way to continue on as they learn who they can trust and who they can't.

This is the second book in the Wormwood Trilogy. After reading the first book I was excited to continue on with Kali and Tiamat and learn more about their fate. I wasn't disappointed as once again Nevins gave me an interesting tale full of more forbidden love, more action, more adventure, more betrayal and a pretty epic fight scene. This second novel definitely lived up to the first one and I think Nevins did a great job on it.

I found there were places where I couldn't put this book down and then places where it seemed to drag on and on. I think the book could have been a bit shorter and benefited from having some of the filler left out. If you enjoy books on the longer side you might consider this a plus.

Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm glad to of read more about Kali and Tiamat. I look forward to reading the third book in the series once it is released.

To read my review on Wormwood, the first book in the Wormwood Trilogy, click HERE.

☆ Emerald Tablet Series Double Cover Reveal ☆

☆☆Emerald Tablet Series☆☆

☆☆Double Cover Reveal☆☆

The Emerald Tablet Omnibus Edition; three books in one.

Shaun can’t shake the deep anger over his mother’s death. But when his father’s desperate actions release parasitic hell-beasts upon the world, he has a much bigger fight on his hands.

Kevin hoped his country would be immune to the pandemic turning everyday people into psychopaths. But as his horror grows, an incredible new power could be the only thing that prevents Earth’s destruction.

Sophia is terrified of God’s plan for her. Plagued by visions of planetary devastation, she prays she can reach her allies in time to save humanity.

As doomsday approaches, can the teens accept their destiny in time to protect their world?

The Emerald Tablet: Omnibus is three books of dark speculative fiction in one. If you like brave teenage heroes, intriguing mystical connections, and apocalyptic international settings, then you’ll love JM Hart’s incredible collection.

Buy The Emerald Tablet to unlock the adventure today!

Purchase Link: 

http://books2read.com/The-Emerald-Tablet-Omnibus-book-1-2-3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QH8KWDZ 

Reduced price for a limited time: $4.99 ebook only on Amazon  

Convergence

As doomsday approaches, can the teens accept their destiny in time to protect their world?

Seven special teens. A deadly ancient evil. Can they combine their unique powers and halt the infection before humanity is obliterated?

Shaun is dying. The plane’s engine is failing.  Kevin must open a portal to catch the falling plane and save Shaun's life.

Sophia is terrified of God’s plan for her. Plagued by visions of planetary devastation, she prays Shaun and Kevin can reach her in time to save humanity.

Convergence book three in The Emerald Tablet Series

Purchase Link - http://books2read.com/Convergence-book-3-in-the-emerald-tablet-series

For a limited time only book one, of the trilogy Shadows of Doubt is only  $1.00 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K69DXG4

Author Bio –

JM Hart was born in Sydney, Australia and has been a storyteller from a young age, with a particular interest in horror and things that go bump in the night.  Favorite authors include Stephen King, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, to name but a few.  After being told at the age of 11 that writing about dead bodies and newlyweds dying in a plane crash was unbecoming, JM’s life was instead directed towards bookkeeping and finance.

For the next twenty years, immersed in a point-of-sale advertising company, JM occasionally wrote advertising blurbs, learnt how to ride a motorcycle, taught color physiology to spiritual mediums, meditation and relaxation, studied Religions, Kabbalah, tarot cards, astrology, creative and professional writing, philosophy and volunteered at palliative care, and worked on the local church newsletter – not quite the appropriate outlet for a writer interested in the supernatural. And she became a grandmother.

Social Media Links –

https://www.pinterest.com.au/jmhartwriter/

https://www.facebook.com/JM-Hart-Writer-208264706568204/

https://twitter.com/JMHartWriter

https://www.instagram.com/jmhartwriter/

 

Human Flesh by Nick Clausen Review

Human Flesh

by Nick Clausen

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

After having to cancel their ski trip when their father hurts his leg, Hugh and Otha end up visiting their grandfather instead. When they get there Otha notices her grandfather acting strange. Unfortunately, she never even suspected what was actually causing this strange behavior until it becomes too late and they have to face something more terrifying than they could ever imagine. 

The writing style of this book wasn't for me. It is written in a series of text messages, blog posts, e-mails and other medias. Despite my dislike for the style, I found the story had a really good flow. Once the truth starts unraveling, the story becomes extremely creepy. The characters were fine, they were fleshed out perfectly for what the story required. 

Overall, it wasn't a bad book at all. I think this would be a good read for fans of horror. Had the style of been different I think I would of enjoyed it a lot more. With that said, I do recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick and creepy read. It's definitely thrilling, scary and enjoyable. 

Beau & Bett by Kathryn Berla Review

Beau & Bett

by Kathryn Berla

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I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

When Beau LeFrancois' mother gets into a car accident with Bettina Diaz, Beau ends up working off their debt at the Diaz Farm due to the LaFrancois' having no car insurance and no money to pay for damages. Bettina is known by her school as "The Beast" and has no actual friends. While working at the Diaz Farm, Beau gets to know Bett and starts to wonder if maybe she is not as bad as he's heard. 

I thought this book was well written, for the most part. There were a couple odd parts in the book, like when book is calculating how much time he has left in his head, but it didn't take anything away from the story for me. I found the story itself to be enjoyable even though it's not normally something I'd reach for. The characters had slight dimensions making them more then flat characters, however, they could have used just a little more depth. 

I enjoyed how light and fun this book was. I was able to get through it very quickly and found myself sad that it was over. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book as I'm not usually a fan of YA Romance or Beauty and The Beast. So what made me want to read this book? Honestly, the cover was what initially drew me in. Also, I've been wanting to read more fairytale retellings. I would definitely read more by this author and look forward to reading her other books. 

While I had some issues with the book, I really enjoyed it. It was light and fun and it was exactly what I needed at the time I read it. If you are looking for an in depth, life-changing YA romance, this is not the book for that. But if you just want a light quick read with a happy ending then I definitely recommend this book. 

Cake: A Novel by Nicole Brooks

Cake: A Novel

by Nicole Brooks

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I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Cake is the novel that asks us to look at ourselves and decide how much is too much. How selfish is too selfish, should we keep giving from ourselves until we have nothing left? 

Michelle gives her entire self. She gives herself to her daughter as a loving mother who protects her in every way she can. She is even willing to suffer if she believes it is for her daughters benefit. She gives herself to her abusive husband as his obedient housewife in exchange for financial security. Keely gives nothing. She was a stay home mom when he kids were small, but found it didn't make her happy so she changed her life. Her main priorities are her body, her fitness competitions and her gym. She gave away enough of her life and now she wants what makes her happy. When the two women's lives collide in more ways than one, can each learn a little about give and take for their own lives? Or are they stuck on the path they've been travelling forever? 

I flew threw the first (approx.) 75% of this novel and then I found it got so cliche and stereotypical. After that it slowed down for me. I also found the ending to be rushed and everyone's problems seemed to be solved with the snap of a finger in the most TV wrapped predictable way possible.

The characters were one dimensional. Each character was simply all one thing. Keely was self obsessed with no softer moments. Michelle was an obedient woman with no good days or bad days, just sad obedient days with her abusive husband. She has one or two moments where she seems to be standing up for herself but then she's only fine when she's rescued by the man. 

I did like that the book addressed certain issues, although I'm still unsure how I feel about the way they were addressed. I hate that Michelle was 'saved' by someone other than herself. I found that aspect to be quite disappointing as she never really learned to stand up for herself.

Overall, it wasn't a bad read. It's quick enough where even if you didn't like the story it doesn't feel like you wasted a lot of time on it. Would I recommend it? Yes, because despite the flaws I still think this book has some things that you can take away from it. 

Flowers In The Attic by V.C. Andrews Review

Flowers In The Attic
By V.C. Andrews

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When Corrine Dollanganger's husband dies unexpectedly she finds herself fleeing back to her childhood home at Foxworth Hall with her four children. Corrine had been taken off her father's will when she married an inappropriate suitor. Believing any children between Corrine and her husband would be evil, her father agrees to once again put her on his will if there were no children resulting from the marriage. In order to place herself back in her father's good graces before his death, Corrine and her mother hide the children in the attic until his passing. However, when they days turn into weeks, then months, then years the children finally realize if they are to be rescued it will not be by their mother and they're running out of time.

This was a book I read a few years ago after watching the first Flowers In The Attic movie. I was pleasantly surprised at the differences between the two and definitely enjoyed the book a lot more.

This book had a bit of everything twisted together to become a morbid and sometimes disgusting work of art. Andrews paints us a horrible tale with murder, incest, abuse and other acts of cruelty and insanity. I felt really bad for the children. The mothers main concern was her father's money and she would do anything to get it, even if she paid for it with her children's lives.

Overall, I really liked this book. I found the writing to be an older style but I think it worked well with the contents of the book. I enjoyed watching everything unfold to see just how dark and crazy the story would become. It was an interesting read and I did end up binge reading the entire series, which wasn't something I usually did during the time I read this book. If you've enjoyed this book I do recommend finishing the series as there are so many dark family secrets shared within the five books. The fifth books actually relates to this one and just adds one more kick to the series. 

The Rose, The Night, and The Mirror by Mark Lingane

The Rose, The Night, and The Mirror

by Mark Lingane

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

The book is a creepy little tale told in 3 parts titled (1) The Rose, (2) The Night and (3) The Mirror. In the book we follow a man named Julian as he arrives at his first real job away from home. He is employed by Mr. Victor Renault to home-school his children. He ends up having an affair that could cause scandal for his employer and is consequently fired and sent to work at the church. One thing leads to another and he ends up in the arms of a sex bot. Where it goes from there you will have to read for yourself.

Being under 100 pages, this was a fairly quick read. The writing itself was great. The story was ummm.. something else. I found it to be quite dark and morbid but very entertaining. The ending had me thinking “what did I just read?” and it's just left me dumbfounded. I was engaged from start to finish and I hated to put it down. This story has sex, humiliation, obsession and a completely messed up ending.

I think if you are into creepy weird reads that leave you stunned this might just be for you. If you get uncomfortable with creepy sex and messed up situations I probably wouldn't recommend this book for you. I, however, loved it.