Waking in Time by Angie Stanton

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Waking in Time by Angie Stanton! Abbi has recently lost her grandma to cancer and now Abbi is determined to attend her grandma’s Alma-mater in Madison, Wisconsin, even though her mother will be left alone in Ohio. Abbi receives a package from her mother that contains notes and photographs of her grandma’s. One of the photos shows someone who looks just like Abbi standing next to her young grandma. Abbi drinks at a party with her friends and the next morning, she wakes up in her dorm room but the year is 1983! Next, she wakes up in 1970! Each morning, she awakens in a different time. In 1970, she finally meets someone who knows what she’s going through, Professor Smith, her physics professor. She doesn’t get any helpful information and a few days later she wakes up in 1961! In 1961, Abbi meets Will, a fellow time traveler. But where Abbi is traveling to the past, Will travels to the future. Will knows Abbi well and apparently they have a close, romantic relationship. When she wakes up in 1951, her young grandma happens to be her roommate. Next, Abbi wakes up in 1930. Will and Abbi meet and fall in love. They try to conquer the time travel issue so they can stay together, but it seems that no matter what they do, time travel is inevitable for the both of them.
I especially like the author’s information about historical facts contained in the story and the personal connection that the author based the story on. Complex and suspenseful – 4 stars!

House of Silence by Sarah Barthel

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review House of Silence by Sarah Barthel! Isabelle is happily engaged to Gregory after spending the required year of mourning after her father’s death. Then she witnesses Gregory committing a fatal act, but he creates a believable story that makes him look like a hero, so no one believes Isabelle when she tries to convince them that Gregory is a murderer. Out of desperation and for her own safety, she is sent to Bellevue Sanitarium where she befriends Abraham Lincoln’s widow and gains allies in her fight against Gregory. A historical fiction mystery that takes place in the late 1800’s. I enjoyed the characterization and the deception of the antagonist along with the suspense – 4 stars!

First Contact by Kat Green

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to YABoundBookTours for the opportunity to read and review First Contact by Kat de Falla and Rachel Green (Kat Green)!
First Contact marks the beginning of the Haunts for Sale series. Sloane is a paranormal real estate agent that searches for haunted houses that her customers want to purchase. She’s using this guise to search for her fiance, Michael, who was killed by a drunk driver just weeks before their wedding. He had a motto for being patient and now Sloane is following it to search for him: “…be patient and if things weren’t working out, give it a year and a day.” This is now Sloane’s mantra to keep her going. The haunting mystery holds suspense and creepiness throughout the whole story. The romance factor adds a nice, warm touch to the spooky tale. Lovable protagonists and horrible antagonists kept me on my toes! I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to anyone wanting a macabre, spooky adult read!

Finding Kyler by Siobhan Davis

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Finding Kyler by Siobhan Davis involves an intense plot and new adult content that make this story racy and not for the faint of heart or prudish. The main character loses her parents in a drunk driving accident and is forced to live with her uncle and his family. She didn’t even know of the uncle’s existence until she learns he is now her legal guardian. Reminiscent of Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews, I can see this becoming a very popular series with its controversial content. Siobhan Davis’ writing is well done and cohesive with believable characters and true angst, 4 stars!

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland drew me in with the beautiful cover and my interest built with the synopsis. The mysterious Grace and the non-mysterious Henry are chosen to be the senior editors of the school newspaper. Grace flat out says no! The intrigue of Grace and the nonchalance of Henry pulled me into the story immediately. Complicated characters, complex lives and an emotional roller coaster make this book therapeutic. This young adult story is charming and endearing, romantic and humorous, and tragic, all at the same time. Wow! What a read! 5 stars for cleverness and un-put-down-ability! The author’s reference page is charming also. Highly recommended!

 

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review The Amateurs by Sara Shepard! This new series by the well-known author of Pretty Little Liars impressed me. The mysterious disappearance and murder of a teenage girl goes unsolved for five years and then a group of online detective teenagers, that are part of the website known as the Case Not Closed group, decides they want to solve the mystery. Brett, Aerin (the victim’s sister), Maddox and Seneca each have their own tragedy that they are dealing with. They are a team full of teen angst and have to struggle and come to terms with each other to work well together. Dangerous events threatening their lives make them wonder if they should stop investigating and if they are getting closer to solving the mystery. The twists are fun and unpredictable and include a cliffhanger ending that left me anxious for the sequel. It’s nice to have a modern mystery fiction series for young adults to enjoy-5 stars!

The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read and review The Fallen Kingdom, book three in The Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May! Derrick, Kam’s pixie friend, continues to give comic relief to the dire circumstances of the fae and human realms. Kam comes to life without any knowledge or memories of who she is or was. She’s lost and wanders until Derrick finds her. The overwhelming power that has been given to Kam makes her angry and extremely strong. So angry that she harms Derrick. Kam’s memories return and she learns about a book that can alter time and reverse all of the violence, destruction and killing that has occurred. She wants to bring her mother back and all the people that have lost their lives during the fae battles. No matter what choice she makes, Kam will lose someone. Complex characters, complete world building and a roller coaster of emotions make me love this fantasy steampunk series – 5 stars!

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read and review The Vanishing Throne, the second book in The Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May! Kam awakens from the terrible realization that the fae have been released only to find herself captive to Lonnarch, who keeps her imprisoned and takes her blood over and over so he can sift through her memories. Kam escapes and is eventually reunited with those she loves only to discover the many intricacies of their lives and her relationships with them. She also learns more about her own history and has to make decisions that will affect the light and dark fae kingdoms, as well as the human realm. My rating is 5 stars for the adventure, world building and romance!

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Falconer, book one of The Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May, is interesting from the first page! The main character, Kam, is listening to gossiping ladies talk about how she supposedly killed her mother. This intrigued me plenty, but then Faeries are introduced into the story. Kiaran is an intriguing, enigmatic and mysterious faerie. Gavin is an old friend who plunges headfirst into danger and into the fae world with Kam. I enjoyed the dynamics between Gavin and Kam and Kam and Kiaran, the banter pulled me into the story even more. I’m curious about Kiaran’s whole being, past and purpose. The fae vocabulary, the detailed bestiary at the end of the book, the descriptions of the struggles Kam deals with and the beautiful characters make this book hard to put down – 5 stars!

Botanical Beauty by Aubre Andrus

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Botanical Beauty: 80 Essential Recipes for Natural Spa Products by Aubre Andrus! This book contains abundant information categorized into different sections of the body: hands and feet, full body, face and hair. Each section contains recipes to pamper and beautify. The recipes go beyond commonly seen to ingenious creations and ideas. The lotion bar is the first recipe I want to make once I get my own copy of this book because, yes, I pre-ordered it! The helpful, natural and easy to follow recipes and instructions are accompanied by detailed photographs and this book includes descriptions of ingredients, container ideas and where to purchase them, thorough directions and it even has diy nail art and nail wraps, which I wasn’t expecting. The do-it-yourself ideas include the chemical (nail serum to toothpaste) and also material (creaseless hair ties to spa wraps)! Botanical Beauty earns a 5 star review from me while I patiently wait for publication and my copy to arrive!