Spies, Lies, and Allies by Lisa Brown Roberts

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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An all-around good read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read and review Spies, Lies, and Allies by Lisa Brown Roberts! Laurel wants to spend more time with her father, so she convinces him to let her work at his company for the summer. Her job is to monitor and assist five interns vying for a one hundred thousand dollar scholarship from Emergent, her father’s company. Laurel is also supposed to get to know the interns well enough that she can make the deciding vote for the scholarship. She’s anxious about her assistant position and she’s worried about what the interns will think of her. The summer job becomes more than she bargained for and turns into a roller coaster of events and stress for Laurel, the interns and the entire company. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, their differences and their complexities. This book contains adventure, intrigue, humor, loyalty, compassion and friendship. The added fun of fandom and Comic Con will make all nerdy readers giddy. The characters are relatable and show depth and Spies, Lies and Allies is an all-around good read- 5 stars!

Spies, Lies, and Allies: A Love Story by Lisa Brown Roberts:

Summers are supposed to be fun, right? Not mine. I’ve got a job at my dad’s company, which is sponsoring a college scholarship competition. I just found out that, in addition to my job assisting the competing interns, I’m supposed to vote for the winner. Totally not what I signed up for.

 

My boss is running the competition like it’s an episode of Survivor. Then there’s Carlos, who is, well, very distracting––in a good way. But I can’t even think about him like that because fraternizing on the job means instant disqualification for the intern involved.

 

As if that’s not enough, an anonymous informant with insider intel is trying to sabotage my dad’s company on social media…and I’m afraid it’s working.

 

Much as I’d love to quit, I can’t. Kristoffs Never Quit is our family motto. I just hope there’s more than one survivor by the end of this summer.

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/spies-lies-and-allies-a-love-story.html

 

About Lisa Brown Roberts:

Award-winning romance author Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn’t recovered from the teenage catastrophes of tweezing off both eyebrows, or that time she crashed her car into a tree while trying to impress a guy. It’s no wonder she loves to write romantic comedies.  

Lisa’s books have earned praise from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and the School Library Journal. She lives in Colorado with her family, in which pets outnumber people. Connect with Lisa at www.lisabrownroberts.com.

Author Links:

Author Website: WWW.LISABROWNROBERTS.COM

Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LBROWNROBERTS

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorLisaBrownRoberts/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabrownroberts/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8287979.Lisa_Brown_Roberts

Newsletter: http://lisabrownroberts.us15.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=1f2f19aa89bc2b30b56c3d1f2&id=4accff162c

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Excerpt from Spies, Lies, and Allies:

“Let’s see where helping me on my project falls on this list.” Carlos picks up a pen and clicks it, eyeing me from underneath ridiculously long lashes.

Cautiously, I take a tiny step toward his desk so I can read the list.

“Number three.” I point to the napkin. “Teamwork.”

He nods and underlines the word. I notice he’s added numbers six through ten. Nothing is written next to those numbers, except for ten, next to which he’s drawn a smiley face.

“What’s that for?” I point to the smiley face. He leans back in his desk chair and grins up at me.

“Not sure yet.”

My heart throbs in my chest and my imagination is off and running, fantasizing about number ten.

Carlos points to number five: nicknames. “I think this is where we left off at lunch.” He clicks his pen repeatedly and I resist the urge to snatch it out of his hand. “I’d prefer not to be nicknamed for a pasta, but I gave you a cereal nickname, so…” He shrugs but keeps his eyes on mine.

“I…pasta…what?” He’s not making sense.

He bites his bottom lip, and I have no trouble picturing what will make me “smiley face” if we ever make it to number ten. Also, I’m pretty sure he’s a mind reader because his gaze drifts down to my lips, then back up to my eyes.

“The Manicotti. Who is it?” He glances across the room. “Elijah? He can be sort of cheesy.”

My mind analyzes his words, sliding them around like one of those puzzles where you have to move a string through twisted metal. And then it clicks.

“You read my notebook! You’re the one who—” Panic zings through me as I remember what I wrote about him, Carlos is trouble, and his editorial comment, True. Is Carlos adorable?

Apparently I’m not the only spy around here.

“Why’d you pick this desk?” I’m desperate to change the subject.

“I like the view.”

“But it’s better by the windows.”

“Depends on which view we’re talking about.” He gives me a cryptic smile, one that makes my stomach dip. “Anyway, I saved your notebook. You’re lucky no one else read your notes.”

Mortified and defiant, I cross my arms over my chest. “You didn’t have to read it. You could’ve just returned it.”

“I was just checking to make sure you’d listed all of Mr. Mantoni’s rules.”

“Uh huh.”

Across the room, Elijah stands up and stretches. He glances at us, an amused smirk twisting his lips like he knows something I don’t.

Carlos writes on the napkin again. Number six: healthy disagreement.

“You’re kidding, right?”

His responding grin packs more heat than it should.

“I think we’ve gone off track.” I’m proud of how calm I sound, even though my nerve endings are exploding like firecrackers.

Assassin’s America: Four Killers, Four Murdered Presidents, and the Country They Left Behing by Jessica Gunderson and Joe Tougas

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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A must for American history buffs! Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Assassin’s America: Four Killers, Four Murdered Presidents, and the Country They Left Behind by Jessica Gunderson & Joe Tougas. The true story is told in four parts, one for each president, describing the assassin and how our country may have been different without the assassination. A detailed report of each assassin and each president is followed by the description of the killing and the state of America and, finally, a timeline. I have read about the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy many times but never Garfield’s or McKinley’s. It saddens me to think the last two could have lived with better medical care. Very tragic. Informative and laid out in an interesting way, this book is a must for history buffs, 5 stars!

Graceful Exit by Gustavo Ferrer, M.D.

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Graceful Exit by Gustavo Ferrer, M.D. This self-help guide opens with advice and explanations on getting a proxy written up for medical treatment if you or your loved one cannot speak for yourself. Full of sound advice and needed information on the process of dealing with death and how to help take care of terminally ill loved ones. Includes information on healthcare options and how to handle the stress that goes along with this difficult part of life. Recently having been a part of this with my husband’s family, this book will be helpful for all family members involved, 5 stars.

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Mythological fantasy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for the opportunity to read and review Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser! Caroline and her father are smugglers that come across a tragic sight as they pull into a harbor; boats are ablaze and have been destroyed. The port was attacked by a ship passing through and no one understands the purpose of the attack. Papa is arrested for smuggling and Caroline makes a deal with the commander to deliver cargo, contents unknown, to Valonikos in exchange for Papa’s freedom. The cargo box is opened and Caroline finds a young man, Tarquin, inside. He’s supposed to be delivering a message about the assassination of the Emparch, a ruler. Caroline suspects that he’s not telling the complete truth. Eventually, Tarquin explains to Caroline who he really is. Once she hears his truth and they realize what’s at stake, their plans completely change. They now plan on going to a completely different place to save his sister. The danger increases and so does the death toll. The first part of the book shows the characters, their lives and builds the world of The Song of the Current. The second part brings action, intrigue and danger and I became concerned with the characters’ well being. The humor grows in the end also. The story ends with excitement for the future and anticipation for the sequel, Whisper of the Tide. 4 stars for this fantasy built with an author-created mythology!

Oregon & Washington: 50 Hikes with Kids by Wendy Gorton

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Adventures on the West Coast!
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review Oregon & Washington:50 Hikes For Kids by Wendy Gorton! This wonderful guide includes hikes under 4 miles, easy to moderate trails and scavenger hunts. The book is broken down into the sections of each state, Oregon and Washington, giving details for the specific areas and what outdoor fun is available for kids, acting as a guide to help with choosing the adventures by feature, season and the things needed to prepare for the great outdoors. The idea of taking a nature journal along the way is great to create a reminder of the adventures and can be used for taking notes on the scavenger hunts. The best book for planning outdoor adventures in the upper west coast of the United States, 5 stars!

Chibi!: The Official Mark Crilley How-to-Draw Guide!

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Draw your very own Chibi!
Thanks to NetGalley and F+W Media for the opportunity to read and review Chibi!: The Official Mark Crilley How-To-Draw Guide! This instructional book is narrated by a cute, humorous character with a fun name (made by a play on Japanese culture) in a comic/manga format. The sections are “Chibi Basics”, “Characters and Poses” and “Chibi Craft Projects” and give detailed instructions for drawing any Chibi you could ever want to draw. I love this book because it’s not limiting Chibi drawing to characters inside a story but gives a variety of inspiring ideas for your very own Chibi! I’m purchasing this book for the school library! 5 stars!

Life in the Sloth Lane: Slow Down and Smell the Hibiscus by Lucy Cooke

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Adorable and relaxing!
Thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Life in the Sloth Lane by Lucy Cooke! The book is full of wonderful photographs of sloths, that look like they’re smiling, naturally interspersed with appropriate and meaningful quotes and sloth facts. One of my favorite quotes from the book, “Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” -Sonia Ricotti. Another quote I love- “The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” -Eden Phillpotts. Profound wisdom! I smiled through the entire reading of this book and I’m sure my heart rate slowed to relaxation mode- adorable and inspiring! 5 stars !

Inferno by Julie Kagawa

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Inferno by Julie Kagawa! The fifth and final book of the Talon Saga opens with our heroes in the jungle, searching for a hope to help them fight against Talon’s clone forces. They discover Ouroboros, a centuries old dragon that believes Talon should fall. Once again, the story alternates through the points of view of Ember, Garret, Riley and Dante. This quote from Inferno is something all of us need to take to heart, “Words couldn’t hurt you; as long as you didn’t believe them, they meant nothing.” Put in present tense: words can’t hurt you; as long as you don’t believe them, they mean nothing; this quote becomes a mantra for helping us deal with the bombardment of negativity surrounding us daily. For some reason, negative comments seem to stick with us so much more strongly than positive comments. As I read Inferno, I stopped and realized how this book pulled me in just as the first four books of this series had, with suspense, intrigue, bravery, interesting characters and complete world building. I’m invested in the characters, to the very last page! Resolution, grief, determination, loyalty, friendship and love round out the Talon saga and build it into a fantasy that I plan on revisiting in its entirety, 5 stars!

Cakespell by Gaby Triana

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Cakespell by Gaby Triana tells a story about Rose. Rose loves baking and has aspirations of becoming a famous baker and opening her own shop someday. Her mother hates the idea of Rose baking or working and she wants Rose to only focus on her schoolwork so she can eventually support herself, be self-sufficient and independent. Rose decides to spend her time baking at her grandpa’s house and keeps it a secret from her mother. Her grandpa, who she calls Papa, is more than happy to have Rose at his home. Papa gives Rose all of her deceased grandma’s baking utensils and her special apron that Rose has wonderful memories of. Papa believes that Rose has special baking skills like her grandmother and he teaches her a special Cakespell that makes her baked goods help people fall in love. Rose’s creations are delicious and she begins to gain customers by the dozens. Cakespell is a cute, fun story that also deals with the heavier issues of self-image, losing a loved one, friendship struggles, setting and working toward goals, sportsmanship and lack of parental support. An enjoyable young adult read with crushes, humor and love that round out this adorable tale of baking with a bit of mischief, 4 stars!

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Family members left behind after a suicide face deep pain. Resources offering real help are included in this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review The Astonishing Color of After! The main character saw her mother’s suicide and believes that her mother has visited her as a bird. No one believes her even though she has physical evidence. Her and her father visit her maternal grandparents in Taiwan and even though they don’t speak much English, they believe that the bird is true. This book is difficult to categorize into a genre, but even though it has supernatural happenings throughout the story, I feel that this is still, above all, a realistic fiction tale. The deep pain that survivors of suicidal family members face is a real problem and an intense struggle that hasn’t been addressed as much as it’s needed. The Astonishing Color of After helps! Resources are included towards the end of the book for various needs of those dealing with depression, loss, suicide and/or suicidal thoughts. The resources are categorized under the following headings: Suicide Prevention, For Suicide Loss Survivors and Understanding Mental Illness. The cultural education and coping skills made the story more interesting and I love Axel and the great friend that he is to Leigh and I appreciate the author’s honesty about her own experiences of being a suicide survivor. 4 stars!