Shades of Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Blink for the ARC of Shades of Doon by Carey Corp! I didn’t enjoy the beginning of this book as much as I did Doon and Destined for Doon. It took me 100 pages to become interested in the story and for it to really get going. The first part of the book was too cutesy for me and contained too many plugs for Disney movies. I love Disney, but that did get annoying. Once the action started, I enjoyed it immensely. The story came alive and the main characters (Verranica, Makenna, Jamie and Duncan) made the book enjoyable. Each book has a mission for one of the main characters and in this third book, Kenna and Duncan are separated from Vee and Jamie. I am looking forward to the fourth book of the series, and I give 4 stars to the Shades of Doon for the comfort of familiar characters!

Weddings, Crushes and Other Dramas by Emily McKay

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Weddings, Crushes and Other Dramas by Emily McKay! Finn and Willa are soon becoming step siblings because Willa’s father, Matt, asked Mia, Finn’s mother, to marry him. The parents get along well, but the paparazzi make life difficult for Willa. Mia is a famous actress and Finn helps Willa deal with the publicity since he feels used to it. I think Finn’s protectiveness of Willa is cute and I’m very happy about the references to Harry Potter, the wizarding world and quidditch; they made me smile and added to the list of commonalities between Willa and Finn. This is a cute, charming story about two teens trying to figure out their relationship with each other in the scheme of all that’s occurring around them. I give 4.5 stars for a book that turned out to have more depth than I expected and for the sweet romance that grows throughout the story!

Any Boy But You by Julie Hammerle

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Any Boy But You by Julie Hammerle, which is the first book in the North Pole series! In the Minnesota town of North Pole, the town that celebrates Christmas year round, two sporting goods stores are competing for business. The two stores have been owned by the same families for fifty years and have been archenemies for decades. The families are both dealing with their own problems and difficulties among the business competition and within their families. We get to know the main characters, Elena and Oliver, well because of the alternating points of view. I enjoyed reading about the creative ideas that both businesses came up with to help gain customers, such as a North Pole version of Pokemon Go and the seasonal themes of both stores. This cute romantic story earns a 4 star rating from me for a diverse set of supporting characters and a unique setting!

The Hunt by Megan Shepherd

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Hunt by Megan Shepherd is the sequel to The Cage where humans are treated like displays for the entertainment of an otherworldly race. The characters become more dynamic and, after their escape attempt, have been placed in different settings. Cora is now a singer, others are dancers, a dollhouse family and some are placed as prey in a hunt. All of the captured are trying to work together to escape the planet and get to Earth. Cora has developed telekinesis and Cassian believes that Cora can beat the Gauntlet and prove that humans are intelligent. Cora is thrown into the hunt and she discovers a surprise about her predator. Using her telekinetic abilities, she kills him and Cassian takes the blame. The group escapes for Earth only to decide they need to save Cassian because he’s the only one who has a strong hope for humanity. The loyalty and action kept me reading this sci-fi dystopian and I am looking forward to The Gauntlet, the third book of the series, because of the four sets of puzzles that will be presented to the captured to prove that humans are sentient beings worthy of freedom; 4 stars!

Mona Lisa’s Secret by Phil Philips

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Mystery Thriller Week and Phil Philips for the opportunity to read and review his book, Mona Lisa’s Secret. The action begins immediately with a supposed attack on the Mona Lisa painting hanging in the Louvre. In 1911, the real Mona Lisa was stolen by Joey Peruggia’s great grandfather, Vincenzo. Joey and his girlfriend, Maria, discover a secret room in the mansion he inherited and, lo and behold, they find the Mona Lisa inside! They plan on returning the original painting to the Louvre, but things quickly get out of hand. Full of action, adventure, twists, surprises and suspense and even allusion to more mystery, which makes this book fun for any mystery and action reader. The author’s descriptions of the France scenery and historical sites made me feel like I was actually there seeing it all in person! This written for adults story is a fairly clean read with a few swear words that are used as dialogue in swear worthy stressful events. I highly recommend this enjoyable mystery by giving it 5 stars!

Configured by Jenetta Penner

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Configured by Jenetta Penner is about Avlyn who lives in an all out dystopian society that does not allow anyone to choose their careers or future spouses, stilts all emotions and will not allow relationships with anyone that you cared about or knew before you became an adult. Avlyn’s twin brother, Ben, died when he was four years old and she doesn’t understand why. She misses him daily and wants to know what happened to cause his death. Anytime she asks questions about Ben, her foster parents become angry and tell her to not cause problems for the two of them. They do not seem to care about Avlyn at all, once they have completed their duty of raising her. Avlyn is asked to join a rebellion and actually feels like she has been pushed into it at the beginning. She eventually sees more of what is happening in her society and begins to understand that a rebellion is necessary. Configured is a science fiction, action-adventure in a dystopian society with an intense rebellion in the making – 4 stars for originality!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is set in the American South where Confederacy is still very important to its residents. Ethan lives in Gatlin, a small southern town where nothing changes. He hates it. He has been having dreams of saving a girl. Ethan cannot see her face and he doesn’t know who she is. He wakes up with dirt under his fingernails and on his sheets. He has also started hearing a voice and the song, “Sixteen Moons”, plays randomly on his MP3 player and the radio, even though he’s never heard of the song before. A new girl, Lena, moves into Gatlin and lives with her uncle who is known as the local recluse. Lena and Ethan get much more than they bargained for when they become friends. Both of their families are keeping secrets from Ethan and Lena and when they find a locket that gives them shared visions of the past, they start keeping secrets of their own. Their ancestors are entwined somehow and that might be the key to saving Lena from her possibly dark future. I enjoyed the southern setting and the intense differences of the characters – 5 stars for this fun and suspenseful supernatural read!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell was a tear-jerking, warms-the-heart book. The short prologue, narrated by Park, brings the feeling of loss into the story and made me wonder what happened to Eleanor. The first page jumps back to 1986 when the story begins. A lot of this story hit home for me – being the new kid at school (I attended 33 schools from 2nd to 11th grade), riding a bus full of rude strangers, not having a place to live or a home where you feel wanted. I had to take a break from the book for a while to get my cheerfulness back. Alternating points of view between Park and Eleanor help the reader understand how each of them are feeling and the struggles they are both dealing with. Park and Eleanor come from different lifestyles and different family dynamics. Eleanor and Park are good for each other and their beautiful relationship left a mark on my heart. 5 stars for this young adult realistic fiction romance!

Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Spencer Hill Press for the opportunity to read and review Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher! A wonderful story of finding what you are capable of and figuring out what you truly want in life AND giving everything you have to accomplish both. Savannah is recovering from a gymnastic injury and trying to figure out how to deal with life without gymnastics. Her life gets fuller and she has to decide on her priorities compared to the people around her. The surrounding characters grew on me and the author’s writing made them feel realistic and the struggles of these characters were dimensional, just like real life. I love this book; 5 stars for a must read realistic fiction!

Guardian of Secrets by Brenda Drake

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Guardian of Secrets by Brenda Drake! This second book in the Library Jumpers series is as awesome as the first book, Thief of Lies. The beginning of the book reacquaints us with the characters and adventures that took place in the first book. Gia and her comrades are trying to blend into a regular human lifestyle while continuing the search for the keys. Gia isn’t sure who she can trust and, at times in the story, who is deserving of her trust is unpredictable. Gia also meets someone who she thought was no longer alive. Her heart also goes on a roller coaster ride and back and forth between two guys that she deeply cares for. This story stretches Gia and her capabilities, but she hangs in there and becomes stronger because of it! I rate Guardian of Secrets 5 stars for action, intrigue and a fun fantasy adventure!