Overdrive by Dawn Ius

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Overdrive by Dawn Ius! Julia, a teenage car thief living in a foster home with her ten year-old little sister, is busted during a car grab. Julia has been trying to become independent enough to raise her sister, Emma, on her own. She does not want to be separated from Emma and will do whatever it takes for them to stay together. I admire Julia because she loves her sister tremendously and by choice, wants to take care of her. Roger Montgomery wants to give Julia and Emma a place to live. Julia is suspicious, but feels like she has run out of options. A “Gone in Sixty Seconds” young adult story involving teenage foster kids and all the thrills and car chases as the movie. Eleanor, the amazing Mustang from the “Gone in Sixty Seconds” movie, even has a cameo appearance! Since I am a fan of the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this! It takes a while for the foster teenagers to mesh and get along, but after Roger tells them his secret, they get to know each other better and work well together. Roger seems a bit strange and the teenagers are cautious around him and unsure of his intentions. The teenagers figure out Roger’s secret and things change dramatically after that. Overdrive gets a 4 star rating because of its complex emotions, teamwork and the thrill of the chase!

Forget Me Always

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf! This second book in the Lovely Vicious series is as wonderful as the first!

Isis puts her memories of Jack together slowly and bit by bit, while Jack believes he should have been quicker to stop Leo from harming anyone. Isis and Sophia become friends and it seems that even more secrets are hidden with Sophia. Isis is released from the hospital and tries to get back to normal life. Jack has taken up boxing to deal with the frustrations and guilt he feels in not keeping Sophia or Isis out of danger. Leo’s trial is coming up and Jack wants to testify so Leo will be put away and unable to harm Isis or her mom again. Kayla and Isis keep trying to figure out what happened all those years ago with Jack, Avery, Wren and Sophia. Suspense, intrigue, loyalty, clever wit and endearing charm and humor round out this book – 5 stars!

The humor Isis brings to the story helps to lighten the darkness that the group has been dealing with. I appreciate the author adding the bonus content and writing in Wren’s point of view to give readers a glimpse of what’s to come and we don’t get to know what Wren is thinking most of the time. The author’s note shows empathy and personal experience with tragedy.

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I reread Love Me Never by Sara Wolf before I dove into Forget Me Always and the book had me laughing out loud all over again!  When Isis is having a mini rant and Kayla tells her that she’s thinking out loud again, it’s too funny to contain!  Isis’ rants are amusing because she is such a clever and witty character.  Some swearing, just a warning for people who don’t like that.  The swearing is humorous and fits with the dialogue and sometimes silliness of the characters.  Clever writing and intelligent characters bring a myriad of backgrounds to the book and make it hard to put down, even though this was my second time reading Love Me Never.  I appreciate the strong character that Isis is and how she doesn’t feel sorry for herself, even though she went through something terrible.  Isis knows it could have been worse, but she also knows how it made her feel.  Oh, that ending is a tremendous cliffhanger, but now I have the sequel in my hands!

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Sara Wolf, the amazing writer of the Lovely Vicious series with her two books Love Me Never and Forget Me Always ready to read.  I am anxiously awaiting the third book in the Lovely Vicious series: Remember Me Forever.  I just spotted it on Amazon and it will be available May 2, 2017!

Chapter by Chapter Blog Tour Button for Forget Me Always

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Forget Me Always Tour Schedule

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Enjoy this wonderful series!

The Last True Love Story

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely! “The point of living is learning how to love.” This quote from The Last True Love Story sums up the plot perfectly. Teddy is visiting his grandpa, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Teddy is full of integrity and loyalty and he shows this as he helps keep bullies off of his friend, Corrina. The two of them take grandpa on a road trip and it isn’t always easy going. Some swearing (the “f” word); just a heads up. This beautifully written story of a grandson trying to help his grandfather relive and remember his best memories before Alzheimer’s disease takes the memories away for good, is a touching story. A family theme with love being the most important of all. Romantic and inspiring, also. 4 stars.

Every Hidden Thing

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel. A dinosaur expedition to dig up the first Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil is the story in this book. Told in alternating points of view between Rachel and Samuel, both of whose fathers are competing paleontologists. The transitions between the two points of view took me a while to get used to because a small change in font is the only acknowledgment. The fathers are competing against each other and Rachel and Samuel are along for the expedition. They end up working the same dinosaur site with tremendous animosity. This historical fiction story includes T-Rex bones, Badlands fossils, the infamous Mr. Barnum with a bit of romance added into the mix. Someone steals from the Indian burial grounds and the Sioux Indians are looking for the items that were taken. This adds more suspense and interest to the story. The story is inspired by a true paleontologist rivalry between Edward Drinkwater Hope and Othniel Charles Marsh. This rivalry took place in the late 1800’s and is known as the “Bone Wars”. 4 stars for this interesting paleontology read!

The Diabolic

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid. Diabolics are created to physically resemble people, but are meant to perform as bodyguards.
The thoughts of the diabolic are simple and it’s this simple point of view throughout the book. Sidonia’s diabolic (Nemesis) wants to protect her above all else, including the diabolic’s own life. I didn’t like the part when a servitor was given instructions to slice off her own skin and then she did without reluctance. I would have thought she would have resisted a little. The science fiction story grows more complex throughout the book. Nemesis has to pose as Sidonia for the Emperor because he’s seeking vengeance on Sidonia’s family. Nemesis’ life becomes increasingly complicated because she has to change her appearance, learn new etiquette and she meets many new people. She finally begins to feel human. My rating for this clever science fiction book, 3.5 stars.

Before Tomorrow

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 Before Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn! The Forget Tomorrow series belongs in the dystopian genre, but also contains a touch of romance. Before Tomorrow dives into Logan’s life and is told from his point of view, while the other books in this series, so far, are from female points of view. The story is enjoyable and it’s definitely nice to see Logan’s perspective in this world! 4 stars!

Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter is the final book in the Shadow Falls series, which I have thoroughly enjoyed because of the clever wit, dynamic characters, in-depth world building and the suspense that each book carries along with its own story.  I am sad that this series is ending and I hope to see more works from C.C. Hunter.  I give Midnight Hour a 5 star rating!

“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter! The instant I began reading Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter, I was drawn back into the supernatural world of Shadow Falls. I am sad that this book marks the end of the Shadow Falls series, but I am glad the author chose to write about Miranda as the main character. Miranda and her half-sister, Tabitha, visit an old witch that can supposedly tell anyone their future love story. As soon as she gets started with Miranda and her love story, things become chaotic.

C.C. Hunter is a wonderful storyteller and brings the reader up to speed flawlessly. Miranda and Tabitha are witches and are struggling to come to grips with the fact of their father having two families because he chose to cheat on his first wife (Tabitha’s mother). Miranda and Tabitha unwittingly discover an age-old cult that uses young witches to reproduce their progeny, so they can rule the world with witchcraft.

Midnight Hour fits perfectly in the supernatural genre and has mystery, suspense, romance and conflict added into the mix. I give it 5 stars for an indulging read!

Here is the link to the Midnight Hour booktrailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdCkKyDDjVw

Here is the link for a Midnight Hour giveaway:

http://us.macmillan.com/smp/promo/midnighthoursweepstakes

The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates receives 3.5 stars from me. This young adult collection of horror short stories ranged from macabre to sinister to subtle. The Doll-Master is the first of six psychological thrillers in this book and I think it’s my favorite of the six because of it’s creepiness. The Doll-Master is like Stephen King for young adults and is Criminal Minds worthy!

How to Hang a Witch

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The instant I began reading How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather, I felt pulled into the story. What’s not to love? The history of the Salem Witch Trials, clever characters and an interesting synopsis immediately piqued my curiosity! Told in Sam Mather’s point of view as she moves to Salem, Massachusetts with her stepmother. The two of them reside in Sam’s grandmother’s house while Sam’s father suffers in a coma that has lasted over three months already. Sam is a descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men who hanged witches during the Salem Witch Trials. A group of students, known as the Descendants, because they are actual descendants of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials hangings, immediately dislike Sam because of her last name. Her neighbors, Jaxon and his mother, are friendly and they knew Sam’s grandmother well and took care of her and her home when she couldn’t anymore. Jaxon seems to be the only friendly person in the entire school, including the teachers. The relationship and banter between Jaxon and Sam makes me smile and when they find a hidden room in her house, the mystery begins.

The author’s beautiful descriptions bring the historical homes to life and portray the magnificence of a Massachusetts autumn. The mystery, suspense and the curse all grow in intensity and I am never quite sure who Sam can trust. Wonderful and creative writing, dynamic and complex characters and a plot that everyone can relate to make this an amazing book. The author’s notes share what is historically accurate and what’s fiction and her personal genealogy makes me think that she needs to write more historical fiction! 5 stars – perfect from beginning to end!

 

All Laced Up

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review All Laced Up by Erin Fletcher! This cute romantic story starts on a Saturday when Lia is helping Mr. Kozlov at the skating rink by teaching young skaters. Her co-teacher is Pierce Miller, local young hockey hero. Lia is immediately annoyed by Pierce because he seems distracted by his fame and all of the attention he receives. Little does Lia know that Pierce helps his parents with his younger brother, Carson, who has sensory issues. Lia and Pierce begin to have two relationships – one online and one offline. Lia uses a pseudonym to talk to Pierce online on the hockey chat room forum and they develop a friendship that way. Since teaching skaters together, they get to know each other face to face also. They both have struggles to overcome and friendships to keep. This clean-read romance involves family dynamics and character development that makes the characters realistic. 5 stars!