The Flip Side

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc of The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson! This clean read tells the story of Charlotte (Charlie). She’s an aspiring Olympic gold medal winning gymnast plus she attends public high school where she has to do her best to reform to the daily class schedule. Charlotte has to work around her school schedule instead of her schooling working around her gymnastics schedule. She has to deal with dating, schedule restraints and schedule juggling, an injury and good and bad publicity. The Flip Side is a cute, refreshing story!

Watching Edie

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the arc of Watching Edie by Camilla Way! The first chapter shows Edie as a middle aged woman who suddenly has an unexpected visitor that she doesn’t want to see, Heather. Then the story moves between past and present, showing the relationship of Edie and Heather from the time they were teenagers, when they first met, until the present time. I do not want to give anything away, but this book has been compared to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and that is a good comparison. Thrilling and suspenseful, as well as heartbreaking, Watching Edie is a read that will leave you with a sunken feeling in the pit of your stomach.

26 Kisses

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the arc of 26 Kisses by Anna Michels! Vee, recently broken up from a two year relationship, is trying to enjoy the summer before senior year with her two best friends, Mel and Seth. Mel challenges Vee with the 26 kisses idea to help her recover from her breakup. Vee is supposed to kiss someone for each letter of the alphabet. It doesn’t always turn out to be a teenage boy or even a person, (puppy kisses). The challenge creates humorous, awkward and unusual experiences. This coming of age story is funny and lighthearted, but also serious enough to be true to life.

The Sound of Us

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the copy of The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle! I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy this book about a classical musical competition and scholarships, but I am very pleasantly surprised! The Sound of Us is so much more than just music, but, at the same time, is engulfed in the musical students’ world. I like the musical and literary references throughout the book and I grew to care about the characters, who are very dynamic as they mature and learn through their struggles. I am very proud of Kiki and all that she accomplished. She learned valuable lessons about herself and others and moved forward with that knowledge. Kiki is a teenage girl that gets into the classical music summer camp that she has aspired to. The camp is cut-throat and each student is competing and fighting for one of seven scholarships (four-year, full-ride scholarships to the college). This story is engaging, fun to read, enjoyable, intelligent and has the perfect ending in which the future awaits!

 

The Broken Ones

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Broken Ones by Sarah A. Denzil is another great thriller full of suspense by the author of Saving April! A mystery dealing with a middle-aged woman living with her mother who has early onset Alzheimer’s. There is such a great twist in this book and I did not see it coming, especially to that extent. Sophie discovers a horrible secret, an act that her mother set forth. I can’t say more than that because I do not want to spoil anything for the potential reader. Sarah A. Denzil knows how to spin a tale of mystery, suspense and danger with creativity and intelligence. I look forward to reading more of her books!

Outrun the Moon

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee introduces Mercy Wong and her family living in Chinatown in 1906. Mercy wants to give her family a better life, so she studies and works her way into the St. Clare’s Boarding School for girls. Mercy has impressive maturity and wisdom for her age, probably due to the racism that surrounds her and her undying pursuit of future goals. The San Francisco earthquake strikes and some petty differences dissolve while others grow. Mercy Wong upholds her strong values and beliefs while still being open to others. She is perfect:) This wonderful historical fiction story contains some clean romance and a happily ever after feel.

A Totally Awkward Love Story

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Thanks to First In Line for selecting me as a winner and giving me a free copy of A Totally Awkward Love Story by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison! The title is perfect for this story as the awkwardness continues throughout the entire book and throughout the relationship between Hannah and Sam. Young adult British humor made me laugh a ton! I enjoyed the humorous honesty and complete openness about everything, and I mean everything! Fun and fast read by clever authors.

 

Saving April

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Saving April by Sarah A. Denzil is a book I was asked to review. Alternating points of view with Hannah (a writer who doesn’t leave her house much and is a recluse) and Laura (a woman who just moved into the neighborhood with her husband and daughter, April). The story pulled me in and the riveting suspense wouldn’t let me go! Once I began reading Saving April, I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed how the characters are pulled together, how secrets are slowly revealed and the intensity of the plot! The epilogue adds even more to the story. Impressive writing and reading Saving April made me want to read this author’s other works.

Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross

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Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn is a roller coaster of emotions! The relationship ins and outs of the characters become pretty tangled along with the hurricane scare. This is the shortest and final book of the Broken Hearts and Revenge series and also the most intense!

Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold by Katie Finn delivers intense revenge. The story begins with a recap of past events. Hallie seems to be bent on revenge even though everything came to a head already. The revenge pit just keeps getting dug deeper and deeper. Both Gemma and Hallie go all out with their vengeful acts towards each other and the people around them suffer too. Interesting, heartbreaking and sometimes touching, this book was difficult to put down and the cliffhanger ending makes me want to dive into the next book in the series.