Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read and review Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant! I was hooked just by reading the synopsis and I really like the book cover! Eva, pronounced like “ever” without the “r” on the end, has a unique ability to feel people’s memories and the emotions that go with them by touching the person or their belongings. Eva avoids touching anyone or their things because the feeling scribbles or fractals, as she now calls them, come at her like a storm. I relate to Eva in the way she analyzes and keeps her ideas to herself. Eva tutors math students and this is how she meets Zenn. The tutoring turns into more and their relationship is charming in many ways. I laughed out loud when Eva calls Zenn ‘The Rugrat Whisperer’ when he helps with her three-year-old quadruplet siblings. I love Eva, her logic and bravery and also how she doesn’t avoid what’s bothering her and tries to face any problem head-on, with caution. This book is full of charm, interesting and dynamic characters, complex relationships, romance and the hope of what the future holds. A really big 5 stars for this endearing romance!

Playing the Player by Lisa Brown Roberts

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 Playing the Player by Lisa Brown Roberts! This realistic fiction story introduces Trina and Slade. Two teenagers that seem to be polar opposites. Slade’s mother has set up a babysitting job for Slade in which he will be team-nannying with Trina. Slade’s mother feels that he needs help with his life-organization, goals and motivation, and she believes that Trina can accomplish these things. Trina seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown, especially when her schedule doesn’t work out exactly as planned. Slade seems a bit arrogant when he’s talking to his best friend Alex, but mellow at other times. About one-third of the way through the book, Trina starts opening up about her past and her worries, which helps with understanding her reasoning and intentions. Slade warms up to her and tries to become her friend. The book becomes more complicated and interesting the more it’s read. Trina and Slade are both stubborn and get so angry that they almost lose their relationship. The supporting characters add a lot of realism to the story and help pull the story together. 4 stars for the romantic fun!

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

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 My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris! I absolutely love this book and it was just what I needed to relax during a very busy schedule. Cat flies to Italy with her father and the woman he’s engaged to, Jenna. Jenna is planning an extravagant sweet sixteen celebration for Cat. Cat could care less about the party, but she’s thoroughly enjoying the trip to Italy. She has her fortune told, for fun, and walks out of the fortune teller’s tent into a different time. At first, Cat thinks the people around her are very good period actors. She soon realizes that she is someone else, Patience, in a different time, the Renaissance. I especially liked the part when she meets Michelangelo! This story is fun, suspenseful, interesting, contains dynamic characters and has just the right amount of romance to keep me interested and I am now looking forward to more works from Rachel Harris, 5 stars!

Faithful

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Faithful by Alice Hoffman is a surprisingly uplifting book, even though a lot of sadness and turmoil take priority as the story unfolds. I received a book through a Goodreads giveaway and an advance reader copy for a fair review, thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster!

The books by telling the tragic story of two teenage girls involved in a car accident and what happens to both of them afterwards. Helene is in a coma and miraculously heals people by the touch of her left hand. Shelby feels guilty for not being as physically damaged as Helene and continues to blame herself for the accident because she was driving. Shelby has had to deal with horrible experiences even after the accident: trying to commit suicide, being sent to a psychiatric ward, being raped by an orderly in the ward and trying to deal with everything and still live a normal life. Shelby moves in with Ben, a guy she has known for a long time and this way, she finally gets out of her parents’ home and gains a little independence. She saves neglected pets, gets a job in a pet store and builds a relationship with Ben. Shelby meets new people, makes friends and makes some mistakes along the way. Shelby finally realizes she wants to improve her relationships and be more grateful for them. She has a wonderful mother and she finally realizes that also. Shelby’s world turns completely around after the accident, and then, eventually, her world turns around again. Through her struggles and trials, Shelby finally knows what she wants in life and how to let herself enjoy life and love. I give this book 5 stars because I became so involved with the characters and grew to understand parts of my own life more clearly through reading about Shelby! Thank you, Alice Hoffman!

The Sun is Also a Star

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The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon became a wonderful surprise as I read the book! The story tells us about Natasha and Daniel. Two teenagers with completely different lives and backgrounds. Natasha is originally from Jamaica and her family is supposed to be deported soon. Daniel is Korean American and writes poetry, but his parents want and expect him to be a doctor, whether he wants to or not. The book introduces readers to several strangers and gives us insight into their lives. Historical and scientific snippets are also shared. An Interesting story line that really makes me think of how one person or one moment can affect someone. Some swearing, but it’s not overpowering and fits in with the story. I laughed, I cried and I related to so many parts of the story told in The Sun is Also a Star – 5 stars!

The Bad Boy Bargain

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 The Bad Boy Bargain by Kendra C. Highley!

Kyle keeps his distance from everyone and he enjoys the reputation that has been created about him, the playboy delinquent. Faith is in a relationship that she wants to end. She is ready to find love, not popularity. Faith walks in on her boyfriend, Cameron, cheating with another girl. Cameron then starts rumors about Faith and how cold and horrible she is. At this point, Faith decides to seek revenge. She strikes up a bargain with Kyle to get revenge on Cameron because it just so happens that Cameron and his friends bullied Kyle horribly in middle school. Kyle wants revenge just as badly as Faith does. The revenge doesn’t work exactly as planned and a lot of things change for both Kyle and Faith. Family dynamics, personal secrets and vulnerable characters make this story endearing. 4 stars!

Touching Fate

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Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read and review Touching Fate by Brenda Drake! This fun and interesting story kept me entertained. Alternating points of view with Reese, a young man with a family curse which will make him die on his eighteenth birthday, and Aster, a young woman who unknowingly has a family curse that can change people’s fates. The two meet at a local carnival and Reese discovers that Aster is a fate changer. Since his family has known about the curse, Reese realizes that Aster can change his soon-to-be future fate. At first, he just wants to get to know her so that she will help him, but they fall in love with each other. Aster discovers her family curse because of a psychic at the carnival and her grandmother eventually explains everything to her, after tragedy has already struck. Aster’s grandmother has kept the curse a secret to protect the family, but she learns that this was narrow minded. Some swearing and a small sex scene that is vaguely detailed – just a heads up for people who might not want to read that. The story’s cohesiveness and charming characters made me a happy reader – 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

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!