We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Unputdownable!
Thanks to Entangled for the opportunity to read and review We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott! Cobain is being questioned at the police station. They’re trying to figure out what happened to Molly, who’s missing. Cobain declares his love for Molly and describes his relationship with Molly from the first day they spoke. Molly’s car has been found abandoned at a strip mall and no one knows why she had even been there. Cobain thinks to himself that he and Molly were going to run away together, but now she’s out there alone. Then the alternating points of view add Molly’s also, which builds the mystery even more intensely.
The author’s descriptive language brings realism to the story and one of my favorite descriptions is “lollipops that tasted how Lysol smelled”, which made me laugh out loud because I remember suckers like that. Suspenseful, twisty and mysterious, We Told Six Lies was a read I couldn’t put down until I finished, 5 stars!

The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 by Linda Budzinski

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Fun, romantic read!
Thanks to the author for the complimentary copy of The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 by Linda Budzinski from Swoon Romance!
Alicea Springer is the new Boyfriend Whisperer and her app is supposed to be very accurate. She wants to get back with her ex-boyfriend Ty, but the app says her match is Darius Groves. Alicea gets paired up with Darius for an English assignment and she begins to see the truth about him. Her eyes are opened to her past, present and her possible future. Another clean, romantic young adult read from Linda Budzinski that brings fresh characters to the world of the Boyfriend Whisperer, 5 stars!

One Snowy Day by Diana Murray

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Cozy read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the opportunity to read and review One Snowy Day by Diana Murray and Diana Toledano!
Aesthetically pleasing illustrations accompany rhyming text as the story counts up to ten and then back down again. Very cozy wintertime book, 5 stars!

Dump Cake Magic by Anne Schaeffer

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Yummy and easy recipes!
Thanks to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Dump Cake Magic by Anne Schaeffer!
Magnificently easy, quick and delicious dessert recipes for taste buds of every kind. Each recipe is followed by a photograph of the completed dessert. A must-have cookbook for dessert connoisseurs, 5 stars!

Splendor and Spark by Mary Taranta

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Adventure within a dark fantasy world!
Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the opportunity to read and review Splendor and Spark by Mary Taranta!
North is on a path he doesn’t necessarily want but feels that he has to be on. Faris and Cadence are prisoners still. Bryn seems to be gaining everything she wants, power and to be queen. Cadence adores Bryn and she shows nothing but disdain for Faris. Faris struggles to let her sister be until she finally gives in to the fact that letting Cadence make her own choices is the right thing to do. North striving to find his father becomes more and more complicated. North and Faris lose much but learn a lot and, as their wisdom grows, they understand what they need to do to accomplish their goals, North with his father and Faris finding a place where she belongs. The world building is descriptive and thorough while the characters are dynamic. I especially like Alistair because he fascinates me and I want to know more about his background and past experiences. 4 stars for this dark fantasy adventure!

Girls’ Home Spa Lab by Maya Pagan

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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DIY destressing!
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Girls’ Home Spa Lab by Maya Pagan! A wonderful collection of self-care advice, tips and recipes for pre-teen girls, teenagers and women of all ages. Simple directions make this guide helpful and the projects doable, from sleep masks to foot cream! A must have book for teens everywhere, 5 stars!

Plague Land Reborn by Alex Scarrow

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Dystopian virus!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review Plague Land Reborn by Alex Scarrow!
The story opens with Leon’s father when the plague hit New York, two years earlier and alternating with the present from Leon’s point of view. The virus has gained strength and intelligence while absorbing human bodies and their memories. Tom continues to search for Leon and Grace while working with the government to rescue survivors of the virus. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that the virus has evolved enough to mimic animals and humans; humans that people recognize, making discovering the virus even more difficult. The creepy factor kept me interested and I was curious about Tom and his children’s futures. 4 stars!

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down!  So good, I actually read it twice already!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to read and review Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart!
Serina and her family await Signor Pietro to make his choice of one of the community’s young women who will travel to Bellaqua, join others from different provinces, and vie for the opportunity to be a Grace for the royal Heir. Sera’s mother is thrilled when she’s the one who’s chosen, but her siblings Nomi and Renzo seem to feel otherwise. Sera’s unsure how her father feels. Sera has learned to be happy with the lack of options given to women in Viridia but Nomi openly hates the idea.
The Heir, Malachi, chooses three Graces every three years. This will be his first year of choosing Graces. The Superior has forty Graces and everyone assumes he will step down and let the Heir rule Viridia. At the ball, Nomi wanders into a palace library and notices a beautiful copy of the book Renzo taught her to read with, when they were younger. Reading is forbidden for women but Nomi loves to read. She slips this book into her clothes and as she’s going back to the ball, runs straight into the Heir and his younger brother Asa. The Heir demands to know what she’s doing and she coyly answers that she was using the restroom and if he needs it she points to where it is. Nomi can’t fathom how she could have been so rude to the Heir and she’s sure she’s going to be sent home. Sera is the only young woman the Heir dances with at the ball. He makes his decision afterwards, choosing two women and then Nomi instead of Sera! Grace and Fury is fast paced and full of intrigue! This magnificent book twists and turns with suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat! Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. Fantastic writing, unique storyline and intriguing characters make Grace and Fury a must-read- 5 stars!

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Intriguing sci-fi and the best science fiction series I’ve read!
Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada!
Cat, Cole and Leoben are hiding while resting and waiting for Cole to heal from the explosion. Cat is also waiting for her tech to start working again. She is with Cole in the forest when they both see Virtual Reality videos replaying from her past. She realizes that she’s missing six months of her life with no recollection or records of where she was or what happened to her. Cat is discussing this with Cole when Leoben’s Jeep is hit and explodes. Cat finally meets Anna and together the group works with Mato, another coder, to find Lachlan’s hideout. Changes keep occurring to the virus and it seems to be mutating too quickly for a vaccine to work or be adjusted. Every time I think that Cat can’t have any more surprises, the author proves me wrong. Another twisting book in the This Mortal Coil series and I’m looking forward to the next and third installment, 5 stars!

Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Mythological fun!
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Annaliese Rising by Brenda Drake!
As the story opens, I immediately relate to Annaliese when she doesn’t want to dissect her frog in biology class. I had that same problem when I was in high school, but that’s where our similarities end. Suddenly, she’s bumped from behind by a classmate and falls into the frog and tray. Then the frog comes to life and hops across the classroom, seriously freaking everyone out! The story becomes more mysterious and interesting when Analiese witnesses an elderly man’s death and fulfills his dying wish by meeting his grandson Marek, passing on his leather bag as requested. Marek and Analiese travel to Europe while following clues that Marek’s grandfather left for him to find. Analiese discovers that she’s a Riser, a person that brings people back to life. Marek discovers a huge part of his grandfather’s life that he knew nothing about, while Analiese uncovers her heritage and family history. Analiese Rising is a mysterious fantasy full of riddles, codes, ciphers and clues! I enjoyed all of the fun and mystery and the mythology was an added bonus! Readers that have enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan should find this book right up their alley, 5 fun, adventurous stars!