Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson! The story begins with May in her teen years helping her mom take care of her cancer stricken father. The story continues on with May and her mother trying to deal with the loss of their loved one, after her father took his own life. They handle things differently and in their own ways but eventually they move forward with their lives, still keeping him close to their hearts. This book is about relationships, tragedy, friendship and love and is a tear-jerking read; both sad and happy tears. It’s also a soothing balm to help heal wounds and sadness. I love Hearts are like Balloons with its humor and strong characters. 5 stars for this realistic fiction, romance story!

Sucktown, Alaska by Craig Dirkes

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Sucktown, Alaska by Craig Dirkes. Eddie has taken a job in the Alaskan bush while he’s on academic probation from college. He wants to earn money and turn his life around and he feels that the next year of his life can do this for him. This book contains new adult language and is geared toward college age young adults . Desolate Alaska is more dramatic than Eddie thought it would be. He makes some good choices and then some bad choices and that’s when things spiral out of his control. I enjoyed the descriptions of Alaska and its wilderness and the sled dogs were pretty impressive! 4 stars for this coming of age story with its unique setting and characters.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

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Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC of Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz! Two murders occur close together in a small town and the residents think they know who the murderer is, but they each think it’s someone different. The story begins with the editor reading the Magpie Murders manuscript and the ending is missing. The story’s mystery coincides with the mystery occurring in the editor’s life. The book is a bit long winded but the writing is done well, creating scenery and characters for both stories taking place within the book. 3.5 stars!

Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson! Harper and her twin brother Cole attend and reside at a boarding school. Their father is their only parent and they’re not in a very close relationship with him. Harper has always felt responsible for taking care of her brother. Sterling Lane is a new student with a reputation of getting kicked out of schools. He bulldozes into Harper’s self-controlled life and she can’t quite get her head around it. Cole seems to be in serious trouble and his life, as well as Harper’s, begins to spiral out of control and Sterling is right in the middle of it all. Serious and mysterious, as well as cleverly intelligent and full of humor, this book is a wildly entertaining, young adult, realistic fiction read worthy of 5 stars! I had a blast reading this book and absolutely love the personalities of Harper and Sterling and the way they balance each other out and make formidable partners!

Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read an ARC of this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor! A young adult story that encompasses many teen issues, is therapeutic while being told and sticks with the reader for days afterward. Reggie, Snake and Carla share their take on depression, relationships and teen pregnancy . I plan on purchasing this book for the library I work at because the teenagers will love it with it’s sarcasm, humor, struggles and dysfunctional relationships telling the story. 5 stars!

The Shadows We Know By Heart by Jennifer Park

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review The Shadows We Know By Heart by Jennifer Park! My first reaction was surprise and curiosity as I read the first chapter. The story involves a young woman and her family who recently moved close to the woods after their son, Sam, died. Leah, her brother Matt and their parents don’t discuss their loss, but they each deal with it in their own way. Leah ventures into the woods, even though her family forbids her to enter them. She makes a surprising discovery, a human male among the Sasquatch she’s been observing. A tragedy occurred when Sam went camping with the neighbors, Reed and his father. The father was killed and his body was found, but no one ever found the two boys. The two families have tried to move on but the search for the boys has continued for years, which Leah knows nothing about. The mystery unfolds as secrets come out into the open. The story is very interesting and better than I expected. 4 stars for a twist on the uncommon!

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

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Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review One was lost by Natalie D. Richards. The first two chapters show the setting and describe the main and surrounding characters. The action and suspense begins in the third chapter. There’s some kind of animosity between Sera and Lucas that comes to light a little at a time. As I read, I learned more about the four main characters and the struggles each of them has in their lives. Being in a forest is a perfect setting for a horror story and the bridge washing out helped move the danger of being stranded along. Nice steady pacing of the mystery and suspense. The book kept me wondering to the end. Great horror story for young adults, 5 stars!

Book Cover Reveal of Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Today is the cover and blurb reveal for Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis! This cover reveal is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.

Loving Kalvin (The Kennedy Boys #4)

By Siobhan Davis

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: upper Young Adult/ New Adult

Release Date: July 2017

Blurb:

A second-chance romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Standalone with HEA and no cliffhanger.

Lana

I knew it would end in disaster, but I didn’t listen to reason. I didn’t care. Because I loved him so much.

Kalvin Kennedy ruled my heart.

Until he destroyed it.

Shattered it so completely that I became someone else. Someone I loathed. Someone who repeatedly lied to her loved ones.

So, I ran.

From him. From myself. Desperate to hide my new reality.

But I could only run so far.

When he reappears in my life, I’m terrified. Unbelievably scared of facing the consequences of my actions.

Never mind that I still love him and want him so badly—there’s too much at stake now.

How can I trust him with the biggest secret of all when he’s likely to rip my world apart again?

Kalvin

Lana was always far too good for me. Everyone knew it but her.

I tried to stay away, but I was weak.

And I hurt her.

Crushed her until she barely resembled herself. Forced her to follow a path she would never have willingly chosen.

And then she was gone.

And my world has never felt as empty, as lonely.

She begged me to stay away. Not to find her. To forget she ever existed.

But that’s like asking me to slice my heart in two and toss half aside.

I’ve never believed in fate, but when I rock up to the University of Florida, I’m ready to eat my words.

Because she’s here. Like I hoped she would be. And I’m determined to prove I deserve a second chance.

You can find Loving Kalvin on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34755754-loving-kalvin

 

You can pre-order Loving Kalvin exclusively on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/LovingKalvinPreOrder

It will be available to read with Kindle Unlimited once released.


Previous books in the series:

– Finding Kyler: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Kyler-Kennedy-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B01NBH8DZF/

– Losing Kyler: https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Kyler-Kennedy-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B06XBYR3SN/

– Keeping Kyler: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Kyler-Kennedy-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B06XCBPFKL/

The first three books have to be read in order. The books after that can be read as a standalone and have a HEA and no cliffhanger. The Kennedy Boys series is free to read in Kindle Unlimited and book one Finding Kyler is currently available for only 0.99$ on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Kyler-Kennedy-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B01NBH8DZF/

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the international bestselling True Calling, Saven, and Kennedy Boys series.

Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.

She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

You can find and contact Siobhan here:

– Website: http://www.siobhandavis.com

– Blog: http://myyanabookobsession.com/

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSiobhanDavis/  

– Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/siobhandavis

– Google +: http://www.google.com/+SiobhanDavisAuthor

– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siobhandavisauthor/

– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8390357.Siobhan_Davis

– Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Siobhan-Davis/e/B00M8JJ8IG

– Kennedy Boys Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/KennedyBoysList

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Antisocial by Jillian Blake

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance copy from a Goodreads giveaway and Random House Children’s Publishing and NetGalley! Antisocial by Jillian Blake- Goodreads giveaway; Anna Has social anxiety disorder and this is her tale of her school year of ups and downs. Last semester she spent all of her time with Palmer, her new boyfriend, while inadvertently ignoring her friends. Now after the breakup, she’s trying to reconcile with her friends and some of them aren’t making it easy for her. Jethro is an amazing friend to Anna and he knows what he wants. Anna’s indecisiveness hurts Jethro and I kept thinking that she was throwing a great friendship away for a second time. Trying to figure out the story took me a bit, but once I understood where it was going, I dived right into the teen angst and emotional and relationship confusion. Oh, the joys of being a teenager. The regular teen rivalry increases to hateful when someone publicizes dirty laundry of a basketball player at a basketball game and then everyone jumps on the troll wagon. People and their secrets are exposed and friendships are ruined because of photos, texts, and all social media being revealed. Not only is this book a young adult contemporary but it’s also a great mystery. The suspense builds while the community deals with the aftermath and continuing cyber bullying. The author’s writing shows the complexity of the diverse characters and I grew to care about the main characters and my heart broke along with them and I also enjoyed their happy moments. 4 stars for this realistic fiction book!

Redemption Lake by Susan Clayton-Goldner

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I voluntarily read and reviewed Redemption Lake by Susan Clayton-Goldner. Matt ends up in an extremely bad situation when he wakes up after sleeping some beer off at his friend’s house and finds his best friend’s mother, Crystal, dead in her bathtub with a slit throat. Matt worries about the consequences of every one of his actions and how those actions affect the people around him. The mystery surrounding Crystal’s death causes turmoil within the community. The suspect becomes difficult to narrow down and the uncertainty left me guessing until the end. Secrets are exposed and relationships are stretched thin in this well written mystery. “…wisdom grows out of disillusionment. We evolve from what hurts us, what happens in our own hearts as a result of that pain.” Profound and life-changing statement. 5 stars!