Review: More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn

Title: More Than Maybe
Author: Erin Hahn
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published By: Wednesday Books (May 12, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 5 Solid Stars!!



Book Description:
Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.


Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out-of-this-world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?

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I expected to love More Than Maybe, I did not expect it to steal my heart. The characters, the story, the music, the sheer friendship and love. This is by far the first YA book in a really long time I can say completely swept me a way in just about every way a girl, a reader, can be swept away. 

And yes, dear author, I want a Phil! And a Cullen, and a Zach, and a Mia, and yes, especially a Luke! 

This was so much more than I was expecting and everything I needed, when I needed it, without even realizing it. Such a sweet story that will stick with me long after the book has been read, and the review has been submitted. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Blog Tour Review: The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Title: The Big Finish

Author: Brooke Fossey

Stand Alone

Genre: Contemporary

Published By: Berkley (April 14, 2020)

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Book Description:

Meet Duffy, an old curmudgeon who lives in an assisted living home.

Meet Josie, a desperate young woman who climbs through his window.

Together, they’re going to learn it’s never too late—or too early—to change your ways.

For Duffy Sinclair, life boils down to one simple thing: maintaining his residence at the idyllic Centennial Assisted Living. Without it, he’s destined for the roach-infested nursing home down the road—and after wasting the first eighty-eight years of his life, he refuses to waste away for the rest. So, he keeps his shenanigans to the bare minimum with the help of his straight-laced best friend and roommate, Carl Upton.

But when Carl’s granddaughter Josie climbs through their bedroom window with booze on her breath and a black eye, Duffy’s faced with trouble that’s sticking around and hard to hide—from Centennial’s management and Josie’s toxic boyfriend. Before he knows it, he’s running a covert operation that includes hitchhiking and barhopping.

He might as well write himself a one-way ticket to the nursing home…or the morgue. Yet Duffy’s all in. Because thanks to an unlikely friendship that becomes fast family—his life doesn’t boil down the same anymore. Not when he finally has a chance to leave a legacy.

In a funny, insightful, and life-affirming debut, Brooke Fossey delivers an unflinching look at growing old, living large, and loving big, as told by a wise-cracking man who didn’t see any of it coming.

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About the Author:

Brooke Fossey was once an aerospace engineer with a secret clearance before she traded it all in for motherhood and writing. She’s a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers' Workshop. Her work can be found in numerous publications, including Ruminate Magazine and SmokeLong Quarterly. When she’s not writing, you can find her in Dallas, Texas with her husband, four kids, and their dog Rufus. She still occasionally does math. 

Website

Who doesn't love a feisty old man that isn't afraid to raise eyebrows and speak his mind? Someone with a heart of gold under that rugged gruff exterior? I know I for one, find them hard to resist which was why when I read the synopsis for this, had no qualms about picking it up and diving right in. 

This was such a fun, emotional, and very unexpected read for me. I truly had so much fun with it and enjoyed so much of it. The characters were so real and raw and the messages about love, friendship and family, even more so. 

I'm truly delighted that I took a chance and read this, I will remember these heartfelt, real, characters for a long time coming. 

Review: A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones

 

Title: A Bad Day For Sunshine
Author: Darynda Jones
Series: Book One in the Sunshine Vicram Series
Genre: Contemporary Mystery/Paranormal
Published By: St. Martins (April 7, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!!


Book Description:
Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.


Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

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A Bad Day For Sunshine is probably one of my most anticipated reads for 2020. I adore Jones's writing and was so excited to see a new series from her. One with a feisty snarky heroine that I just knew I was bound to fall in love with.

Told in alternating point of views from Sunshine and her daughter Auri, this was just so unexpected and yet so much fun. With all the witty one liners and charm that come from Jones' heroines, this did not disappoint. 

I am so excited for this new series and can't wait for more. This promises to be a series you don't want to miss and I predict, will quickly become a favorite. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

Title: Night of the Dragon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Book Three in the Shadow of the Fox Trilogy
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published By: Inkyard (March 31, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 5 Stars!!


Book Description:
Master storyteller Julie Kagawa concludes the enthralling journey into the heart of the fantastical Empire of Iwagoto in the third book of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy. As darkness rises and chaos reigns, a fierce kitsune and her shadowy protector will face down the greatest evil of all. A captivating fantasy for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas and Marie Lu.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.

Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil—the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko and their companions to stop a madman and separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that had trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.


But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realized existed…until now.

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You know those series that are so well written, so captivating that you've been invested in from the very first chapter? Those stories that you think about long after you've put the book down and those stories that, you can't wait to get the next book of because you need to know what happens next? You need to know that all is well. That some how, it will all work out. That your beloved characters will have a happily ever after. Those stories in short, that speak to your soul and change you. Make you wonder about things you've never thought about before and see things and legends and lore different. Books that put you in a book hang over when you are done because how could anything else possible live up to this masterpiece you've just read?

The Shadow of the Fox trilogy, has been that trilogy for me and I'll be honest, that passion, that urge to read quickly and devour, yet stop and savor at the same time hasn't happened for me in a YA series, heck in a YA trilogy, in a really long time. 

And I did both devour and savor this. It was everything I was hoping it would be. So many emotions, thoughts, and feelings coursed through me throughout this whole last story. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I got angry, and I cried again. I couldn't of asked for a better ending, a better story, or a better tale. 

Beautifully written, detailed, and told, this was everything I was looking for and everything I didn't even know I needed and wanted. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: The Honey Don't List by Christina Lauren

Title: The Honey-Don't List
Author: Christina Lauren
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published By: Gallery Books (March 24, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4 Stars!



Book Description:
Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…


From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

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I can always count on Laurens delivering a well written, fleshed out story that will make you feel as if you know and love the characters from the very start. 

With new ideas and a refreshing story line, there is very little this writing duo hasn't tried and conquered. 

With reality TV on the rise, it wasn't any wonder that they would choose to tackle that theme next. I absolutely loved the references and the realness that they brought into this story with what one can only imagine, is really how a lot of them are behind the scenes. It made it feel real and some how, crazy and it seemed, relatable.  

A good reminder how most of the time, the things we see on the surface are never quite what they really are underneath. 

A fun story about two people still trying to find their way, find love, and hopefully survive it all. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by that author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Release Day Review: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Title: Smoke Bitten
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Book Twelve in the Mercy Thompson Series
Genre: Fantasy
Published By: Berkley/Ace (March 16, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 5 Stars!!


Book Description:
Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.
My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I’m going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill–until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything–even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.


It won’t, can’t, remain.

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You know when a story is good when it is impossible to put it down. When you devour it in a day and are left satisfied, but always wanting more.

This series is so outstanding, so well written and just darn real feeling. The characters, the story line, the emotions that pull on every heart string imaginable. It is fantasy yes but so well done that you feel completely immersed in the story and when you are done, having to slowly blink your way back into reality, even then, you find it hard to believe that it didn't all really happen. That is isn't true, that vampires and werewolves and the fae aren't really out there in your own backyard just waiting for their moment to come out and shine. 

I have loved this series from the very first book and there is a reason why. Briggs is a master at story telling. Creating stories, settings, and characters that are tangible. So real you know them, you love them, you feel for them and are so emotionally invested that you hold your breath for them, smile along with them and even cry with them when things get hard. 

Mercy and Adam have always been one of my favorite couples purely because they are always a united front. They have each other's back and as much as they don't want to put the other in danger, they know that there are things one is better doing over the other and what has to be done, has to be done. Adam is an alpha but he isn't an arse about it. He isn't controlling and he certainly doesn't want Mercy to be anything but herself. 

To see them not be completely united...was hard. Gut wrenching even but I knew they would some how work it out. I trusted Briggs to make it right. These two have been to hell and back and I knew this hick-up wasn't going to stop them.

I was so right to put my trust in her. This story was amazing and brilliant and I loved it all, hard parts and all. It came together beautifully and I wasn't ready for it to be over. 

This truly is an action packed story full of all the good stuff us fantasy and paranormal lovers adore. Friendship, family, loyalty, danger, love, romance, it really does have it all and with each new installment, continues to blow me away and prove just how strong it is. How much it deserves it's place in my top ten of all time. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Blog Tour Review: Insurrection by Chris Babu

Title: Insurrection

Author: Chris Babu

Series: Book Three in the Initiation Trilogy

Genre: YA Dystopian

Published: February 18, 2020

Source: ARC provided by the publisher (in exchange for an honest review)

Book Description:

They are protected by lies. He is armed with the truth.

Having survived the Initiation and expedition, one battle remains: the fight for the heart and soul of New America.

Drayden and his friends, enlisting the help of Professor Worth, must find a way back to New America before the Guardians imperil their return. But for these teens, their problems are only beginning. The Bureau, which never expected them to survive the expedition, will do everything in their power to prevent New America’s darkest secrets from getting out.

Drayden’s only hope is the insurrection led by ally Kim Craig. The David versus Goliath battle between good and evil, between truth and lies, will push Drayden to his breaking point and require bravery, self-acceptance, and above all, belief in himself. Backed by the will of the citizens, he’ll need to engineer an ingenious strategy to defeat the all-powerful authoritarians. The question is, will it be enough? 

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About the Author:

Chris Babu grew up in North Haven, CT, playing soccer and the violin in his free time. After devouring The Shining under the covers with a flashlight when he was eight, Chris was hooked on fiction. He's always had a thing for young adult books. But he's also a major science and math nerd—physics being his favorite—and he has a math degree from MIT.

For nineteen years, he worked as a bond trader on Wall Street, riding the subway to and from work every day. He traded mortgage-backed securities for Bank of America and then Deutsche Bank, where he eventually ran the MBS trading desk. Now Chris writes full-time, always with his trusted assistant Buddy, a 130-pound Great Dane, who can usually be found on his lap. They split their time between New York City and the east end of Long Island. Their omnipresence at home drives his wife Michelle and daughter Lily crazy. 

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This whole series has been such a fun and dramatic ride that will sweep you away with it's sometimes intense action, horrible secrets, and always with the possibility of the whatifs. 

I had the privileged of being able to read this back to back and thoroughly enjoyed every single page of it. I quickly was wrapped up in the slight Hunger Games of it all without being a carbon copy but sticking to it's own horrifyingly realistic take on what could one day happen if so many things don't change and if certain events were to happen.

Filled with friendship, courage, bravery and those wanting better for everyone, this truly was a fun trilogy that I think fans of the genre are doing to not only devour but love.