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erinarkin20
Boys Like You by Juliana Stone grabbed me from the very beginning with a great story, some lovely characters, and plenty of swoon. I don’t often pick up a lot of contemporary but I have to say that I really enjoyed this one.
Monroe is in Louisiana for the summer after a tragedy occurred in her life. Her parents aren't sure what to do to bring her back and when her grandmother asks them to send her to live with her for the summer; they jump to see if it will help. I liked Monroe. She definitely has some things to work through and when she is first introduced I knew it would be an uphill battle for anyone attempting to get past the walls she has put up. As a reader, I wasn't made aware of what really happened in her life but I knew it was bad.
Nathan is a quarterback, plays in a band, has a hot girlfriend, and of course is pretty nice to look at himself. Unfortunately none of that matters to him anymore. A mistake he made a few months back is now what is taking over his thoughts and if there is one thing he wishes he could do, it would be to trade places with his best friend Trevor. See, after a party one night (where Nate was supposed to be the designated driver) Nate, Trevor, and their girlfriends end up in a car accident and the only one seriously injured was Trevor. Trevor is now in a coma fighting for his life and everyone in town knows that Nate is responsible.
When these two meet they recognize something in each other that they both have…this pain they are both trying to live through…and not being so successful at. As they start to realize the other is someone who understands what they are going through, they start to develop a friendship…and then more.
I loved the characters in this story. Not just Nate and Monroe but also the secondary character. Obviously Monroe’s grandmother plays a big part but I thought Brent, Rachel, Trevor’s parents, and even Nate’s parents added greatly to the story and helped move things along. There was a scene between Nate and his father that almost had me in tears and the scene between Monroe and Mr. Lewis (Trevor’s dad) was also one that had me blinking back the tears. Not only for the things that were said but because of the support she was giving to Nate and he didn’t even know it.
Nate and Monroe have some funny banter I also have to mention the swoon. Their first kiss at Baker’s Landing definitely comes to mind. I loved seeing them open up to each other and when Monroe finally tells Nate about what happened to Malcom, and how she feels about it, I loved seeing their connection get stronger as well as see them lean on each other.
As Gram put it:
“But it wasn't me, my darling girl. It was Nathan. He caught you.” She squeezed my hand again. “And I think he’s still waiting.”
“For what?” I asked
“Why, for you,” she said in a very serious voice, before she opened her car door and glanced back at me. “To catch him.”
This was one of those books that I requested on a whim because the summary intrigued me but boy am I glad I did. I found myself pulled into this story and unable to put the book away until I found out everything about these characters and how things were going to go. If you like a great story with some solid characters that make you want to crawl inside the book and hug them, definitely check this out.
Thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks for the review copy.
Monroe is in Louisiana for the summer after a tragedy occurred in her life. Her parents aren't sure what to do to bring her back and when her grandmother asks them to send her to live with her for the summer; they jump to see if it will help. I liked Monroe. She definitely has some things to work through and when she is first introduced I knew it would be an uphill battle for anyone attempting to get past the walls she has put up. As a reader, I wasn't made aware of what really happened in her life but I knew it was bad.
Nathan is a quarterback, plays in a band, has a hot girlfriend, and of course is pretty nice to look at himself. Unfortunately none of that matters to him anymore. A mistake he made a few months back is now what is taking over his thoughts and if there is one thing he wishes he could do, it would be to trade places with his best friend Trevor. See, after a party one night (where Nate was supposed to be the designated driver) Nate, Trevor, and their girlfriends end up in a car accident and the only one seriously injured was Trevor. Trevor is now in a coma fighting for his life and everyone in town knows that Nate is responsible.
When these two meet they recognize something in each other that they both have…this pain they are both trying to live through…and not being so successful at. As they start to realize the other is someone who understands what they are going through, they start to develop a friendship…and then more.
I loved the characters in this story. Not just Nate and Monroe but also the secondary character. Obviously Monroe’s grandmother plays a big part but I thought Brent, Rachel, Trevor’s parents, and even Nate’s parents added greatly to the story and helped move things along. There was a scene between Nate and his father that almost had me in tears and the scene between Monroe and Mr. Lewis (Trevor’s dad) was also one that had me blinking back the tears. Not only for the things that were said but because of the support she was giving to Nate and he didn’t even know it.
Nate and Monroe have some funny banter I also have to mention the swoon. Their first kiss at Baker’s Landing definitely comes to mind. I loved seeing them open up to each other and when Monroe finally tells Nate about what happened to Malcom, and how she feels about it, I loved seeing their connection get stronger as well as see them lean on each other.
As Gram put it:
“But it wasn't me, my darling girl. It was Nathan. He caught you.” She squeezed my hand again. “And I think he’s still waiting.”
“For what?” I asked
“Why, for you,” she said in a very serious voice, before she opened her car door and glanced back at me. “To catch him.”
This was one of those books that I requested on a whim because the summary intrigued me but boy am I glad I did. I found myself pulled into this story and unable to put the book away until I found out everything about these characters and how things were going to go. If you like a great story with some solid characters that make you want to crawl inside the book and hug them, definitely check this out.
Thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks for the review copy.
I will say it…Emery Lord knows how to write great friendships. The Start of Me and You had me loving not only the developing relationship/friendship between Max and Paige but I loved how close the group of girls was in this book.
Paige lives in a small(ish) town in Indiana and is officially known as “the girl whose boyfriend drowned”. But it has been a year since Aaron died and Paige is determined to move forward. As she starts her junior year in high school, Paige makes a list of things in her planner that she is determined to accomplish. All are tied to her moving back to a normal teenage life and getting beyond what happened in the past. What she didn’t count on was the nerdy cousin of her long-time crush, Ryan to catch her attention.
I liked Paige. She is definitely smart and I loved that she was so close with her group of girls. The things that made her unique (her love of grammar, her relationship with her grandmother, and so much more!) were the things I liked most about her. The other part I loved was her relationship with her friends. Tessa is Paige’s best friend and Morgan and Kayleigh are best friends but as a group, they all love and support each other. As with any group of friends, there are disagreements and points in life where other things (like boys or music or something else) grab their attention but regardless, they all stick together and do what they can to be there for each other when needed.
As the new school year starts, Paige finds some new additions to her group of friends in the form of Ryan Chase and his cousin Max Watson. Her original plan of dating – specifically Ryan Chase – is eventually completely changed and she realizes that although she has feelings for Max, she isn’t ready to just announce them. I loved seeing them as really good friends and the “friends to more” stories are some of my favorites so the development of the whole story had me flipping the pages to see what was next for them both.
I also thought Max was a great character. He isn’t the popular guy in school but that is what I liked about him. He likes the show Firefly and he loves airplanes and science and reading…He also listens to everything that Paige says and knows what she likes and what things are going on in her life. It is very clear he cares about her and if there was anything I wanted more of in this book, it was the swoon.
I also enjoyed that this book was about more than just the relationship between Paige and Max. Paige shows some growth through this entire book both in how she copes with the challenges in her life to the way she interacts with her parents. I thought it was an interesting twist that Lord threw in that she wasn’t dealing with a “typical” parental issue and it added a different feel to the story…in a good way.
As Paige is slowly working through her plan, something happens between Paige and Max that threatens the friendship they have developed. She has to figure out what to do and how to get things back - at least to the way they were and when she digs a bit more into what happened – she finds out there was a little more to the story than she originally thought. I would like to add here that I KNOW this is vague but I don’t want to tell you what it is…mostly because I don’t want to ruin any part of the story for anyone.
So take my word for it. If you enjoy contemporary romance, stories where characters are learning about who they are, and great friendships, definitely check this one out. I have to agree with Max’s statement, my type might be “nerd” and I am completely okay with that.
Thank you to Bloomsbury for the review copy!
Paige lives in a small(ish) town in Indiana and is officially known as “the girl whose boyfriend drowned”. But it has been a year since Aaron died and Paige is determined to move forward. As she starts her junior year in high school, Paige makes a list of things in her planner that she is determined to accomplish. All are tied to her moving back to a normal teenage life and getting beyond what happened in the past. What she didn’t count on was the nerdy cousin of her long-time crush, Ryan to catch her attention.
I liked Paige. She is definitely smart and I loved that she was so close with her group of girls. The things that made her unique (her love of grammar, her relationship with her grandmother, and so much more!) were the things I liked most about her. The other part I loved was her relationship with her friends. Tessa is Paige’s best friend and Morgan and Kayleigh are best friends but as a group, they all love and support each other. As with any group of friends, there are disagreements and points in life where other things (like boys or music or something else) grab their attention but regardless, they all stick together and do what they can to be there for each other when needed.
As the new school year starts, Paige finds some new additions to her group of friends in the form of Ryan Chase and his cousin Max Watson. Her original plan of dating – specifically Ryan Chase – is eventually completely changed and she realizes that although she has feelings for Max, she isn’t ready to just announce them. I loved seeing them as really good friends and the “friends to more” stories are some of my favorites so the development of the whole story had me flipping the pages to see what was next for them both.
I also thought Max was a great character. He isn’t the popular guy in school but that is what I liked about him. He likes the show Firefly and he loves airplanes and science and reading…He also listens to everything that Paige says and knows what she likes and what things are going on in her life. It is very clear he cares about her and if there was anything I wanted more of in this book, it was the swoon.
I also enjoyed that this book was about more than just the relationship between Paige and Max. Paige shows some growth through this entire book both in how she copes with the challenges in her life to the way she interacts with her parents. I thought it was an interesting twist that Lord threw in that she wasn’t dealing with a “typical” parental issue and it added a different feel to the story…in a good way.
As Paige is slowly working through her plan, something happens between Paige and Max that threatens the friendship they have developed. She has to figure out what to do and how to get things back - at least to the way they were and when she digs a bit more into what happened – she finds out there was a little more to the story than she originally thought. I would like to add here that I KNOW this is vague but I don’t want to tell you what it is…mostly because I don’t want to ruin any part of the story for anyone.
So take my word for it. If you enjoy contemporary romance, stories where characters are learning about who they are, and great friendships, definitely check this one out. I have to agree with Max’s statement, my type might be “nerd” and I am completely okay with that.
Thank you to Bloomsbury for the review copy!
The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace is the first in The Keepers’ Chronicles and I thought it was a wonderful start to what will be a promising series.
Johanna Von Arlo has grown up in a family of performers. She has learned how to be a Storyspinner from her father but on the night that the story opens, her father is performing his highwire act and something goes terribly wrong. After that dreadful night, things change drastically for Johanna as she and her family have to figure out a new way to survive.
Due to being kicked out of the troupe and their struggles to survive, Johanna is forced to hunt in the woods. When she comes across a deer that then happens to run onto Lord Rafael DeSilva’s land she is mistaken for a poacher and that’s when things take another turn as she is thrown into the DeSilva’s world and asked to work for them while they entertain other nobles.
There is quite a bit going on in this story and another piece that ties all of the characters back to Johanna includes a group called The Keepers. They are looking for the heir of King Wilhelm because they believe the heir is the one who will save their land. They aren’t the only ones looking for her either – there are girls being murdered all over the kingdom that match Johanna’s description and when Rafi and his mother figure things out, they start to worry about what this means.
I found that I liked all of the characters in this story. Johanna is smart and definitely not one to just sit by and let others take care of things. I liked that she was willing to do anything for her family and although she has had some tragedies in her life, she still stayed strong. Rafi feels unprepared to take on the level of leadership he knows he has to but he is willing to do what he needs to in order to protect his people as well as the people he cares most about, his mother, brother and now Johanna.
Jacare and his group of Keepers were interesting as well. I would love to know more about their story and I look forward to finding out what has become of them based on the last chapter we had from one of them.
I enjoyed how Wallace tied all of the different storylines together and with all of the action, the story was fast. I have to say, the one frustration I had was how quickly the points of views were transitioned. Just as I would get into one character’s perspective, the chapter would end and things would move to another character’s point of view. It made some of the story feel choppy.
Overall I thought this was a solid first book. Johanna’s story has some mystery and lots of action and Wallace has created an interesting world for them all to live in. I can’t wait to learn more about everyone and where Johanna and Rafi are headed. Based on how this one ended, I am looking forward to the next book as I am curious to see where Wallace goes with all of these characters. If you are looking for an action-filled fantasy, check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Johanna Von Arlo has grown up in a family of performers. She has learned how to be a Storyspinner from her father but on the night that the story opens, her father is performing his highwire act and something goes terribly wrong. After that dreadful night, things change drastically for Johanna as she and her family have to figure out a new way to survive.
Due to being kicked out of the troupe and their struggles to survive, Johanna is forced to hunt in the woods. When she comes across a deer that then happens to run onto Lord Rafael DeSilva’s land she is mistaken for a poacher and that’s when things take another turn as she is thrown into the DeSilva’s world and asked to work for them while they entertain other nobles.
There is quite a bit going on in this story and another piece that ties all of the characters back to Johanna includes a group called The Keepers. They are looking for the heir of King Wilhelm because they believe the heir is the one who will save their land. They aren’t the only ones looking for her either – there are girls being murdered all over the kingdom that match Johanna’s description and when Rafi and his mother figure things out, they start to worry about what this means.
I found that I liked all of the characters in this story. Johanna is smart and definitely not one to just sit by and let others take care of things. I liked that she was willing to do anything for her family and although she has had some tragedies in her life, she still stayed strong. Rafi feels unprepared to take on the level of leadership he knows he has to but he is willing to do what he needs to in order to protect his people as well as the people he cares most about, his mother, brother and now Johanna.
Jacare and his group of Keepers were interesting as well. I would love to know more about their story and I look forward to finding out what has become of them based on the last chapter we had from one of them.
I enjoyed how Wallace tied all of the different storylines together and with all of the action, the story was fast. I have to say, the one frustration I had was how quickly the points of views were transitioned. Just as I would get into one character’s perspective, the chapter would end and things would move to another character’s point of view. It made some of the story feel choppy.
Overall I thought this was a solid first book. Johanna’s story has some mystery and lots of action and Wallace has created an interesting world for them all to live in. I can’t wait to learn more about everyone and where Johanna and Rafi are headed. Based on how this one ended, I am looking forward to the next book as I am curious to see where Wallace goes with all of these characters. If you are looking for an action-filled fantasy, check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Sea of Stars is book two of the Kricket books by Amy Bartol and I have to say, I continue to enjoy this series. There are solid characters, an interesting story, plenty of action, and some swoony bits…all of my favorite things. Plus, the covers on these books are absolutely stunning and I love them.
Kricket is one of those characters that has what I consider the perfect level of snarkiness. Add to this the fact that she is willing to stand up for herself and she is also willing to do whatever she needs to in order to protect those she loves and I think she and I could be friends…if she were real.
Trey, Wayra, and Jax are still very protective of Kricket and they all get the opportunity to do so but in this book, Kricket also gets the chance to save them and I think there is a great balance and friendship that was developed in book one between all of them that only continues into this book. Add to this the relationship that has developed and definitely progresses between Trey and Kricket.
Kyon is definitely crazy and the lengths that he is willing to go to in order to get Kricket back create a very dangerous situation for anyone who is with her. Kricket realizes this but isn’t necessarily willing to give everyone up. Plus, she would never convince Trey that the right thing to do would be for her to get away from them all. With the addition of the other priestesses and where Kricket ultimately ends up in the last chapter of this book, I believe that things will get even more interesting for Kricket.
There are some additional characters that have been added to the story but I can’t say too much about them as they would give away some twists that come up. I can say that Griffin was an interesting addition and his purpose, while a bit of a surprise, should add another layer to this story that I wasn’t really expecting.
Outside of the hunt that Kyon has underway for Kricket, there is now officially a war going on that is impacting everyone. Alameeda is looking to wipe out the Rafe house and as Kricket begins to get a handle on her ability to see the future, she is able to see how certain things are going to turn out for her and those around her.
I have to admit, once I picked up this book, I wasn’t able to put it down. It is fast-paced and all of the action had me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters and with the twists that Bartol introduced in this book; I don’t know how I am going to be able to wait for the next book. Someone needs to take pity on my (please, please, please) and get me a copy of the next book as soon as possible. Definitely consider diving into this series if you enjoy a good paranormal fantasy with some interesting characters and an action-packed story.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
Kricket is one of those characters that has what I consider the perfect level of snarkiness. Add to this the fact that she is willing to stand up for herself and she is also willing to do whatever she needs to in order to protect those she loves and I think she and I could be friends…if she were real.
Trey, Wayra, and Jax are still very protective of Kricket and they all get the opportunity to do so but in this book, Kricket also gets the chance to save them and I think there is a great balance and friendship that was developed in book one between all of them that only continues into this book. Add to this the relationship that has developed and definitely progresses between Trey and Kricket.
Kyon is definitely crazy and the lengths that he is willing to go to in order to get Kricket back create a very dangerous situation for anyone who is with her. Kricket realizes this but isn’t necessarily willing to give everyone up. Plus, she would never convince Trey that the right thing to do would be for her to get away from them all. With the addition of the other priestesses and where Kricket ultimately ends up in the last chapter of this book, I believe that things will get even more interesting for Kricket.
There are some additional characters that have been added to the story but I can’t say too much about them as they would give away some twists that come up. I can say that Griffin was an interesting addition and his purpose, while a bit of a surprise, should add another layer to this story that I wasn’t really expecting.
Outside of the hunt that Kyon has underway for Kricket, there is now officially a war going on that is impacting everyone. Alameeda is looking to wipe out the Rafe house and as Kricket begins to get a handle on her ability to see the future, she is able to see how certain things are going to turn out for her and those around her.
I have to admit, once I picked up this book, I wasn’t able to put it down. It is fast-paced and all of the action had me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters and with the twists that Bartol introduced in this book; I don’t know how I am going to be able to wait for the next book. Someone needs to take pity on my (please, please, please) and get me a copy of the next book as soon as possible. Definitely consider diving into this series if you enjoy a good paranormal fantasy with some interesting characters and an action-packed story.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
Gah!!! Holy cliffhanger!!!
The Orphan Queen is the first in a series by Jodi Meadows and I loved everything about this book. Forgive me if this review comes across as a little incoherent as that tends to happen when I have to try to put into words what I think about a book that I really enjoy.
Wil is a princess and when she was orphaned, her kingdom was taken by the Indigo Kingdom. Ten years after her parents were killed, Wil is a member of the Ospreys, a group of orphaned noble children fighting to take back Wil’s throne. To do this, Wil and her best friend Melanie, will need to infiltrate Skyvale Palace and find a way to win her kingdom back from the inside.
First, I loved the world that Meadows created and developed in this book. The idea that magic has created a toxic substance that is taking over the land added a mix to this fantasy that I haven’t seen before. Magic is outlawed due to the fact that every time someone uses magic, the wraith gets stronger and creates another horror that has never been seen before. It is destroying the land and it is a threat to the people.
Second, the story itself was great! Wil is an orphan who has watched her Kingdom be ripped away from her family and now she is fighting to get back what is hers and also attempt to make things better for her people. Along the way she comes to find she can rely on some people but can’t on others and not only did I love seeing Wil change along the way but also the people around her as they learned more about each other and what really was going on.
Finally, I love when a story has wonderful characters that I can get behind and root for – which there was no shortage of in this book.
The Ospreys were essentially Wil’s family and although she was the heir and eventual queen to them, the leader of the group was Patrick (Lein) and he was hard to read. I can’t say much about him other than he made me very, very angry. Melanie (Wil’s best friend) was another one that I wasn’t really sure about her agenda. I thought I had her figured out but then she would do something completely opposite of what I expected. I wanted to like her but I was on the fence with her for the whole story and couldn’t believe how things ended up between her and Wil.
Wil herself was an interesting character. She is tough and strong and has had to be but she also knows that what she is setting herself up for in taking over her kingdom is a huge responsibility and it is hard for her to be around the same people who killed her parents. She also isn’t completely sure what she believes regarding magic now that she has seen what the wraith can really do and it has changed her.
While Wil and the Ospreys are wandering the streets, they also run the risk of running into Black Knife, a vigilante who hunts magic offenders and hands them over to the watchmen. Wil needs to be careful to ensure that she not only doesn’t get caught using magic but that she also doesn’t get caught by him using magic.
I can’t say a lot about Black Knife, mostly because his identity is a mystery (he wears a mask) and while Wil is worried about him, she also starts to respect him as they continue to cross paths. I loved seeing the way their relationship changes as the story progresses. Not for any reason other than the fact that they both have a goal to make things better for the people of the Kingdom. The banter between the two characters was great and I loved how we were able to experience the transition of how they felt toward each other.
The other character I will mention here is the prince. His story is definitely interesting and I thought he was a solid character. It is clear he also wants to do what is right for the Kingdom and the people. I thought Meadows did a great job of tying him (and Wil) to the history of the deaths of Wil’s parents and bringing the story back to where they both are today, trying to do what is right.
Admittedly, I finished this book and immediately had a reaction…you all know how I feel about cliffhangers, right??
In a normal situation this ending would have made me rate a bit lower but as I continued to think about it, the entire story had me at the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put this down so I couldn’t do it – it had to be a 5 star for me. If you don’t have this book on your TBR list, definitely get it on there. There is a lot of action, magic, mystery, and of course, some swoony boys!
I loved everything about this one and I seriously can’t wait to see where Meadows takes the rest of this story. Be warned, you might (read: you probably will) find yourself throwing the book when you finish the last page but it will only be because you are like me and you don’t know how you are going to wait for the next book of this series. **Please note, I would never recommend throwing your books…they should always be handled with care. **
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The Orphan Queen is the first in a series by Jodi Meadows and I loved everything about this book. Forgive me if this review comes across as a little incoherent as that tends to happen when I have to try to put into words what I think about a book that I really enjoy.
Wil is a princess and when she was orphaned, her kingdom was taken by the Indigo Kingdom. Ten years after her parents were killed, Wil is a member of the Ospreys, a group of orphaned noble children fighting to take back Wil’s throne. To do this, Wil and her best friend Melanie, will need to infiltrate Skyvale Palace and find a way to win her kingdom back from the inside.
First, I loved the world that Meadows created and developed in this book. The idea that magic has created a toxic substance that is taking over the land added a mix to this fantasy that I haven’t seen before. Magic is outlawed due to the fact that every time someone uses magic, the wraith gets stronger and creates another horror that has never been seen before. It is destroying the land and it is a threat to the people.
Second, the story itself was great! Wil is an orphan who has watched her Kingdom be ripped away from her family and now she is fighting to get back what is hers and also attempt to make things better for her people. Along the way she comes to find she can rely on some people but can’t on others and not only did I love seeing Wil change along the way but also the people around her as they learned more about each other and what really was going on.
Finally, I love when a story has wonderful characters that I can get behind and root for – which there was no shortage of in this book.
The Ospreys were essentially Wil’s family and although she was the heir and eventual queen to them, the leader of the group was Patrick (Lein) and he was hard to read. I can’t say much about him other than he made me very, very angry. Melanie (Wil’s best friend) was another one that I wasn’t really sure about her agenda. I thought I had her figured out but then she would do something completely opposite of what I expected. I wanted to like her but I was on the fence with her for the whole story and couldn’t believe how things ended up between her and Wil.
Wil herself was an interesting character. She is tough and strong and has had to be but she also knows that what she is setting herself up for in taking over her kingdom is a huge responsibility and it is hard for her to be around the same people who killed her parents. She also isn’t completely sure what she believes regarding magic now that she has seen what the wraith can really do and it has changed her.
While Wil and the Ospreys are wandering the streets, they also run the risk of running into Black Knife, a vigilante who hunts magic offenders and hands them over to the watchmen. Wil needs to be careful to ensure that she not only doesn’t get caught using magic but that she also doesn’t get caught by him using magic.
I can’t say a lot about Black Knife, mostly because his identity is a mystery (he wears a mask) and while Wil is worried about him, she also starts to respect him as they continue to cross paths. I loved seeing the way their relationship changes as the story progresses. Not for any reason other than the fact that they both have a goal to make things better for the people of the Kingdom. The banter between the two characters was great and I loved how we were able to experience the transition of how they felt toward each other.
The other character I will mention here is the prince. His story is definitely interesting and I thought he was a solid character. It is clear he also wants to do what is right for the Kingdom and the people. I thought Meadows did a great job of tying him (and Wil) to the history of the deaths of Wil’s parents and bringing the story back to where they both are today, trying to do what is right.
Admittedly, I finished this book and immediately had a reaction…you all know how I feel about cliffhangers, right??
In a normal situation this ending would have made me rate a bit lower but as I continued to think about it, the entire story had me at the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put this down so I couldn’t do it – it had to be a 5 star for me. If you don’t have this book on your TBR list, definitely get it on there. There is a lot of action, magic, mystery, and of course, some swoony boys!
I loved everything about this one and I seriously can’t wait to see where Meadows takes the rest of this story. Be warned, you might (read: you probably will) find yourself throwing the book when you finish the last page but it will only be because you are like me and you don’t know how you are going to wait for the next book of this series. **Please note, I would never recommend throwing your books…they should always be handled with care. **
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
So I'm going to need this to be a series so I can know more!!!
I love stories about fated souls and Waiting For April had me interested at the first line of the summary. I actually stumbled across this book in my Facebook feed and am glad I did – I enjoyed this book and sincerely hope there is more to come.
April Fletcher thinks she is just a normal teenager who has a wonderful boyfriend, a great best friend, and clear plans for her future. Little does she know that she has died nineteen times before her 18th birthday and her best friend, Scott is a boy she has known since the first time she died in 1729. The mystery tied into the story is how April continues to die and why it has created an impact on Scott’s existence.
Scott Parker continues to struggle to find out what is really going on with April and why he is locked in an existence where he is invincible until the moment she tells him she loves him. Once that happens, April is yanked away from him somehow and his life freezes until she comes back into his life for the next time around.
In this iteration of their lives, Scott and April are best friends but when they go to a cabin for a weekend trip with their respective boyfriend/girlfriend, Scott ends up sharing the details of their lives with April. While April struggles with the details, the relationship between Scott and April changes and they come to realize they need to find out what is really going on and why it is happening to them.
I have to admit, at first I wasn’t a huge fan of April as a character. For some reason, she drove me a bit crazy – it may have been because of her initial reaction to Scott telling her about his feelings for her…I’m not sure but she did grow on me as the story progressed. Scott was swoony and lovely…I thought the way Loren portrayed him was perfect and he was so wonderfully supportive of everything April wanted – even if he thought it wouldn’t include him.
I can’t really say much about the mystery behind the overall story as I don’t want to give anything away. There were some twists to this story that were completely unexpected and I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen for these two. The end of this book was brutal (in a good way…) and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book – I know it isn’t listed as a series but I did see that Jaime Loren indicated this would be a trilogy…which has made me SUPER excited!
If you are looking for an intriguing story with some well-developed characters definitely check this one out. I will say, Loren knows how to write some swoon and angst…both things that make a wonderful story. Get this one when you can!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!
I love stories about fated souls and Waiting For April had me interested at the first line of the summary. I actually stumbled across this book in my Facebook feed and am glad I did – I enjoyed this book and sincerely hope there is more to come.
April Fletcher thinks she is just a normal teenager who has a wonderful boyfriend, a great best friend, and clear plans for her future. Little does she know that she has died nineteen times before her 18th birthday and her best friend, Scott is a boy she has known since the first time she died in 1729. The mystery tied into the story is how April continues to die and why it has created an impact on Scott’s existence.
Scott Parker continues to struggle to find out what is really going on with April and why he is locked in an existence where he is invincible until the moment she tells him she loves him. Once that happens, April is yanked away from him somehow and his life freezes until she comes back into his life for the next time around.
In this iteration of their lives, Scott and April are best friends but when they go to a cabin for a weekend trip with their respective boyfriend/girlfriend, Scott ends up sharing the details of their lives with April. While April struggles with the details, the relationship between Scott and April changes and they come to realize they need to find out what is really going on and why it is happening to them.
I have to admit, at first I wasn’t a huge fan of April as a character. For some reason, she drove me a bit crazy – it may have been because of her initial reaction to Scott telling her about his feelings for her…I’m not sure but she did grow on me as the story progressed. Scott was swoony and lovely…I thought the way Loren portrayed him was perfect and he was so wonderfully supportive of everything April wanted – even if he thought it wouldn’t include him.
I can’t really say much about the mystery behind the overall story as I don’t want to give anything away. There were some twists to this story that were completely unexpected and I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen for these two. The end of this book was brutal (in a good way…) and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book – I know it isn’t listed as a series but I did see that Jaime Loren indicated this would be a trilogy…which has made me SUPER excited!
If you are looking for an intriguing story with some well-developed characters definitely check this one out. I will say, Loren knows how to write some swoon and angst…both things that make a wonderful story. Get this one when you can!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!
2.5 I think.
First, I love the cover to this book. It has a creepy feel and immediately drew me in.
I think this is what led to problems for me. I was expecting this to be creepier than it actually was. It definitely has some promise from the paranormal angle but I didn't feel like I had enough explanation as to why Kia is who she is and why Ethan is who he is. Their stories weren't as developed as I wish they were.
This was a fairly quick read and had plenty of action to keep me turning the pages but while there is a bit of a creep factor with the estate and the animals, I found myself missing some information and back story that would have helped me get into this story more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.
First, I love the cover to this book. It has a creepy feel and immediately drew me in.
I think this is what led to problems for me. I was expecting this to be creepier than it actually was. It definitely has some promise from the paranormal angle but I didn't feel like I had enough explanation as to why Kia is who she is and why Ethan is who he is. Their stories weren't as developed as I wish they were.
This was a fairly quick read and had plenty of action to keep me turning the pages but while there is a bit of a creep factor with the estate and the animals, I found myself missing some information and back story that would have helped me get into this story more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.