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erinarkin20
Loved this book and series sooo much!!
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
In Pacifica, Kristen Simmons has created a world where climate change has impacted the world so negatively that the world we know today doesn’t exist any longer and I have to say, it is quite frightening that this could probably actually happen. It's no secret that I love the stories that Simmons writes and this one is no different. From start to finish I was immersed in this story of politics, friendship, and family. Also – the cover is amazing! As always...no spoilers below.
This book is told from two very different perspectives. We get Marin, a corsario pirate, and Ross, the son of the president. At the center of this story is something called the Relocation Act. The president has developed a program that will allow five hundred “lucky” lottery winners amongst the shorelings to relocate to a place called Pacifica which Marin knows doesn’t exist because she has been out there. Those opposed to the relocation support revitalization near the shore to make life better for that group and because there is such opposition between the groups, riots occur almost every night. As a way to get away from the boredom of another political event, Ross and his best friend Adam, decide to go see what’s happening.
As far as characters go, I thought Simmons did a fantastic job of developing both Marin and Ross. From the first page we see what kind of life Marin comes from and how that has shaped her. As the story moves forward, we get to learn more about her corsario roots and exactly why she couldn’t go back. I love that she is always willing to do what she can for those she cares about.
As for Ross, he first comes across as a bit spoiled and the fact that he is looking for adventure amongst the danger that the shorelings live in day to day, made me a bit annoyed with him at first. With that said, when he and Adam get into real trouble, Ross finally realizes it’s not a game and his choices have real consequences. He also decides he is going to do whatever is necessary to bring Adam home.
I thought the secondary characters added depth to the story and were just as well developed. We get to learn more about Ross’s family and those who surround them as well as Marin’s family and why she is living with the shorelings instead of her corsario family. There are some key individuals introduced who both help and cause problems for these two along the way.
There is a lot of action in this book and Marin and Ross face a lot of challenges and danger from the second they meet. Simmons does a great job of using this to propel the story along while still focusing on the characters and what the core of the story is.
Overall this book feels relevant to some key political things going on in our world today and while this is a fictional story, it felt very realistic to me and with that said, somewhat frightening. Adding to the story is the personal perspective that Simmons has included by tying this to her family history with internment camps during WWII. For me, this made the story even more impactful and don’t miss the author’s note when you read this book to read about Simmon’s family background.
In the end, I loved this book you guys...Kristen Simmons has written another fantastic story that has interesting characters, lots of action, danger and my favorite, swoons. Definitely add this to your TBR now if it isn't there already. As a standalone you won’t have to worry about waiting for the next book and I count it as a win that Simmons didn’t make me cry like a baby in this one.
Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is told from two very different perspectives. We get Marin, a corsario pirate, and Ross, the son of the president. At the center of this story is something called the Relocation Act. The president has developed a program that will allow five hundred “lucky” lottery winners amongst the shorelings to relocate to a place called Pacifica which Marin knows doesn’t exist because she has been out there. Those opposed to the relocation support revitalization near the shore to make life better for that group and because there is such opposition between the groups, riots occur almost every night. As a way to get away from the boredom of another political event, Ross and his best friend Adam, decide to go see what’s happening.
As far as characters go, I thought Simmons did a fantastic job of developing both Marin and Ross. From the first page we see what kind of life Marin comes from and how that has shaped her. As the story moves forward, we get to learn more about her corsario roots and exactly why she couldn’t go back. I love that she is always willing to do what she can for those she cares about.
As for Ross, he first comes across as a bit spoiled and the fact that he is looking for adventure amongst the danger that the shorelings live in day to day, made me a bit annoyed with him at first. With that said, when he and Adam get into real trouble, Ross finally realizes it’s not a game and his choices have real consequences. He also decides he is going to do whatever is necessary to bring Adam home.
I thought the secondary characters added depth to the story and were just as well developed. We get to learn more about Ross’s family and those who surround them as well as Marin’s family and why she is living with the shorelings instead of her corsario family. There are some key individuals introduced who both help and cause problems for these two along the way.
There is a lot of action in this book and Marin and Ross face a lot of challenges and danger from the second they meet. Simmons does a great job of using this to propel the story along while still focusing on the characters and what the core of the story is.
Overall this book feels relevant to some key political things going on in our world today and while this is a fictional story, it felt very realistic to me and with that said, somewhat frightening. Adding to the story is the personal perspective that Simmons has included by tying this to her family history with internment camps during WWII. For me, this made the story even more impactful and don’t miss the author’s note when you read this book to read about Simmon’s family background.
In the end, I loved this book you guys...Kristen Simmons has written another fantastic story that has interesting characters, lots of action, danger and my favorite, swoons. Definitely add this to your TBR now if it isn't there already. As a standalone you won’t have to worry about waiting for the next book and I count it as a win that Simmons didn’t make me cry like a baby in this one.
Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
In Her Skin by Kim Savage was one of those books I dove into without really knowing what to expect outside of the summary. I love a book that centers around a con but this one turned out to be a bit more than that.
Jo Chastain is fifteen and hasn’t had an easy life. Having lived with a mother who taught her how to be whatever she needed to be, Jo has made a habit of adapting to her surroundings by telling herself “saying something three times makes it so”. Since she has been living on the streets, Jo has just been looking for the right opportunity to have some safety and when she comes across Temple Lovecraft in the library, Jo sees her chance. After doing a bit of digging, Jo finds out that the Lovecraft’s are tied to the mysterious disappearance of Temple’s friend, Vivienne Weir, when she was nine. This inspires her to claim to be the long-lost Vivienne and this is just the start of the story.
The Lovecraft’s welcome Jo to the family but right away it all felt a bit off and while Jo doesn’t feel like she is in danger, she can’t figure out why the Lovecrafts just welcome her into their family without any hesitancy. No matter what her misgivings are, Jo decides to stick it out and maintain her story but as time passes, she realizes she isn’t the only one who is lying. As the secrets are revealed and Jo realizes what is really going on, she has to figure out what she is going to do to get out of the situation she put herself in.
While the story focuses on this life that Jo has claimed, it is also about a girl who has never has safety or security in her life and when she sees an opportunity to claim a life that would give her that, she is willing to give up everything she has ever known get it. I can’t say that I really liked Jo but I could sympathize with her for the life she has had. I can see why she felt the opportunity outweighed the risk. Jo is also smart. As she starts to realize something is off and digs in to figure it out, she starts to consider her options and what she will need to do.
One of the things I found intriguing in this story was the relationship between Temple and Jo. I can’t say much about the things that happen between these two, but their friendship is interesting because of what we find out as everything moves ahead. I wanted to know more about Temple even though it wasn’t really her story. She was clearly manipulating Jo from the start and it felt like there could have been more to her as a key character in this story.
This book was a pretty quick read and I thought the writing was well done. Overall, I thought the story didn’t really deliver on the con so much as provide us with a story about an emotionally damaged girl willing to do whatever she needed to in order to feel safe and secure. The story is dark and the characters aren’t very likable but in the end I found myself turning the pages just to see how it would all come together.
Thank you to the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Jo Chastain is fifteen and hasn’t had an easy life. Having lived with a mother who taught her how to be whatever she needed to be, Jo has made a habit of adapting to her surroundings by telling herself “saying something three times makes it so”. Since she has been living on the streets, Jo has just been looking for the right opportunity to have some safety and when she comes across Temple Lovecraft in the library, Jo sees her chance. After doing a bit of digging, Jo finds out that the Lovecraft’s are tied to the mysterious disappearance of Temple’s friend, Vivienne Weir, when she was nine. This inspires her to claim to be the long-lost Vivienne and this is just the start of the story.
The Lovecraft’s welcome Jo to the family but right away it all felt a bit off and while Jo doesn’t feel like she is in danger, she can’t figure out why the Lovecrafts just welcome her into their family without any hesitancy. No matter what her misgivings are, Jo decides to stick it out and maintain her story but as time passes, she realizes she isn’t the only one who is lying. As the secrets are revealed and Jo realizes what is really going on, she has to figure out what she is going to do to get out of the situation she put herself in.
While the story focuses on this life that Jo has claimed, it is also about a girl who has never has safety or security in her life and when she sees an opportunity to claim a life that would give her that, she is willing to give up everything she has ever known get it. I can’t say that I really liked Jo but I could sympathize with her for the life she has had. I can see why she felt the opportunity outweighed the risk. Jo is also smart. As she starts to realize something is off and digs in to figure it out, she starts to consider her options and what she will need to do.
One of the things I found intriguing in this story was the relationship between Temple and Jo. I can’t say much about the things that happen between these two, but their friendship is interesting because of what we find out as everything moves ahead. I wanted to know more about Temple even though it wasn’t really her story. She was clearly manipulating Jo from the start and it felt like there could have been more to her as a key character in this story.
This book was a pretty quick read and I thought the writing was well done. Overall, I thought the story didn’t really deliver on the con so much as provide us with a story about an emotionally damaged girl willing to do whatever she needed to in order to feel safe and secure. The story is dark and the characters aren’t very likable but in the end I found myself turning the pages just to see how it would all come together.
Thank you to the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars!
The Case for Jamie is the third book in the Charlotte Holmes series and I read this one thinking it was going to be the last one but found out there will be a fourth book coming out! I’ve been waiting for this book for what feels like a while so when my sister won a copy, I immediately claimed it. I won’t mention any spoilers, so I don’t ruin anything but don’t be mad if I’m a bit vague on some things.
This third book picks up a year after August’s death and things are very different for Jamie and Charlotte as they haven’t spoken in that time. Jamie is back at school at Sherringford and is really just trying to finish out his senior year without any issues. Unfortunately, some strange things have been happening that pull him back into the danger he thought he left behind. While I wasn’t a fan of the relationship, I was glad he had someone to lean on to get through. I also loved seeing Jamie lean more on his dad and engage more with his family…like Shelby (his sister).
Charlotte knows that it isn’t safe for her to be around those she cares about so she has been hiding from everyone but in true Charlotte fashion, she is also hunting for clues of where Lucien Moriarty might be as well as what he is up to next. Seeing her on her own wasn’t surprising – we all know that Charlotte is smart, and a survivor and I love how tough she is but when Leander finally comes to her and she lets him take care of her, I actually enjoyed seeing that vulnerable side to her.
I love that this novel is told from both Jamie’s and Charlotte’s points of view. Since they aren’t together, getting both perspectives helps to build out the story and even though they are separated, they are still tied together and when Cavallaro does bring them back together, it is done in the best way.
The character development throughout these books has been fantastic and I love that Cavallaro doesn’t just focus on Charlotte and Jamie. She has built up the supporting characters so well I continue to want more story with them involved – Leander, Elizabeth, Lena…all have a role in the story and I really hope we see more of them.
If you haven’t started the Charlotte Holmes series yet you are missing out and need to go read them now. Cavallaro does such a wonderful job of developing this world around Charlotte and Jamie and the twists and turns she builds into each book only adds to the story. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series even though I have no idea what it is going to be about. All I know is that I’m glad this cast of characters are not going away. Go get this book when you can and I will just be waiting here to see what Cavallaro writes next.
The Case for Jamie is the third book in the Charlotte Holmes series and I read this one thinking it was going to be the last one but found out there will be a fourth book coming out! I’ve been waiting for this book for what feels like a while so when my sister won a copy, I immediately claimed it. I won’t mention any spoilers, so I don’t ruin anything but don’t be mad if I’m a bit vague on some things.
This third book picks up a year after August’s death and things are very different for Jamie and Charlotte as they haven’t spoken in that time. Jamie is back at school at Sherringford and is really just trying to finish out his senior year without any issues. Unfortunately, some strange things have been happening that pull him back into the danger he thought he left behind. While I wasn’t a fan of the relationship, I was glad he had someone to lean on to get through. I also loved seeing Jamie lean more on his dad and engage more with his family…like Shelby (his sister).
Charlotte knows that it isn’t safe for her to be around those she cares about so she has been hiding from everyone but in true Charlotte fashion, she is also hunting for clues of where Lucien Moriarty might be as well as what he is up to next. Seeing her on her own wasn’t surprising – we all know that Charlotte is smart, and a survivor and I love how tough she is but when Leander finally comes to her and she lets him take care of her, I actually enjoyed seeing that vulnerable side to her.
I love that this novel is told from both Jamie’s and Charlotte’s points of view. Since they aren’t together, getting both perspectives helps to build out the story and even though they are separated, they are still tied together and when Cavallaro does bring them back together, it is done in the best way.
Spoiler
I also have to say…the way that she wrapped this book up was perfect and while I initially had a “wait a second” reaction, it was actually exactly how it had to happen. Sorry – I know that is vague and leading, but it was one of my favorite parts.The character development throughout these books has been fantastic and I love that Cavallaro doesn’t just focus on Charlotte and Jamie. She has built up the supporting characters so well I continue to want more story with them involved – Leander, Elizabeth, Lena…all have a role in the story and I really hope we see more of them.
If you haven’t started the Charlotte Holmes series yet you are missing out and need to go read them now. Cavallaro does such a wonderful job of developing this world around Charlotte and Jamie and the twists and turns she builds into each book only adds to the story. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series even though I have no idea what it is going to be about. All I know is that I’m glad this cast of characters are not going away. Go get this book when you can and I will just be waiting here to see what Cavallaro writes next.
As soon as I read the summary for the Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton, I knew I wanted to read this book. When I started this one, I had high hopes and for some reason, it just didn’t grab me as much as I had hoped it would - I will say I liked the story but didn’t love it.
This book had some really solid character development in Elia, Gaela, and Reagan and I enjoyed the chapters from Ban’s point of view. There just seemed to be a lot of points of view and just when I was getting pulled into one piece of the story, the chapter ended, and I had to shift again to another perspective.
I love fantasy and I thought for sure I would love this book but for me, the story seemed to drag at times and I didn’t really latch onto any of the daughters to support throughout – I suppose if I had to choose I would pick Elia because she is the only one who didn’t appear to have ulterior motives to her actions. I did appreciate the backstories with them though as it helped to explain Gaela and Reagan’s feelings toward each other and Elia. I also liked getting the background on Ban and Elia’s friendship and was really hoping we’d get a bit more with these two.
In the end, I found this one to be just ok. I’m sure this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” as I’ve seen a lot of people raving about this book, but it just wasn’t what I wanted it to be and seemed to drag at times. I most likely won’t pick up the next book but don’t let my notes deter you if you are at all interested.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book had some really solid character development in Elia, Gaela, and Reagan and I enjoyed the chapters from Ban’s point of view. There just seemed to be a lot of points of view and just when I was getting pulled into one piece of the story, the chapter ended, and I had to shift again to another perspective.
I love fantasy and I thought for sure I would love this book but for me, the story seemed to drag at times and I didn’t really latch onto any of the daughters to support throughout – I suppose if I had to choose I would pick Elia because she is the only one who didn’t appear to have ulterior motives to her actions. I did appreciate the backstories with them though as it helped to explain Gaela and Reagan’s feelings toward each other and Elia. I also liked getting the background on Ban and Elia’s friendship and was really hoping we’d get a bit more with these two.
In the end, I found this one to be just ok. I’m sure this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” as I’ve seen a lot of people raving about this book, but it just wasn’t what I wanted it to be and seemed to drag at times. I most likely won’t pick up the next book but don’t let my notes deter you if you are at all interested.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gah this was so good....and there may have been some tears...Full review to come.
I forgot how much I enjoyed this book. The narrator did a great job with all the voices and I will have to go get the next book now so I can jump right into it. Definitely check this series out!