I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Christmas with the Sheriff by Victoria James broke my heart over and over again. Seriously I had to sit it down at one point and have a good cry before I could continue. It’s heart-breaking, romantic, and one of those books you cheer for at the end.

Julia Bailey is a character that I truly found myself in. While I’ve never experienced the loss she has in this book, I empathized with her and put myself in her shoes…which explains why the book affected me the way it did. Julia is a strong woman, a young widow who in one night lost everything she held dear. I can’t even begin to imagine how I would feel if I lost my husband and son the same day. I would be shattered and Julia is. But the book picks up 5 years after her loss and really shows how strong she is. Julia has closed herself off to love, but she makes it through each day. The memories of her son don’t cause her to break down the way she used too and her husband’s ugly secret….she’s coming to terms with that. Honestly this woman is a rockstar!

Chase Donavan *swoon* is the sheriff of the small town Julia grew up in and at one time was her and her husband’s best friend. This is the man that held Julia together after her loss and then she ran. Now that she’s back in Shadow Creek for the holidays, Chase has no intention of letting her leave again. This is the girl that got away for him. He was in love with her as a teen, but didn’t think he deserved her. Then she marries his best friend and now she’s single again. He has no intention of letting the chance to be with her slip by twice. I love Chase! He’s a single father doing everything he possibly can to make his little girl’s life as normal and happy as possible. Seriously, why wouldn’t you fall for him?! He puts his own happiness and needs aside for his little girl’s over and over again.

I loved the sweet romance that was just waiting to burst between these two characters. The alternating POV helped to speed it along as the readers knew where each character stood. My heart ached for what Julia has gone through and twisted for Chase’s loss as well. These are two characters who just needed a little push to jumpstart the chemistry that was already brewing and I loved how it played out on the pages. The small town vibe was just an added bonus. Not many authors can pull off such a large cast of characters and have them so well fleshed out. James does this beautifully. Even for characters that only have a few lines in the book, they feel real.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. If you enjoy small town romance set around the holidays, I highly recommend you grab a copy and enjoy!

Trick by Scarlett Dawn is the fourth novel in the Origin series, and as we have hit the halfway mark of on Origin, it has the most reveals and surprises for fans of the series.

Faith Peyton is a brand new character to Origin and I love her! She’s a straightforward, what you see is what you get kind of girl. And it’s a breath of fresh air to have a character like that. An orphan with little memory of her childhood or her own origins, Faith works as a fisherman, but as her 25th birthday approaches she is forced to seek marriage or join the Corporate Army. As she is not army material, Faith goes to the city’s matchmaking company and is bid on and won by one of the richest men in the world: Alaric Wood.

Alaric has been a bit of mystery in the series. While he’s made cameos in the previous books, not much is known about him and I have to say I wound up falling in love with him. He’s a bear, both figuratively and literally. His rage once unleashed is hard to control, and as it seems the Master is now messing with him in sending Faith to his doorstep, another fight is looming. I love the mystery surrounding Alaric but also how gentle he really is. Instead of a ferocious, scary bear, he’s adopts a teddy bear attitude where Faith is concerned.

Of all the relationships that have featured so far in the series, I love the buildup around Faith and Alaric. It’s a slow build with chemistry oozing off the pages. But what I loved most about this book is the big reveal. I do not want to spoil anything about this so I am putting it in spoiler tags:

Spoiler

THE MASTER IS REVEALED!!!!! Sorry I just needed to get that off my chest

This reveal makes the book. Not only does it pertain to the entire series, but it also is leading us down a path that I have a feeling will eventually blow up in all out war…..which I’m not opposed too.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, finishing it in one sitting. Faith and Alaric are wonderful additions to the series. I love their chemistry, as it reminds me of my own relationship with my husband. And I love how important this book is to the series as a whole. Up to this point, each book could be read as a standalone, but I feel no one should skip out on this one. If you enjoy the series so far, prepare to have your mind blown by this one. If you haven’t started the series yet and enjoy paranormal romance in a dystopian setting, I highly recommend you start by grabbing a copy of [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945] and prepare to binge!

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Christmas Promise by Sean D. Young is the second in her series A McClendon Holiday which revolves around the McClendon sisters. Each book can be read as a standalone with characters crossing over to the other books. This particular book is about Jennifer McClendon and a vacation that gives her more than she bargained for.

I like Jennifer. She’s a strong heroine who despite circumstances (like finding her boyfriend cheating on her) keeps going. She doesn’t allow the lemons that life throws at her to get in the way of her hopes and dreams. Simeon is just as likable. In fact I found myself falling for him. He’s a little more vulnerable than Jennifer and once he commits to something he commits himself wholly which I admit caused me to swoon a little.

The romance and plot of this book was a little all over the place which is where it lost me. The pacing was odd. The beginning when they first meet moved at a fast pace. Then when it fast-forwards a few years the pace and plot dragged. There wasn’t enough to keep me interested, yet I finished the book because I was invested in the characters by this point. Also the writing style…this was more a case of “it’s me, not you.” It just didn’t work for me. At times it felt clunky and overly detailed and I would rather have just enough detail to get the picture and allow my imagination to do the rest of the work.

Overall, The Christmas Promise was just an okay read for me. It’s a sweet, (surprisingly) clean romance set around the holidays. There is plenty of drama and a little tugging of your heartstrings as well. If you enjoy contemporary, second chance romances, I highly recommend it.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Maybe This Christmas by Jennifer Snow is a fun, steamy romance that kept me up all night until I finished it. I adored this story and everything in it! Two friends who suddenly find themselves in love and wanting to make a go of their relationship….it was done perfectly.

Emma Callaway is head over heels in love with her best friend and she doesn’t know what to do about it. She does know that their friends with benefits arrangement can’t continue because it will eventually break her heart. The question is how does she tell Asher that.

Asher Westmore is one of the hottest stars in the NHL and about to hit a major career milestone when an injury puts him on the sidelines. The only bright spot is that Emma is a physical therapist. Not only can she get him out on the ice faster than anyone else she brings light to all his life. The only problem she’s ready to settle down and start a new path in her life and he isn’t.

Asher is a swoon-worthy idiot. From the first chapter in his POV, the readers know what he does not: that he is in love with Emma. This man can’t take his eyes off his best friend, he can’t wait to share every detail of his day with her, yet he’s a commitment phobe. This aspect of Asher’s personality irritated me. He’s got everything he wants until he realizes that Emma may leave him. It’s like this detail is what kicks his butt into action, it forces him to realize his feelings. Emma is no better. I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle her. Honestly this book could have ended after five chapters if the two main characters would have actually communicated their feelings.

Despite my frustration with their miscommunication, I did love their story. It’s sweet with steamy chemistry and I loved how easy it was for the two best friends to move into a more permanent relationship. I loved the tension and even the drama associated with it. While this book is the third in the series, it can be read as a standalone, but do know that other characters from previous books make an appearance here and cause minor spoilers for those books. (Don’t worry, I haven’t read those yet either and these things are not going to stop me from reading them.) If you enjoy steamy, best friend romance, I highly recommend you read this book!

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking is the first in her Valkyrie duology. This book was all action with a little romance which made it a fast read despite its size. My favorite part of the book though was the blending of urban contemporary with Norse mythology. It’s not a common thing in YA fantasy and I loved seeing it here. Amanda Hocking did a fantastic job of taking the mythology and interweaving it with today’s world. Following Malin, a young Valkyrie in training, Between the Blade and the Heart brings into question the choice of free will and the guiding hand of fate.

Malin was an interesting character to say the least. At 19 she is attending college as she completes her Valkyrie training. She feels she was destined to be a Valkyrie, nothing else feels right in her life except the returning of immortals when deemed by the gods. Returning is a nice word for killing….just fyi 😉 She strives for the approval of her mother who has never been a kind woman. But when Malin discovers that her infallible mother made a choice to spare an immortal destined to die, everything Malin thought she knew comes into question. Her life is thrown off balance by this one choice and now she must correct it if she is going to save the world.

But as much as I liked Malin, I loved Asher. Asher is the son of a Valkyrie who was killed by the immortal Malin’s mother neglected to return. Asher is out for revenge and that starts with finding out why Malin’s mother spared this immortal. Despite this need for revenge, he is kind, level headed, and shows Malin that not all Valkyries are as cruel as her mother can be.

The main plot follows Malin and her new found friend as they track down this immortal. But the deeper they go, the more they realize there is more at stake than correcting a wrong. The entire world hangs in the balance. The action is interspersed with the answers Malin seeks and I found myself engrossed. My only complaint about the story was the romance. Malin is bisexual and her ex is also a Valkyrie. Now according to the book they’ve been apart for six months when Asher enters the scene. Malin spends her time kissing both in the book and I didn’t care for that. It was a love triangle that only Malin knew she was in….does that make sense? I felt it brought unnecessary drama to the an already action-packed, dramatic plot.

Overall Between the Blade and the Heart was just okay for me. As much as I loved the interweaving of contemporary and mythology, it couldn’t carry the book. The world-building while fantastic was hard to follow. To be honest the book would benefit from having a glossary in the back because there are so many names for demons, cities, ruling parties, etc. that I found myself flipping back trying to figure out who was who. And as I already mentioned the annoying triangle I won’t go into that again. Despite the negative though I plan to read the next book because I am invested in the characters and need to know what will happen next….especially after that bombshell ending. If you enjoy urban mythology, a little romance and a lot of action, you should check out this book.

I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

As I sit down to write the review for Inseparable, my heart aches. Siobhan Davis has delivered a powerful, emotionally stirring novel about the bonds of friendship, trials of adolescence, and the heartbreak of true grief. I was overcome many times during the reading of this book and had to set it down and simply have a good cry. Devin, Angelina, and Ayden are wonderfully written, fully fleshed out, and came to life as I read. When I read the prologue, my first thought was “This book is going to destroy me,” and it did.

The majority of Inseparable is told from Angelina’s perspective so let’s start with her. Angelina is a determined, young woman with a bright future ahead of her. She knows exactly what she wants out of life and she has it all planned out. I found myself identifying with her as she reminded me a lot of myself at that age, friendly to everyone but only two or three really close friends. Yet she struggled with feelings she had developed for one of her best friends. It’s something I’ve heard a lot growing up that guys and girls can’t be friends because inevitably one of you will develop feelings towards the other. That is exactly what has happened here, and the author fleshes it out beautifully, showing the angst and division that derives from it.

The story also follows Angelina’s neighbors and two best friends: Devin and Ayden. I could easily sum these two boys up as the bad boy and the good boy, the Pacey and the Dawson if you will to Angelina’s Joey (Yes I totally am referencing Dawson’s Creek and showing my age), but they are so much more than that. When the story opens, it is clear to the reader, if not entirely clear to Angelina, that Devin is spiraling. He’s in a really bad place and truly lost. My heart broke for this boy who wasn’t quite a man yet and everything that was happening to him that Angelina couldn’t see through her own heartbreak. Then there’s Ayden, the golden boy, town football star with his entire life mapped out for him. He is seemingly in love with Angelina, yet waiting in the wings for her to notice. Yet when their dynamic changes, so does he and the spiraling we saw in Devin begins in Ayden and Angelina is helpless to stop it.

There are so many things I want to discuss about this book but I can’t for fear of spoiling it. Every moment, every word needs to be read and savored and mulled over because it is so important. Siobhan Davis is the queen when it comes to foreshadowing! As I sit reflecting over moments in the book, things that caught my attention but I didn’t think was important at the time are big red flags screaming “Warning!” at me now that I know the ending. To be honest, I had predicted what would happen (thanks to the amazing foreshadowing!) so I wasn’t surprised but it still broke me. The brutal emotions and vivid imagery of what the characters were thinking and feeling leaked into my own emotions. I felt what they felt and was utterly devastated.

Overall I loved Inseparable! Every moment, every heart ache, every word….I loved it. Angelina and Devin and Ayden will stick around with me for a while. The sad truths, the grief, the unimaginable pain that only those you are closest to can inflict….Siobhan Davis writes it all in beautiful, heart-aching detail. If you enjoy contemporary romance with a lot of angst and drama, I highly recommend you grab this book.

I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Stone Silence by Taylor Dean is an achingly, sweet romance about a young woman who thought she would never find love and a man wracked by guilt. Abandoned on the side of an empty stretch of highway, Spencer walks herself to the point of exhaustion before collapsing in front of a man who at first refused to help her. Stony regrets immediately his hasty no and finds himself caring for an unknown woman for several days while she heals. It begins as a necessary relationship and grows to something much more.

Spencer is a likable and relatable character. I could easily picture myself finding this girl and talking to her out on the streets. She’s charismatic, practical, loving, and a bit quirky. She has two parents who love her dearly and close friends, but has never had a lasting relationship for more than a few dates. She’s never been attracted to anyone romantically and until recently never questioned why. But now as she nears thirty, she wants what her parents have, her friends have…a partner, someone that will love her and care for her like no one else can.

Enter Stony. Stony is as his name suggests. He shows very little expression, is closed off, and talks little of his past. This makes it hard for Spencer to read between the lines. As the reader, I picked up on Stony sooner than Spencer did. I could read what he was saying and took it for what it meant. I understood his quiet whispers for what they were and I fell in love. However it’s the secrets of the past that threaten any relationship he could have or want with Spencer.

I enjoyed the slow build romance of Spencer and Stony. The secrets that lie in Stony’s past are heartbreaking and made me love him even more. I think the mark of a good author is getting a reader to fully invest in the characters and Dean does with Spencer and Stony. I fell in love with them both. I cried with Spencer and I ached for Stony.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and hope to continue with the series as I’m curious to know more about Stony and the women in his life. If you enjoy clean, contemporary romance, I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book!

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner was one of my most anticipated reads for 2018. I was really looking forward to it, I couldn’t wait to get started. But there are a lot of problems with this book that I couldn’t get over. And when I say problems, please remember it’s my opinion. Some readers may enjoy what I found wrong with the book.

Unearthed follows two main characters and alternates POV between them as the story unfolds. One character is a scavenger, uneducated yet street smart and quick thinking, and on Gaia to make fast cash to save an illegal sister. The other is a scholar, an academic who breaks the law to uncover the truth and dangers awaiting the society on the newly discovered planet Gaia. In theory this all sounds intriguing, yet it didn’t play out that way. The two characters were so stereotyped that it’s laughable. I don’t even have to say names or differentiate between them because all you need to know is in their stereotypes. It’s kind of sad.

Jules, the scholar, and Mia, the scavenger, meet up by chance on Gaia’s surface and their relationship is built on a mutual need for survival and lies. Yet somehow these two fall in love? Sorry, I’m not buying it. Jules flat out lies to Mia about his identity and why he wants to travel to a smaller temple. Mia lies about….well just about everything. It’s her job. The romance felt forced and fell flat on the pages. I didn’t buy any romantic chemistry between them, but when they were antagonizing each other that was believable.

And then there’s the plot. For about the first three quarters of the book, the plot moved at a snail’s pace. There was a lot of repetition that wasn’t needed, and mostly it was Mia and Jules exploring this temple of the Undying on Gaia. Now I’ll admit I was really curious and intrigued by the Undying and how humans discovered and traveled to their dead planet. But all of that is skipped over in favor of solving some grand puzzle the Undying left for only those that were “worthy.” Again that was intriguing, yet like the romance it fell flat on the pages. I found myself skimming most of the book and just wanting to reach the end.

However the last quarter of the book picks up with a rather intriguing and horrifying revelation. I couldn’t read this last section fast enough and honestly it is the book’s saving grace. I don’t want to say too much about it because SPOILERS but I will say that if you have started the book and are feeling how I felt the majority of the book to stick with it because it pays off in the end.

Overall, Unearthed was just an okay read for me. I could have lived without reading it, but the ending redeemed the slow pace and has me itching to get my hands on the second book. I think one of the things that intrigued me most about the book is the dystopian element hinted on by Mia and Jules. It doesn’t play out in this book, but I’d like to learn more about Earth during their time and what humans have done to make society collapse. If you enjoy sci-fi and puzzles, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Just be sure to read to the end 😉

I forgot how much I love The Scourge by A.G. Henley! I picked up the audiobook to listen to last week and I could not stop listening. I binged it in one day and it was perfection. I first read The Scourge back in 2014 around the time the second book of the series hit shelves. I devoured everything from the series then and waited for the third book. However I somehow missed the release and because it had been so long I wanted to reread. I’m SO glad I did.

The premise of the book is simple. Set in the distant future, people living in a small community are separated by their color and the trees. Fair haired, light eyed humans live in the trees calling themselves Lofties. Dark haired, brown-eyed humans live on the ground and are known as Grounders. Grounders and Lofties have a tense relationship that started when they outgrew their tree top homes and the Grounders were forced to, well, the ground. This wouldn’t be so bad except for the Scourge, the flesh-eaters that roam the land since the fall. Now I know I’m not doing this book justice with my description but that’s the best I can do without spoilers 😉

Now onto the main characters. Fennel is a Grounder and a special one at that. She is Sightless which offers her protection from the Scourge. This makes her important to not only the Grounder community but also the Lofties. Why? When the Scourge arrive, it forces the Grounders to the caves and the Lofties to remain in the trees. This leaves Fennel who is protected to gather water for both communities. It’s a big job and one she has just inherited. The book opens on her first time gathering water and to say it’s a tense read is an understatement. It’s a hold-your-breath kind of read. Fenn is a character I found myself admiring. She’s blind, yet she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what is required of her. I find her brave in the face of adversity and was truly impressed with how she navigates her world.

For every Water Bearer, there is a Keeper and for Fenn that’s Peree, a Lofty who is one of the best archers in their community. I fell for Peree almost instantly. This is a boy who despite his raising sees the strength in Fenn and doesn’t care that she is Grounder. But what really made me fall for him is how he helps her do her job without ever stepping a foot on the ground. He is there above her in the trees, coaching her, telling her stories and shooting down Scourge who get too close. He’s brave, charismatic, and a dreamer.

Now the plot of The Scourge surrounds the fact that the Scourge stick around longer than normal. As a result, Fenn is getting exhausted and water is running out. So Fenn volunteers to search for the mythical waters deep in the caves. Peree naturally sneaks along. But it’s what they find along the way that truly makes the story. I can’t say anymore for fear of spoilers. However I can say how much I enjoyed their journey. Peree and Fenn are very different yet also very compatible. I enjoyed their easy banter and I was thrilled with their adventure. I loved how the author built a dystopian world that is both believable and fantastical. Despite Fenn’s blindness, I felt everything she felt and the imagery as told by someone who cannot see was vivid.

Overall I love The Scourge! This was the first time I had listened to the book and the narrator was fantastic. She drew me in immediately and I found myself holding my breath during the suspenseful moments, laughing aloud at the her sarcasm and even tearing up. I would recommend this book to anyone who joys a good dystopian and a clean YA read.

The Keeper by A.G. Henley is a fantastic snippet into Peree’s POV for those who needed more after The Scourge. Set during the first part of the book and leading up to just before Fenn’s surprise, I found myself falling for the Lofty boy a little more as I read.

Peree is a bit of a mystery at the beginning of the series. I loved seeing his initial meeting with Fenn through his eyes. This is a boy who fell head over heels for a girl who he shouldn’t. And I love that that doesn’t stop him. And his relationship with Shrike is expounded here as well and I felt myself tear up just thinking about how close they seemed.

For Peree being the Keeper means that he must protect the Water Bearer. If he fails his people go without water. The leaders of his community remind him that he isn’t a keeper of the Water Bearer but a keeper for his people. He protects them by ensuring they receive their fair share of the water. This is a concept Peree struggles with. He’s been watching Fenn for years as they’ve grown up, hoping to one day be the Water Bearer and now that he is he finds that he is more concerned with her safety than that of his people. It creates a conundrum for him, one he attempts to find a solution to in this short novella.

Overall I loved having these chapters from Peree’s perspective. I’d always wondered what it was like for him to view Fenn from the safety of his trees while the Scourge surrounds her and well I get my answer here. If you enjoyed the first book of the series, I highly suggest you follow it up with this!