rezelazny's Reviews (1.09k)

This is my second book by Mr. Pavone, you can tell his writing style has improved since The Ex-Pats. I really enjoyed this spy thriller. There were some crazy twists; who is bad, who is good, who loves who. For awhile there I felt like there was just too much going on, too many plots, but Pavone does a great job of wrapping it up like a birthday present to the reader. In fact, it's almost too perfect, but I'm not complaining. I enjoyed Will. I felt for him. His entire world gets turned around; job, wife, boss, friends. But, was he that in the dark? I actually really liked most of the characters, enough to hope that some of the secondary characters with lots of unanswered questions pop up in future Pavone books. I am going to keep reading Pavone's works and I suggest you do so as well if you enjoy a fast-paced thrill ride.
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I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, I thought this fairy tale book was for YA? Definitely for the middle grades (12-16yrs), but that being said, I still enjoyed it. I love a good fairy tale with loads of adventure. The various curses really confused me and I was constantly skipping to the back of the work to read up on the definitions. I enjoyed the characters, the quest and the bit of romance. It all falls together quite nicely at the end. My favorite character by far is Sarah. She was spunky, true to her friends and herself-quite a big task for a 14 year old. If you have a tween who enjoys fairy tales, buy this for them.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was reviewed by others as a fast-paced thriller and it didn't disappoint. I did find myself skimming a few spots as the main character, whose name changes are confusing enough to put some readers off, would drag on and on about her predicament. I get it, you have a hard life! But, something keep me reading to see how this sad woman would regain everything she had lost. The mystery at the end was quite fulfilling. Great twist. I honestly didn't see it coming. Also, now I really want to go on a road trip! Still beats me how in this day and age with the cameras everywhere and supposed 'monitoring' by the government how you can be hidden in plain sight. Hmmm.

Free galley given through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A haunting tale of loss, love and loyalty. Ben Jones is a truck driver who delivers anything a person can need to live in the desert. He delivers to people who live in the middle of nowhere, where nothing ever happens, the desert controls your every move, and people have powerful secrets. Ben himself is a keeper of secrets. During one of his deliveries Ben stumbles across a woman living in an abandoned housing project. Who is this woman and how did she come to reside in the desert, people don't just show up here? These questions lead Ben on a mystery that brings him closer to who he is and what he wants out of life. A wonderful slow moving tale that quickly gripped me and whose characters are wonderfully flawed.
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Such a fun, warm-hearted read. The perfect pick-me-up. Nola is fat, not just a bit, but severely overweight. With the encouragement of her friends they form the Cinderella pact to lose weight once and for all. Even at work Nola has had to pretend to be someone else, the glamorous Belinda. But just as a handsome stranger walks into her life everything else goes bonkers. Just enjoyed this so much!

I had some reservations about this book once I started it. The characters names, world building and city/towns were named strangely, but I'm incredibly happy I stayed with it! Nerissa is the heir to her country, sadly on what should have been a magical night for her tragedy strikes. Nerissa has to change everything and become someone new just to survive. Can't wait to read the next book!

thanks to netgalley for providing a galley for a review.

The premise of this book has been done countless times. Girl likes boy, boy only sees girl as a friend, girl helps other girl get boy...
Cyra is a fencer-I learned A LOT about fencing from reading this book. She also only has a left hand, her right hand was lost during an accident. Cyra has the usual teen struggles-body weight/image, finding her place in high school, first love, family life, friends, and the unusual struggle of wanting her dream of getting to the Olympics to come true. She befriends Christine (the new girl of course!) and helps Christine 'get the guy'. The ending is never pretty as people find out who is truly behind the romance and the boy discovers the truth. I didn't see the twist in this book coming. I could have done with a bit less teen angst-but it is YA.
Thanks Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The thing is this book was totally in my wheelhouse. Paranormal stuuf, check. Romance, check. Cop thriller with interesting, global intrigue, check. But something was off. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, except maybe Kate. They seemed one dimensional and juvenile. I just needed more of everything. Not sure I'll be reading the next in the series.

Anyone else get the spin on the character's last name? Goodenough aka Good enough? Wow, pretty much sums up this book. A heart-breaking story about settling a plot of land and finding yourself in pioneer America. Family secrets, family dynamics and the harsh realities of living during the period are fleshed out successfully in this work. I could have learned a bit less about trees, thank you, but I did enjoy this one. Robert Goodenough is all about going west, leaving his past behind, but he can't see that he is becoming his father. Falling in love with a woman who sometimes resembles his own mother. And trying to spread his family's legacy of taking care of trees. The story of James and Sadie was rough to read. Mary's was even rougher, though I wish she had played a much bigger part. You need a light-hearted read after this one.
Read through Penguin's First to Read program.