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4.5 stars
I loved this book! It had hockey, romance, and the characters were some of my favorites! They say "write what you know" and Faber knows hockey, and apparently romance as well! Her passion for the sport really came through every page. I never played hockey, but I LOVE to watch it! I mean I am from Detroit, aka HOCKEYTOWN!
Hockey is fast paced and the players are so in tune with one another, most days anyway lol, it's very exciting to watch! The brisk chill from the ice, and passionate fans only amp up the whole experience too. I couldn't even imagine how much more so it must be for the players! And I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a few players that I like to pay extra close attention to *cough Henrik Zetterberg cough* So needless to say a hockey romance sounded A-Okay with me!
The best part is it was so well done. A nice slow burn. I really appreciated that Brit and Stefan developed a friendship, and maybe more importantly, a close bond as teammates before things got romantic. That paired with their off the chart chemistry made this a very swoon-worthy read!
Okay, so besides the romance, I thought the characters were individually awesome too! Let the Brit gushing commence!! She was such an inspiration! I love a story with a strong woman as a main character. I thought Brit being the first woman to play in the NHL was such a cool story! The way she handled the guys on and off the ice was just perfection. I had had this picture of her in my mind as this ninja-like badass!!
I think stories, and characters like this are so important, and quite frankly I wish that there was more of them! Faber really handled this aspect of the story amazingly as well. From the first awkward locker room incident, to the way the media and lots of people viewed Brit, to the way the team and the coach reacted, and ultimately embraced having a woman be a part of the team. Everything felt so real. I had no problem envisioning these situations being things that a woman would have to deal with under these circumstances. Brit carried herself very well, but also was a perfect person either. She made mistakes, and better yet, she OWNED them when the time came. I was completely in awe of Brit and couldn't help but to root for her.
Stefan was a great leading man, as well. At the very beginning I honestly thought that he was going to end up being the typical Alpha male, play-boy, but luckily that's not the way things were. I was so incredibly happy that Stefan ended up being such a good guy. The relationship he had with his mother was enough to warm any heart, and the way he was with his team was truly inspiring. Honestly even the side characters were well fleshed out and interesting, which makes total sense considering there will be more books in this series about them. I am dying to see who the stars of the next book will be. And hopefully see some sweet glimpses of where Stefan and Brit are as well.
All in all Blocked was an awesome story! I am now a Gold Hockey fan through and through (right after my first love, the Red Wings, of course) and I can't wait to back in the locker room with these hunks!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book! It had hockey, romance, and the characters were some of my favorites! They say "write what you know" and Faber knows hockey, and apparently romance as well! Her passion for the sport really came through every page. I never played hockey, but I LOVE to watch it! I mean I am from Detroit, aka HOCKEYTOWN!
Hockey is fast paced and the players are so in tune with one another, most days anyway lol, it's very exciting to watch! The brisk chill from the ice, and passionate fans only amp up the whole experience too. I couldn't even imagine how much more so it must be for the players! And I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a few players that I like to pay extra close attention to *cough Henrik Zetterberg cough* So needless to say a hockey romance sounded A-Okay with me!
The best part is it was so well done. A nice slow burn. I really appreciated that Brit and Stefan developed a friendship, and maybe more importantly, a close bond as teammates before things got romantic. That paired with their off the chart chemistry made this a very swoon-worthy read!
Okay, so besides the romance, I thought the characters were individually awesome too! Let the Brit gushing commence!! She was such an inspiration! I love a story with a strong woman as a main character. I thought Brit being the first woman to play in the NHL was such a cool story! The way she handled the guys on and off the ice was just perfection. I had had this picture of her in my mind as this ninja-like badass!!
I think stories, and characters like this are so important, and quite frankly I wish that there was more of them! Faber really handled this aspect of the story amazingly as well. From the first awkward locker room incident, to the way the media and lots of people viewed Brit, to the way the team and the coach reacted, and ultimately embraced having a woman be a part of the team. Everything felt so real. I had no problem envisioning these situations being things that a woman would have to deal with under these circumstances. Brit carried herself very well, but also was a perfect person either. She made mistakes, and better yet, she OWNED them when the time came. I was completely in awe of Brit and couldn't help but to root for her.
Stefan was a great leading man, as well. At the very beginning I honestly thought that he was going to end up being the typical Alpha male, play-boy, but luckily that's not the way things were. I was so incredibly happy that Stefan ended up being such a good guy. The relationship he had with his mother was enough to warm any heart, and the way he was with his team was truly inspiring. Honestly even the side characters were well fleshed out and interesting, which makes total sense considering there will be more books in this series about them. I am dying to see who the stars of the next book will be. And hopefully see some sweet glimpses of where Stefan and Brit are as well.
All in all Blocked was an awesome story! I am now a Gold Hockey fan through and through (right after my first love, the Red Wings, of course) and I can't wait to back in the locker room with these hunks!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Well I have to say I quite enjoyed this trip into Neverland, even though it was rather bittersweet. Sometimes it can be really cool to get the villain's point of view, and I really liked getting one of the most notorious ones, Captain James Hook. For even villains have a story to tell, and most of the time villains are made, not born, so their stories tend to be pretty compelling. I think that starting with James's childhood was a fabulous way to go, it was nice to start at the beginning and see his slow evolution into the nefarious Captain Hook.
I think one of my favorite things was Hook's depiction of the infamous Peter Pan. The funny thing is, I actually like Peter Pan, always have, there is just something I find rather charming about the boy who wishes never to grow up. And while I do like Pan, I don't think that Hook's representation of him in this book was wrong. The truth of the matter is, no matter the depiction some things about Peter Pan are inherently true, he is narcissistic, thoughtless, and irreverent. All the completely uncharming aspects that accompany being a child. In most adaptations I think these more unsavory characteristics are done in a way that they don't seem as pronounced, but in Never Never these traits were accentuated and it wasn't hard to see how other people could suffer from such behavior, namely James Hook. I really appreciated that this tale where Pan was made to be the offender, the author didn't feel the need to add much out of the original tales, just make the more unsavory things more pronounced.
It was hard not to sympathize with Hook, when you looked at all the things that befell him because of Pan. I was never really sure which side of the line that I was on. And getting Hook's inner turmoil over the harsher things that he was doing, made a real difference on how I viewed them. Suddenly his relentless pursuit of Pan did not seem so evil, but more of a Neverland justice. I thought that Neverland itself was a really fascinating part of this story as well. I had no problem visualizing this enchanting and dangerous place. It was pretty cool how even land and all it's inhabitants seemed to revolve around Peter, just a change in his mood could affect every and anything down to each blade of grass. I think it made Hook only detest Peter that much more that everything was merely another disciple of Peter's, and Peter didn't even appreciate any of it.
I have to admit that Tiger Lily's role in this book was surprising to me. But although unexpected, I did quite enjoy it! Although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly disappointed with the way things went down with her at the end of the book. Even though I ultimately knew how this story would end, it was actually pretty heartbreaking to watch it happen through Hook's eyes, especially after all we had watched him endure. All in all this was a fresh new perspective on a classic tale and I thought it was well done.
I received a copy of this book from Spencer Hill Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
WEREWOLF NIGHTS BY: MARI HAMILL REVIEW + A GIVEAWAY!!
3.5 stars!
Werewolf Nights was an interesting read! One of my favorite parts of this story was the setting! Wereville kind of reminded me of Star's Hollow from Gilmore Girls, if it were overrun with paranormal enthusiasts, that is. It was small town America, where everyone knows your name and every detail of your life, and it had a very rich history of some pretty fierce werewolf legends. I loved that the whole town adamantly believed in the existence of werewolves and werewolf hunters, and they celebrated it with gusto.
I thought the legend of Wolfern was almost Shakespearean, a tragic sort of love story. It made it conflicting on how I felt about Wolfern in the present, as I almost pitied him and his endless search for his true love. I actually found him to be one of the most interesting characters in the story! I also really liked Greg, so their inevitable connection only intrigued me further! I never really connected with Catherine. I didn't dislike her by any means, but I also never really got invested in her either. While I did feel bad for some of her circumstances in life, I felt as if there was just something missing from her that really pulled me in. But Greg and Wolfern easily gave me two characters to be actively engaged with, and the plot was strong.
I also thought the addition of filming a movie in this quirky town, while all this werewolf chaos was happening, added a whole new level of interesting. One you're a few chapters in the things are happening at a steady pace which made it effortless to keep flipping through page after page to see what would happen next. All in all I enjoyed this story, it reminded me of a more old school approach on werewolfs, with a more compelling plot line of man struggling with an inner wolf, like Wolfman or Silver Bullet. It was a nice change of pace from the more new age smexy Alpha pack stories that are all I see anymore,
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Mari Hamill has generously offered to giveaway a $10 Amazon gift card! All you have to do to be entered to win is add Werewolf Nights to your to-read shelf on Goodreads, which you can do here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252588-werewolf-nights
Just comment back on this post letting us know that you added it! Winner will be announced Tuesday 2/16!
You can find Mari all over the interwebs and she's super sweet so you should give her a like/follow on your social media channels!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariHamill
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariHamillAuthor/
Website: http://www.werewolfnightsbook.com/
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Mari-Hamill/e/B00KUC5U08/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marihamill/
Thanks and best of luck in the giveaway!
3.5 stars!
Werewolf Nights was an interesting read! One of my favorite parts of this story was the setting! Wereville kind of reminded me of Star's Hollow from Gilmore Girls, if it were overrun with paranormal enthusiasts, that is. It was small town America, where everyone knows your name and every detail of your life, and it had a very rich history of some pretty fierce werewolf legends. I loved that the whole town adamantly believed in the existence of werewolves and werewolf hunters, and they celebrated it with gusto.
I thought the legend of Wolfern was almost Shakespearean, a tragic sort of love story. It made it conflicting on how I felt about Wolfern in the present, as I almost pitied him and his endless search for his true love. I actually found him to be one of the most interesting characters in the story! I also really liked Greg, so their inevitable connection only intrigued me further! I never really connected with Catherine. I didn't dislike her by any means, but I also never really got invested in her either. While I did feel bad for some of her circumstances in life, I felt as if there was just something missing from her that really pulled me in. But Greg and Wolfern easily gave me two characters to be actively engaged with, and the plot was strong.
I also thought the addition of filming a movie in this quirky town, while all this werewolf chaos was happening, added a whole new level of interesting. One you're a few chapters in the things are happening at a steady pace which made it effortless to keep flipping through page after page to see what would happen next. All in all I enjoyed this story, it reminded me of a more old school approach on werewolfs, with a more compelling plot line of man struggling with an inner wolf, like Wolfman or Silver Bullet. It was a nice change of pace from the more new age smexy Alpha pack stories that are all I see anymore,
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Mari Hamill has generously offered to giveaway a $10 Amazon gift card! All you have to do to be entered to win is add Werewolf Nights to your to-read shelf on Goodreads, which you can do here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252588-werewolf-nights
Just comment back on this post letting us know that you added it! Winner will be announced Tuesday 2/16!
You can find Mari all over the interwebs and she's super sweet so you should give her a like/follow on your social media channels!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariHamill
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariHamillAuthor/
Website: http://www.werewolfnightsbook.com/
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Mari-Hamill/e/B00KUC5U08/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marihamill/
Thanks and best of luck in the giveaway!
WORTH THE WAIT BY: K.M. NEUHOLD
Worth the Wait was a great contemporary romance! I absolutely love the nerding out that was happening in this story! Even though I have never actually seen Dr. Who (I know, I know, it's on my to-be watched list, people!) I can totally respect the level of fandom Abby and Ethan had for their beloved show! Prepare to be bombarded with some Dr. Who goodness in this review, in honor of Abby and Ethan!
Abby was pretty prickly in the beginning of this story, she could come off as kind of callous at times. There were a few different occasions where I wanted to shake her a little and tell her to just stop.
As her demons were slowly revealed you did get a better understanding of why she was the way she was, and it made a lot of sense. She was someone I didn't really fall in love with right away, but as she started letting down her walls, I started to come around. I felt really terrible about some of her circumstances, and ultimately I wanted to see her find happiness in life.
Now lets talk about Ethan.
Ok, there was so much more to him than that, but it had to be said! I loved so much about Ethan. Although in the beginning, he did follow that familiar man-whore, New Adult trend. I will say that in this instance I actually pitied him though, he was like a piece of meat to these women! Pretty quickly you start to see there is much more to him and you really can't help but falling for him. He was so gentle, patient, and sweet with Abby. I loved how he treated her, even when she wasn't the most deserving of his kindness. The fact that they really bonded over their shared Dr. Who nerdom was just too freaking cute!
The secondary characters were also pretty awesome in this story, which is always a HUGE plus for me. I loathe a bunch of bland filler characters whose sole purpose is to make the main characters look better in comparison. This was definitely not the case here. I especially liked Ethan's sister, Lee. I actually enjoyed seeing Lee dealing with some heavy stuff of her own. It was clear this author spent a lot of time cultivating these multi-layered characters, it really came through brilliantly in this story.
Worth the Wait dealt with a lot of serious issues and struggles, and I really dug that. Everything felt very realistic and I appreciated the care she took in talking about these issues, and also how each character handled their problems. I loved that no one "fixed" anyone with their love. Each issue was meet with a realistic solution, that took bravery, tons of self reflection, and work. No true love bandaids here!! Hooray! I thought there was a pretty diverse set of struggles that can easily be relatable in one way or another to most people, which is also pretty cool. Besides the heavier aspects of this book, there was a lot of sweet moments, and quite a few laugh out loud moments, which I ALWAYS appreciate in a story. So be prepared to basically feel a wide range of emotions while reading this story!
All in all this was a great start to a series that I am really looking forward to reading more of!! Bring on the Sexy Nerd Boys!!!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Worth the Wait was a great contemporary romance! I absolutely love the nerding out that was happening in this story! Even though I have never actually seen Dr. Who (I know, I know, it's on my to-be watched list, people!) I can totally respect the level of fandom Abby and Ethan had for their beloved show! Prepare to be bombarded with some Dr. Who goodness in this review, in honor of Abby and Ethan!
Abby was pretty prickly in the beginning of this story, she could come off as kind of callous at times. There were a few different occasions where I wanted to shake her a little and tell her to just stop.
As her demons were slowly revealed you did get a better understanding of why she was the way she was, and it made a lot of sense. She was someone I didn't really fall in love with right away, but as she started letting down her walls, I started to come around. I felt really terrible about some of her circumstances, and ultimately I wanted to see her find happiness in life.
Now lets talk about Ethan.
Ok, there was so much more to him than that, but it had to be said! I loved so much about Ethan. Although in the beginning, he did follow that familiar man-whore, New Adult trend. I will say that in this instance I actually pitied him though, he was like a piece of meat to these women! Pretty quickly you start to see there is much more to him and you really can't help but falling for him. He was so gentle, patient, and sweet with Abby. I loved how he treated her, even when she wasn't the most deserving of his kindness. The fact that they really bonded over their shared Dr. Who nerdom was just too freaking cute!
The secondary characters were also pretty awesome in this story, which is always a HUGE plus for me. I loathe a bunch of bland filler characters whose sole purpose is to make the main characters look better in comparison. This was definitely not the case here. I especially liked Ethan's sister, Lee. I actually enjoyed seeing Lee dealing with some heavy stuff of her own. It was clear this author spent a lot of time cultivating these multi-layered characters, it really came through brilliantly in this story.
Worth the Wait dealt with a lot of serious issues and struggles, and I really dug that. Everything felt very realistic and I appreciated the care she took in talking about these issues, and also how each character handled their problems. I loved that no one "fixed" anyone with their love. Each issue was meet with a realistic solution, that took bravery, tons of self reflection, and work. No true love bandaids here!! Hooray! I thought there was a pretty diverse set of struggles that can easily be relatable in one way or another to most people, which is also pretty cool. Besides the heavier aspects of this book, there was a lot of sweet moments, and quite a few laugh out loud moments, which I ALWAYS appreciate in a story. So be prepared to basically feel a wide range of emotions while reading this story!
All in all this was a great start to a series that I am really looking forward to reading more of!! Bring on the Sexy Nerd Boys!!!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
Scorned was an exciting little novelette! I was easily able to follow along with the story, despite the fact that I have not read any other books in the series. After reading this story I definitely want to start at the beginning now though!
One thing I really loved about Scorned was that it was told from the “villain’s” point of view. I find these types of stories especially interesting as I think that the villain typically has quite a tale to tell. It’s fun to get the grittier side to the story. I mean most villains don’t usually consider themselves to be the villain, right? I think most of them, as was the case with this main character Shelby, consider themselves to be the wronged party, and embark on a path to set things right, even if they blur the lines of right and wrong, or completely obliterate them in their means to justify their desired ends. Shelby definitely fell in this category. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And with a mother like Shelby’s, it’s no wonder she made the devious plays that she did in this book. I didn’t necessarily sympathize with Shelby, but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the story at all. I was pretty much glued to the pages to see what brand of viciousness Shelby intended on doling out on her unsuspecting victims next!
The ending was pretty explosive and I am curious to see what the future has in store for Shelby! Will the consequences of her actions eventually catch up with her? What are her next moves? Will this be a turning point for her as a character? I’d really like to see how things play out from here.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Scorned was an exciting little novelette! I was easily able to follow along with the story, despite the fact that I have not read any other books in the series. After reading this story I definitely want to start at the beginning now though!
One thing I really loved about Scorned was that it was told from the “villain’s” point of view. I find these types of stories especially interesting as I think that the villain typically has quite a tale to tell. It’s fun to get the grittier side to the story. I mean most villains don’t usually consider themselves to be the villain, right? I think most of them, as was the case with this main character Shelby, consider themselves to be the wronged party, and embark on a path to set things right, even if they blur the lines of right and wrong, or completely obliterate them in their means to justify their desired ends. Shelby definitely fell in this category. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And with a mother like Shelby’s, it’s no wonder she made the devious plays that she did in this book. I didn’t necessarily sympathize with Shelby, but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the story at all. I was pretty much glued to the pages to see what brand of viciousness Shelby intended on doling out on her unsuspecting victims next!
The ending was pretty explosive and I am curious to see what the future has in store for Shelby! Will the consequences of her actions eventually catch up with her? What are her next moves? Will this be a turning point for her as a character? I’d really like to see how things play out from here.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
HARD TO HANDLE BY: RC BOLDT
So I kind of love a good enemies to lovers story. I like the playfulness and the build up of frustration that ultimately turns into some explosively good times in the bedroom lol. This was exactly what you get here in Hard to Handle. I found the juvenility of Zach and Laney's back and forth frenemies banter to be a nice contrast, and a rather comical one, to their spicy bedroom romps and dirty talk later on.
Zach was sweet. The way he poked at Lacey, like an adolescent that pulls a girl's hair and calls her stinky because he likes her, was comical and also a little sad. He really pined for her. It was actually rather endearing and refreshing to have a contemporary romance where the guy doesn't start out as a womanizing toolbag. I thought it was kind of cute that this whole enemies thing started because he found himself putting his foot in his mouth when him and Laney first met because he was so enamored and thrown off by how beautiful he found her. It was sweet really. Zach consistently stayed sweet too. It honestly became sad to see him downplaying his growing feelings for Laney so he didn't spook her into running away. It felt like a nice change of pace to see this kind, sweet guy fall head over heels for the no commitments, fly by night girl. I was rather disappointed with Laney's behavior on a few occasions, but I could understand her thinking in the beginning. She eventually started coming around though, and that made my heart happy!
I think one of the best things about this series is the close friendship all these characters have. This is a fun group of friends that feel like family. That alone makes me want to keep coming back for more.
Well, that and the fact that I am still dying to get the full story on Tate and Miller. Although now I really want to see Lawson find someone special too. She'll have to be something extra special to keep up with him!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
So I kind of love a good enemies to lovers story. I like the playfulness and the build up of frustration that ultimately turns into some explosively good times in the bedroom lol. This was exactly what you get here in Hard to Handle. I found the juvenility of Zach and Laney's back and forth frenemies banter to be a nice contrast, and a rather comical one, to their spicy bedroom romps and dirty talk later on.
Zach was sweet. The way he poked at Lacey, like an adolescent that pulls a girl's hair and calls her stinky because he likes her, was comical and also a little sad. He really pined for her. It was actually rather endearing and refreshing to have a contemporary romance where the guy doesn't start out as a womanizing toolbag. I thought it was kind of cute that this whole enemies thing started because he found himself putting his foot in his mouth when him and Laney first met because he was so enamored and thrown off by how beautiful he found her. It was sweet really. Zach consistently stayed sweet too. It honestly became sad to see him downplaying his growing feelings for Laney so he didn't spook her into running away. It felt like a nice change of pace to see this kind, sweet guy fall head over heels for the no commitments, fly by night girl. I was rather disappointed with Laney's behavior on a few occasions, but I could understand her thinking in the beginning. She eventually started coming around though, and that made my heart happy!
I think one of the best things about this series is the close friendship all these characters have. This is a fun group of friends that feel like family. That alone makes me want to keep coming back for more.
Well, that and the fact that I am still dying to get the full story on Tate and Miller. Although now I really want to see Lawson find someone special too. She'll have to be something extra special to keep up with him!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
BEHIND THE MASK BY: DANA RIDENOUR
Behind the Mask was just what I needed! It was like a breath of fresh air. I haven't read a ton of crime fiction, but the ones I have had the chance to read I quite enjoyed. Admittedly I am also guilty of liking those true crime type shows as well. This book was kind of similar to that, but with heart! I think it is so cool that the author is a retired FBI agent that spent a lot of her time working undercover infiltrating domestic terrorists! I think that her knowledge on procedure and, I'm sure, her own personal experiences with being an undercover agent really added something unique and special...something more, to this story.
I really liked the fact that there were alternating POVs in this book. Rotating between Lexie, the newbie undercover agent and Savannah the newbie Animal Rights Activist was perfection. You watched each of them rising up on different sides of the fence until they met and then things started to get really interesting!
I was glad that this was Lexie's first undercover case. I liked seeing and learning more about how her job worked right along with Lexie. I was fascinated with her identity and conscience struggles the deeper she got in the undercover game. It endeared me to her even more to see how much she ended up caring about the Animal Rights cause, as well as the people she was investigating. I also thought the relationship between Lexie and her "contact agent" Kate was an interesting one. Kate played a more quiet, yet very important role in this story.
As I said above, I really liked getting Savannah's point of view as well. It was nice to get a little contrast, and Savannah was new and naïve enough in the activist game that you got to see how easily and quickly things can devolve and get out of control. It was truly a tale of the road to hell being paved with good intentions.
The story was nicely paced and very realistic feeling. All in all this was a really interesting read that I enjoyed immensely! I think it could make for a cool series if the author decided to carry on and write some more stories about Lexie, or even Kate's work on future cases. I would definitely be excited to see more from either one of those two, or both!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Behind the Mask was just what I needed! It was like a breath of fresh air. I haven't read a ton of crime fiction, but the ones I have had the chance to read I quite enjoyed. Admittedly I am also guilty of liking those true crime type shows as well. This book was kind of similar to that, but with heart! I think it is so cool that the author is a retired FBI agent that spent a lot of her time working undercover infiltrating domestic terrorists! I think that her knowledge on procedure and, I'm sure, her own personal experiences with being an undercover agent really added something unique and special...something more, to this story.
I really liked the fact that there were alternating POVs in this book. Rotating between Lexie, the newbie undercover agent and Savannah the newbie Animal Rights Activist was perfection. You watched each of them rising up on different sides of the fence until they met and then things started to get really interesting!
I was glad that this was Lexie's first undercover case. I liked seeing and learning more about how her job worked right along with Lexie. I was fascinated with her identity and conscience struggles the deeper she got in the undercover game. It endeared me to her even more to see how much she ended up caring about the Animal Rights cause, as well as the people she was investigating. I also thought the relationship between Lexie and her "contact agent" Kate was an interesting one. Kate played a more quiet, yet very important role in this story.
As I said above, I really liked getting Savannah's point of view as well. It was nice to get a little contrast, and Savannah was new and naïve enough in the activist game that you got to see how easily and quickly things can devolve and get out of control. It was truly a tale of the road to hell being paved with good intentions.
The story was nicely paced and very realistic feeling. All in all this was a really interesting read that I enjoyed immensely! I think it could make for a cool series if the author decided to carry on and write some more stories about Lexie, or even Kate's work on future cases. I would definitely be excited to see more from either one of those two, or both!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 out of 5stars!
Wow! Afterimage was a top notch dystopian novel! It has everything you could possibly want, a hostile war ravaged Earth check, a tyrannical pop up government that rules with an iron fist check, groups of survivors hell bent on resisting the government’s shackles check, compelling and engaging multidimensional characters on both sides of the fence check, and freaking super abilities check, check! I was quite honestly blown away with this story!
The Plot. It was original, imaginative, and smart. Just an all around well thought out plot line that isn’t all that far fetched. In a time of need, after another World War has taken it’s toll on the world, with no real leaders left, The Public was born. The Public wishes to create the perfect society. Think of it as Pleasantville meets The Community (The Giver) but way more cunningly destructive and damaging. The lengths The Public goes to for this idea of a perfect society are horrifying. Perfection comes at a cost and the innocent are paying the price, most without even truly knowing what is really happening. Things start getting even more intense once The Public’s biggest asset is ripped away from their clutches by a group of rebels. Little did these rebels know they would be starting a war. It was non-stop, pulse-pounding goodness! It was not your typical YA dystopian, the characters were older and this tale was much grittier. And that made me love it even more!
The Characters. Imperfect perfection. Each one was well written, with many layers that I believe we have only just scratched the surface of. There were many point of views in this story and I can’t say that there was even one that I did not enjoy. A big tip of the hat to J. Kowallis for absolutely nailing the POV changes. It was done beautifully, and what’s better is that none of them felt unnecessary. Each one gave you better insight to the character, their role, and motivations. I’m also impressed with the writing of the “villains”. While I loathed Dr. Dryer and Lobb they were still quite fascinating! The way they took this idea of pureness and harmony and manipulated it until it was this hulking beast of hurt, damage, and insidiousness had me enthralled. I was horrified but I couldn’t look away. I was wondering where this all started? Was it one defining moment, one tough call where they decided “the end justified the means” that started them on this slippery slope and ultimately turned them into the monsters they are today? So basically, the good, the bad, and the truly ugly, it was all present here in these various characters and I admired each one of them in different ways.
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to give anything away. This was a real page turner from start to finish and I can’t wait to continue on with Encender next! I highly recommend this to Dystopian fans, because in my opinion, this is that at it’s very best!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! Afterimage was a top notch dystopian novel! It has everything you could possibly want, a hostile war ravaged Earth check, a tyrannical pop up government that rules with an iron fist check, groups of survivors hell bent on resisting the government’s shackles check, compelling and engaging multidimensional characters on both sides of the fence check, and freaking super abilities check, check! I was quite honestly blown away with this story!
The Plot. It was original, imaginative, and smart. Just an all around well thought out plot line that isn’t all that far fetched. In a time of need, after another World War has taken it’s toll on the world, with no real leaders left, The Public was born. The Public wishes to create the perfect society. Think of it as Pleasantville meets The Community (The Giver) but way more cunningly destructive and damaging. The lengths The Public goes to for this idea of a perfect society are horrifying. Perfection comes at a cost and the innocent are paying the price, most without even truly knowing what is really happening. Things start getting even more intense once The Public’s biggest asset is ripped away from their clutches by a group of rebels. Little did these rebels know they would be starting a war. It was non-stop, pulse-pounding goodness! It was not your typical YA dystopian, the characters were older and this tale was much grittier. And that made me love it even more!
The Characters. Imperfect perfection. Each one was well written, with many layers that I believe we have only just scratched the surface of. There were many point of views in this story and I can’t say that there was even one that I did not enjoy. A big tip of the hat to J. Kowallis for absolutely nailing the POV changes. It was done beautifully, and what’s better is that none of them felt unnecessary. Each one gave you better insight to the character, their role, and motivations. I’m also impressed with the writing of the “villains”. While I loathed Dr. Dryer and Lobb they were still quite fascinating! The way they took this idea of pureness and harmony and manipulated it until it was this hulking beast of hurt, damage, and insidiousness had me enthralled. I was horrified but I couldn’t look away. I was wondering where this all started? Was it one defining moment, one tough call where they decided “the end justified the means” that started them on this slippery slope and ultimately turned them into the monsters they are today? So basically, the good, the bad, and the truly ugly, it was all present here in these various characters and I admired each one of them in different ways.
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to give anything away. This was a real page turner from start to finish and I can’t wait to continue on with Encender next! I highly recommend this to Dystopian fans, because in my opinion, this is that at it’s very best!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars
It has to be said how innovative this book truly is. It took the whole reading experience to a whole new level. Having the soundtrack to go along with this story was nothing short of amazing. It combined two of my favorite things, a great story and good music. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I also loved the music. It was woven through this whole story flawlessly, having one without the other would severely diminish the impact that they had when brought together.
I love a good first line, something that jumps right out and grabs a hold of your attention, and "I just punched a girl in the face." was pretty epic as far as kickass first lines in a book. Sydney was a great character. She was strong, funny, and thoughtful. Ridge was also another great character. I didn't see the added twist of his "condition" coming at all. I thought it was super cool and I really dug the whole added element of how he and Sydney communicated. Especially when it was through the music that they wrote together. That was so beautiful. It was hard not to fall for him, and root for him and Sydney, even though what was happening between them wasn't necessarily right at the time. It is truly a feat, in my eyes, for a storyteller to gap that bridge between people doing something that could normally be considered wrong and to wanting that very thing to happen. I also liked the way the author went about their whole relationship, while they definitely could have done things differently, Sydney and Ridge never really crossed any terrible lines, they flirted with some and even got close to a fault but they handled their attraction and urges in a pretty respectable way for the most part. It also made the love that developed between them that much more special to me, it was a lot more than just a sexual thing. To make matters even more difficult, Maggie was so darn loveable too. As much as I so wanted things to work out for Sydney and Ridge, it was crushing to think of Maggie getting hurt in the process.
I am very glad things worked out the way that they did for everyone involved, but I will say that what happened was the only real way I could see for Mrs. Hoover to take as far as having a safe ending. It could have played out a bunch of different ways, but this was definitely the neatest of them all. I liked that, and didn't at the same time, if that makes any sense lol. I think I also could have appreciated an outcome that was a little risky. It wasn't a big deal, but sometimes when things aren't wrapped up in their pretty little bows it can make me appreciate them that much more. Because unfortunately life isn't always sugar coated lollipops and I can respect that coming through in some of the stories that I enjoy. That was really my only hesitation with my feelings about this book. Everything else was amazing. I can't wait to see what this author comes out with next, this book blew me away.
It has to be said how innovative this book truly is. It took the whole reading experience to a whole new level. Having the soundtrack to go along with this story was nothing short of amazing. It combined two of my favorite things, a great story and good music. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I also loved the music. It was woven through this whole story flawlessly, having one without the other would severely diminish the impact that they had when brought together.
I love a good first line, something that jumps right out and grabs a hold of your attention, and "I just punched a girl in the face." was pretty epic as far as kickass first lines in a book. Sydney was a great character. She was strong, funny, and thoughtful. Ridge was also another great character. I didn't see the added twist of his "condition" coming at all. I thought it was super cool and I really dug the whole added element of how he and Sydney communicated. Especially when it was through the music that they wrote together. That was so beautiful. It was hard not to fall for him, and root for him and Sydney, even though what was happening between them wasn't necessarily right at the time. It is truly a feat, in my eyes, for a storyteller to gap that bridge between people doing something that could normally be considered wrong and to wanting that very thing to happen. I also liked the way the author went about their whole relationship, while they definitely could have done things differently, Sydney and Ridge never really crossed any terrible lines, they flirted with some and even got close to a fault but they handled their attraction and urges in a pretty respectable way for the most part. It also made the love that developed between them that much more special to me, it was a lot more than just a sexual thing. To make matters even more difficult, Maggie was so darn loveable too. As much as I so wanted things to work out for Sydney and Ridge, it was crushing to think of Maggie getting hurt in the process.
I am very glad things worked out the way that they did for everyone involved, but I will say that what happened was the only real way I could see for Mrs. Hoover to take as far as having a safe ending. It could have played out a bunch of different ways, but this was definitely the neatest of them all. I liked that, and didn't at the same time, if that makes any sense lol. I think I also could have appreciated an outcome that was a little risky. It wasn't a big deal, but sometimes when things aren't wrapped up in their pretty little bows it can make me appreciate them that much more. Because unfortunately life isn't always sugar coated lollipops and I can respect that coming through in some of the stories that I enjoy. That was really my only hesitation with my feelings about this book. Everything else was amazing. I can't wait to see what this author comes out with next, this book blew me away.