3.5 stars

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Willow is having a bad time of it - her boyfriend dumps her, her mom dies and then she finds out she’s pregnant. While back in New Mexico sorting out her mom’s estate, Willow begins to think about her relationship with her mother while also figuring out what to do with the unexpected pregnancy and realising maybe the place she has been running away from for a long time is actually home after all.

This was a really nice, relaxing book to read and I’m really glad I picked it ip. I was immediately entranced by Willow’s past with her mother - from the way her mom response to her marriage breakdown by roasting marshmallows over a burning mattress to her dragging Willow off to the middle of nowhere for a fresh start. I loved how eccentric her mom was and how normal Willow just wanted to be. I did find some of Willow’s reactions to her mother a bit extreme from focusing on her mother’s alcoholism for ruining her childhood and making it sound like her mom was a mean, angry, abusive drunk (which she wasn’t but did seem to drink a bit too much) and then one point during the grape planting years when she had damaged hands and wanted to lie to a social services worker about her mom being abusive. I found that a bit strange.

Willow herself was an odd enough character and I definitely warmed to the people in her life such as her mom, Darrel and Darrel’s grandparents, rather than Willow herself. I kept forgetting she was 39 year olds as her life seemed so..unorganised for an almost middle-aged woman. She could hardly afford half her rent, seemed shaky in her job and didn’t have great relationships with men or even any close friends in LA and it kept making me think she was in her 20s rather than late 30s (which, apparently, in my mind means people need to have it figured out).

I loved the bits of Apache culture that were put into the book from Willow’s occasional use of the language and then her inclusion in the culture and tradition of the tribe and how she was included in events on the reservation growing up. I loved how this book focused on family and how sometimes family can be all around you without you noticing and that people who aren’t necessarily blood-related can also be as strong family members as those who are. I really enjoyed the ending of it and how Willow’s spirit really seemed to settle and her new affinity with her land and her plans for the future that also included her cello dreams, just slightly new ones. I also liked how Willow’s romance with Mark was hinted at with the clear attraction and spark between the two but nothing was really pushed and/or became inappropriate considering she was newly pregnant with her ex.

Overall, really enjoyed this book. It was a comforting read and I definitely recommend it.

3-3.5 stars

3.5 stars

When Lily is 16, she's forced to move to Australia with her mom. Feeling a bit lost, Lily eventually gets a job in a conservation park and meets Ben. Even though he's 12 years older, they have an instant connection and despite nothing ever happening they can't forget each other. Ten years later, Lily is engaged but bumps into Ben - suddenly she has to wonder if Ben is who she should be with or should she forget about him once and for all.

Note: this book has spoilers for Lucy in the Sky.

I've been wanting to read this book for a while and i must admit, I knew the outcome as Lily has a connection with Bronte from Thirteen Weddings (I always recommend reading Paige Toon in publishing order as a lot of characters from past books made cameos). I genuinely really enjoyed this book and all the lovely romantic chemistry that was in it.

I was concerned when I realised that Ben was so much older than Lily as naturally you just believe the story is going into creepy territory and in the past I have had problems with some books that had such a relationship but weirdly, I really loved Ben and Lily. They never even kissed or touched when Lily was young (thank god) but there was a huge amount of chemistry that couldn't be ignored. I also enjoyed the side plot of how Lily crushed on Josh for a while and how their relationship turned out.

The book definitely snagged a tiny bit once it got to the 'present'. From the get go, Lily's engagement with Richard is so awkward and I really hated it as I didnt think she was being fair to him at all or to herself. Their whole relationship felt very forced. I also didn't like that Lily's life had kind of crumbled once Ben wasn't in it and the only time she seems to be able to be inspired is when he's around. A bit too much dependency on what a guy thinks for me, despite Ben being lovely.

I think Ben's character seemed a bit flat and let down in the second part of the book as well. We had gotten to know 28-year-old Ben through Lily in the past but I think the second half relied on this too much and didn't focus on who 38-year-old Ben was. It's been ten years so surely he has changed a bit. He was also a bit too encouraging straight away with Lily, he acted like they were in a relationship from the get go and never actually asked her if she had a boyfriend straight out.

I did like the ending though there was a real summary feel in the epilogue and I don't always like that. It feels like a homework assignment.

And the kiss was the most satisfying I've read about in a long time. The whole book and they had never even kissed!

3.5 stars

This is a non-fiction book telling the brave story of Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski who, when Germany invaded Poland, helped save the lives of hundreds of Jewish people by hiding them in the zoo and getting them to freedom.

I actually thought this was a novel of Antonina's life and her role in the war, so was a bit disappointed when I realised it was on fiction. That being said, I really enjoyed this book and especially considering it's non fiction, I flew through it. I felt at times, the book didn't focus as much as Antonina as I would have liked and I actually would have like more context on how the Underground actually started with the zoo as I feel like it kind of happened and that was that. I know that maybe there wasn't enough information around to know how it did, which again made me want it to be a novel so this could maybe a have a bit more explanation around it that made sense for me.

The story was pretty incredible and it's amazing to know people had such courage and love for each other in the face of such evil and danger. Antonina was defintiely a matriarch to admire. I particularly liked the scenes with Jan in the ghetto where he literally scared the guard into respecting him and was able to walk out with Jewish people like it was no big deal and save them from a terrible fate.

I would have liked a bit more animal scenes and the ones we did get were pretty bittersweet. I quickly learned not to get too attached to any of the animals, though it was hard, as so many of them were died or killed - poor Mortys :(

I am very much looking forward to seeing the movie for this (though seeing the trailer there is a lot of dramatic differences in it).

Sammy-Jo Smith is a gypsy and shouldn't be hanging around gorjer boys. But there's something about Gregory that pulls her in and she can't stop thinking about him. While preparing for her sister's wedding, Sammy-Jo and Gregory get embroiled in a relationship that means hate is fired at them from all sides, and things even become a matter of life and death when Sammy-Jo stumbles upon something she shouldn't.

I loved this. I really enjoyed how much we got to see of authentic modern gypsy culture in the UK, and for anyone who is a fan of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, they would love this for simply how big, bright and fabulous Sabrina's wedding is from her diamante-tipped eyelashes to her dress that won't fit out the door. I loved that Sammy-Jo wasn't the typical gypsy girl either and instead of thinking about marriage, she was a lot more into improving her martial arts skills. I loved that she was someone who was really able to look after herself and the whole time with Gregory, I felt like Sammy-Jo was the protector of the two and wore the 'pants' in the relationship if I can say that and I just loved the shift.

Sammy-Jo and Gregory's relationship could be a bit insta-lovey but they did have a past connection and a real chemistry between them as well.I felt like their feelings were very genuine and didn't seem that rushed or unrealistic. There was a lot in this showing how gypsies can be treated by settled people and how unfair it can often be - for example, the gypsies settling on Gypsy's Acre for a few days which is tradition but suddenly because the land is owned, it becomes a problem when it's been something they've been doing for decades. There was also prejudice against Sammy-Jo for not only being a gypsy but also being a fighter and she was labelled violent and aggressive.

The end was pretty intense and thrilling and I was genuinely afraid for both characters as I had grown to like them in a very short time. I really enjoyed the book and I feel like the ending has left it open for a sequel. I would love to see how Sammy-Jo gets on in America but would love to see how her and Gregory's relationship can progress as they get older and both become a little bit more independent from their families.

3.5 stars

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

Pachinko starts in the early 1900s and subsequently follows the lives of one Korean family, as one daughter becomes pregnant outside of marriage, is married to a kindly Protestant preacher and moves to Japan. She then has to raise her children and they theirs while all feeling a connection to a Korea and trying to live as second-class citizens in Japan.

I enjoyed this slow-moving but graceful story starting with the disabled but kindly Hoomie and his shy but surprisingly strong daughter Sunja and eventually moving on to her children, the sensitive, smart Noa and tenacious and tough Mozaka and finally ending with Solomon. Each member of the family were different but intriguing to follow and for the most part, I really enjoyed following them along with their lives.

I feel like i learned a lot in this book. I haven’t read a lot of books set in Japan or Korea and I definitely got a look into Korean and Japanese culture from both Sunja’s childhood to her children’s and finally her grandchild’s in the 70s and 80s. I didn’t know how Koreans were treated by Japanese people and it seemed to last all the way up to the late 80s when Solomon was in his twenties and I found this really interesting. Another thing I noticed when Sunja was the main character of the story was how much she had to answer to the main man in the family. First it was Isak, who was quite gentle but then there was Yoseb who had a lot of ideas on how she should raise Noa and how Sunja and his wife should work and how they should earn money for the family. He wasn’t necessarily a bad man but he could have made life easier for the women, and made some decisions that made everyone’s lives harder.

I thought I would love Noa and I did when he was a child but I eventually grew to really dislike him and his decisions. I couldn’t understand why he turned from everyone including an aunt and uncle who loved him and a younger brother who idolised him when he found out the truth of his parentage. The fact that he was able to just shove Sunja aside, who had worked her skin to the bone for years to give him a good life, and have a family separate from her was really cruel to me and left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I also don’t quite understand his reasons behind

his suicide - his obsession with bad blood, and maybe paying for the sins of the father (and I don’t think he necessarily seemed depressed?) but then leaving behind that grief and sorrow for a young family and Sunja.

It seemed odd to me.

I got a bit tired near the end of the book and at that stage I wasn’t sure when it would end and how. The ending was a bit flat, but the story itself wasn’t wildly exciting so I understand why there wasn’t an epic conclusion.

I received a free copy of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

Cassandra is plagued with guilt when driving on a dark road one night, she doesn't stop when she sees a woman pulled over in her car. The next day, the woman is found dead. While Cass wonders if she should tell the police, she is also dealing with a scary dose of memory loss that could be connected to her late mother. As Cass continues on a downward spiral, she thinks the murderer is getting close to her and fears for her life.

This was a fantastic, lightning quick read that completely kept me glued in. I immediately was sucked into the story by asking myself what I would do in the same situation. Was Cass wrong not to stop or did she do what most solo female drivers would do, especially late at night? I found Cass's subsequent journey into memory loss intriguing and emotionally charged. Because of her memory issues, Cass quickly becomes an unreliable narrator which adds even more intrigue to the story. I really felt left in the dark for this book and though I had some of my own conclusions, I really had no idea what was going to happen.

Near the end, as things become clearer I was genuinely left gasping with shock when some things going on were revealed and my heart really broke for Cass and what she was going through. I was angry, sad and thrilled all at once and i could not put the book down until I'd read the very last page. i 100% recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting, thrilling read that they can't put down.

First read: October 16 to 17, 2015

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! A must-read for anyone who has read Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon.

Ollie is allergic to electricity. Moritz is a blind kid with a pacemaker. Because of certain obstructions, these two teenagers who feel very alone in the world can never meet but they do write letter. Because You'll Never Meet Me is a book completely told through Ollie and Moritz' correspondence to one another. They share secrets and their fears, they tell each other daily details on their lives and who they see everyday. They encourage each other and metaphorically pick each other up when they fall. I throughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down and kept saying "Just one more letter, one more letter." And of course, something would happen that I would have to read the next letter.

This book tells the power of friendship, overcoming boundaries and fears and truly accepting yourself for who you are. You have got to read it!

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

In Nowhere Near You, Ollie and Moritz - two boys who are both living with strange disabilities meaning they can never meet - continue on with the journey they started in Because You’ll Never Meet Me.

I don’t want to say too much about this book as I wouldn’t want to spoil the wonderfulness that is the first book Because You’ll Never Meet Me but I can say this book was just as fantastic as the first. I actually think Nowhere Near You will appeal to people who like Ransom Rigg’s Miss Peregrine’s trilogy as the reader gets to meet more children like Moritz and Ollie with all sorts of strange and wonderful oddities and/or disabilities.

Ollie and Moritz’s connection continued in this book and even got stronger at times with the two of them continuing to talk about personal things and even broaching tough topics with each other but all the time respecting each other which I loved. They are the bromance to covet, while at the same time you kind of ship them at the same time.

They both went through some incredible character development in this book, particularly Moritz. He was always so sombre and collected and he really came out of his shell in this book. I mean he did acting classes! I also loved the way his echolocation began to mature and transformed into “emolocation” as well. I think if there’s a next book it would be great to see how he controls this. One of the things I disliked about this book was Moritz’s friendship with Fieke and Owen. I always found it odd, even in the first book, the way they would regularly drop off the fact of the planet - normally when Moritz needed them. And while I understand Moritz didn’t treat Owen the best, there was a lot of confusion going around about the whole thing and I just felt they weren’t really ‘friends’ to him (and of course, they reappeared at the end so are back in the good books). I loved Klaus and Molly though, particularly Klaus.

Ollie’s own journey was both difficult and wonderful to follow as he literally entered a whole new world - adventuring into the world of electricity and power for the first time. I thought his time at real school was endearing and hilarious and of course, he’s Ollie so everyone loved hm.

I wanted to cry near the end when everyone called to the house to see if he was okay

The ending made me want to weep with a mixture of happiness and sadness. It was bittersweet and I just hope Leah Thomas gives us a third book as I am so not done with Ollie and Moritz right now.

Changeless carries on with Alexia Tarrabotti's adventures as a preternatural in a steampunk/supernatural London. Alexia is able to turn all supernatural creatures human again when she touches them and now has an additional use of her powers, having become Queen Victoria's munjah. While also dealing with her new role as wife, alpha and a Lady, Alexia needs to uncover the mystery of a strange weapon turning all supernaturals human again, without the touch of a preternatural.

I enjoyed this book as I enjoyed Soulless. I find Alexia and all the different characters in this book very entertaining and witty and i love following them along with their adventures. I really enjoyed watching the hilarious and over the top romance between Ivy and Tunstell, as well as the introduction of the French lady engineer wearing women's clothes. The mystery itself was also pretty intriguing and I liked the journey to Scotland and seeing more of Maccon's old pack. I thought the spy was pretty obvious and seemed a while until people really guessed who it was, which was a bit infuriating.

I enjoyed the ending a lot though it also angered me because of how Lord Maccon reacted. I just really wanted to punch his handsome face, how dare he upset my Alexia. So overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, I'm just giving it three stars as I just enjoyed it - I don't really love this series as much as other people seem to, at least not yet anyways.