The Silent Waters by Brittainy C. Cherry

The Silent Waters by Brittainy C. Cherry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this is my favorite of the series so far. It's the perfect combination of sweetness and turmoil.

Book 293 read in 2018

Pages: 316

Wright Love Duet Series by K.A. Linde

The Wright Love (The Wright Love Duet) by K.A. Linde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary: I have the perfect life. Until the day my husband tragically dies. Being a single mom and widow was never part of the plan. When David Calloway enters my life, I have no room for love in my heart. But he's determined to do right by me. Could he be the Wright Love? (The Wright Love is the first book in the Wright Love Duet, and Sutton and David's story will conclude in The Wright One)

 My review: I was super excited to read Sutton's story. After what happened to her at the end of the last series, I just needed to know that she would get her happy ever after. It was nice to see the rest of her family show up in this book every once in a while as well.  214 Pages


The Wright One by K.A. Linde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary: Secrets swarm all around. My world is crumbling under the strain. I don't know if we can survive this. My heart is in the Wright place. But is his?

My Review: At the end of The Wright Love things exploded a bit for Sutton and David. So I couldn't wait to see how it would all work out. The first person of this book was to explain what happened in the last book, than it moved forward from there. The recap could have been left out but other than that another great Wright book! I wish they would come up with another series with all the side characters. 226 Pages

Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

Big Rock by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, and it was full of just the right amount of humor. This is a true romantic comedy! Spencer isn't afraid to say what he is thinking.





  Mister O by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: This book is sexy, funny, dirty and what I expect from Lauren Blakely. Their is some very funny parts, than some that are super HOT, than some that are super sweet. Harper is just so funny and cute! I don't know if she is always really unaware of what she is saying of if she is doing it just to get what she wants. 300 pages

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Lucy & Harris Series

Catching Lucy by Terri Anne Browning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wish that you would have learned more about Lucy’s past. That would have helped give a better understanding of why Lucy was the way she was. With that being said, Lucy has such an amazing family that is very supportive of her. Harris was a an old friend that she hadn’t seen in a few years, because she developed feelings for him and she didn’t think he could ever feel the same way about her. 140 Pages


Craving Lucy by Terri Anne Browning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This moves their relationship alone a little more. I am enjoying this series, but I just wish they would move it along a little faster. I just don’t feel like you get much out of this book. It was kind of different to have the novellas before the main story. 234 Pages



Rocking Kin by Terri Anne Browning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This takes place at the same time frame as the first two books, and gives you a little more of the ending of Craving Lucy. Kin moves to Virginia after the death of her mother, her first and only friend is Lucy. Going out with Lucy is when she runs into Jace. Her ex that left to make his band something more.  309 Pages



Un-Shattering Lucy by Terri Anne Browning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the ending to Lucy and Harris story. I felt like you get a better idea of who Lucy is and what she feels she needs to deal with what has happened in her life. I really enjoyed in this book how much they both have family their to help them through all of their stuff.   266 Pages


Summary:  You might think I’m a a**hole. I sound like one, don’t I? Guess what? You haven’t heard my story before. Sure, I might be a playboy, like the NY gossip rags call me. But I’m the playboy who’s actually a great guy. Which makes me one of a kind. The only trouble is , my dad needs met to cool if for a bit. 235 Pages

Davy Harwood by Tijan

Davy Harwood by Tijan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tijan has become one of my favorite authors and I have tried to read all her books. This is the first one that was not my favorite by any means. I just had a hard time getting hooked on the book and just when it started to get really good it was over. I have not decided if I will move forward with the next book yet or not.  357 Pages

The Fire Between High & Lo by Brittainy C. Cherry

The Fire Between High & Lo by Brittainy C. Cherry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you have to stop 2/3 of the way through a book for a Rhianna/Eminem song and dance break, you know it’s a good book. Intense, angsty, dark, dramatic, painful, and neurotic. But good.

Book 292 read in 2018

Page: 324

David Sedaris Books

Naked by David Sedaris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think it was probably just me, but I found this one to frequently be more depressing that funny. I realize that humor often comes out of negative situations, but for some reason, this just did not click with me like "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

Pages: 304

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Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There were some truly funny or thoughtful moments. However, this just didn't click with me the way, "ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY" did. It didn't hold my attention as well, and I didn't laugh nearly as much.

That could be my fault, as I was in a particularly bad frame of mind when I read this. As a result, I'm giving it 4 stars, when my gut feeling says 3. Because I think my gut is all mixed up right now, and I don't want to blame this book for that.

Book 288 read in 2018

Page: 275

The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry

The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an emotional roller coaster, and I enjoyed the ride. There's also a solid plot twist, followed by another major surprise in the ending. I probably should have seen the plot twist coming, but I was so caught up in the angst that I didn't.

Book 291 read in 2018

Pages: 308

Billie Standish Was Here by Nancy Crocker

Billie Standish is a teenager whose parents are too caught up in their own lives to seemingly even notice her, and the only two girls in town her age want nothing to do with her.

Billie's parents wanted a boy, hence the first name of William, and spend the majority of their time ignoring her. When the river starts to rise and threatens to flood, Billie's family is one of the few to stay. She forms an unlikely friendship with an elderly woman, Miss Lydia, who begins to show her that there is more to life than her parent's disappointment and that she is capable of far more than she thought.

When a horrible tragedy befalls Billie, Miss Lydia is the only one who can help.



298 pages

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Five women of various ages one man meet every week to discuss the books of Jane Austen. With each book, they remember their own life stories.  They are experiencing problems such as divorce, homes that have disintegrated and if a woman in her fifties has the right to find a new love.

As the book moves through the conversations about Austen, it sorts out its character's histories and lives, and all the various relationships that shake out. It has lots to say about love and sorrow, and about the culture of the world.


304 pages

Hopeless Magic by Rachel Higginson

Hopeless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In the span of less than 60 seconds:

“Let them go. We’re safe for now . . . I let out a scream of pain. . . One of them let out the cruel sound of malicious laughter. . . Jericho let a string of curse words fly. . .”

Let, let, let, let, let, let let. It’s quite possibly one of the most useless verbs ever, and yet it is used repeatedly, for every situation.

Also, let out the cruel sound of malicious laughter is both passive and repetitive. There’s no need to say both cruel and malicious when they mean the same thing, and this moves the action to a back seat.

These are examples of the amateurish and unedited writing throughout the novel. These are common writing flaws that new writers struggle with, so I totally understand it, except this book is published. These things should have been caught and edited out in the early drafts. If they only occurred occasionally, it would not be quite as frustrating, but the passive sentences, telling, stating the obvious, and the use of both repetitive and useless verbs is twice as bad in book two as it was in book one.

This book is a prime example of how a fantastic world can die a cruel death beneath rough draft writing, lackadaisical editing, plot gaps, and the failure to successfully grow characters.



My favorite thing about this book is probably the side characters. The thing I hate most is the main character’s foolish and weak behaviors, and the love interest, who truly just isn’t worth it and is incredibly annoying.

What I’m most sad about is that there are the bones here of something that could be amazing, but it’s just not. A few more rewrites and some strong editors would have done this story some good. (Also, all of these covers are just truly awful and don’t make the slightest bit of sense, either, since we’re talking about what doesn’t work with this book).

If I have to sit through one more scene where

The Vanishing Girl by Laura Thalassa

The Vanishing Girl by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ember realizes that she has the power to teleport anywhere. She realizes that her parents made a deal with a government agency for her to work for them for two years. When she gets there, she realizes that is is so much more than what she thought was planned for her. 338 Pages




The Decaying Empire by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this a more than the first one, Ember and Caden are on the run trying to get away from the people that have done this to them. But at what cost? And is it the better option for them? I was really sad to find out that book 3 has still not been completed for this series, so now I just have to wait and hope that it does come out at some point so I can see how it all ends.  329 Pages

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun, easy read. I like the honesty and humor.

Book 290 read in 2018

Pages: 240

Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson

Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This YA novel has a fascinating magical world, which held my full attention.

My only minor complaints are that the writing leaves a bit to be desired. It's definitely not awful, just sometimes distracting. There is a bit too much telling for me, as well as stating the obvious, which is unnecessary, because readers aren't stupid.

I also think the characters are underdeveloped and fail to grow like they should. And then there's the insta-love (which I'm not opposed to if you convince me, but this didn't convince me) and the fact that the male lead is more annoying than swoon-worthy. I'm honestly hoping she ditches him for someone better in book 2.

Now, that all being said, and I know it sounds negative, this really is a pretty solid read. I enjoyed the world and am curious about what comes next. I've already moved on to book 2, so these small complaints didn't get in the way of my ability to take an interest in this world.

It should be noted that I listened to this story on audio, and I tend to be more forgiving of writing issues when I listen (as opposed to regular reading). If I read it in print, things like the lists of adjectives, telling, and stating the obvious would probably jump out at me even more. But I didn't, so they didn't.

Read this one for the world-building and unique magic systems, rather than stellar writing/editing.

Book 287 read in 2018

Pages: 327

Gondal's Queen

 Gondal's Queen
by Emily Bronte
Pages: 214
Rating: 4 out of 5

Fannie Elizabeth Ratchford presents a cycle of eighty-four poems by Emily Jane Bronte, for the first time arranged in logical sequence. This novel in verse, which Emily wrote about her beloved mystical kingdom of Gondal and its ruler, Augusta Geraldine Almeda, who brought tragedy to those who loved her. This Gothic romance reminds me of the works of Byron. This is the first work I've read by any of the Bronte sisters, except for Charlotte. But I now plan to seek out others.

Aunt Dimity Down Under (Aunt Dimity Mystery #15)

 Aunt Dimity Down Under (Aunt Dimity Mystery #15)
by Nancy Atherton
Pages: 215
Rating: 3 out of 5

Lori's world is rocked when she learns that her beloved neighbors, Louise and Ruth Pym may be dying. She vows to find their long-lost brother, Aubrey before it's too late leading her to New Zealand.

Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter (Aunt Dimity Mystery #13)

 Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter (Aunt Dimity Mystery #13)
by Nancy Atherton
Pages: 240
Rating: 3 out of 5

Lori and her family live in a cozy cottage out of a village in England. A mysterious stranger is sited by the neighboring ranch where Lori's young twins are riding. She is determined to find out who the dark shadowy man in the woods is but stumbles across local legends of a family of vampires.

Aunt Dimity Goes West (Aunt Dimity Mystery #12)

 Aunt Dimity Goes West (Aunt Dimity Mystery #12)
by Nancy Atherton
Pages: 240
Rating: 3 out of 5

Lori, Reg and Aunt Dimity head back to America to the wild west. She needs a change of scenery after being shot. Can the clear Colorado air chase away her nightmares or will they follow her across the ocean and invade the quiet mountain town of Bluebird.

Aunt Dimity: Snowbound (Aunt Dimity Mystery #9)

 Aunt Dimity: Snowbound (Aunt Dimity Mystery #9)
by Nancy Atherton
Pages: 272
Rating: 4 out of 5

Lori decides to take a bracing hike on an unseasonably warm day and ends up lost in the midst of a blizzard. Luckily, she finds Ladythorne Abbey as shelter. She meets a couple of other unlucky travelers but are they really lost or had they planned to meet at the Abbey all along? Can she trust them?

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this unique world (sylphs). The male lead is an average teenager, with a dry sense of humor that I found to be charming.

I would have appreciated a bit more character development in the side characters, but overall I enjoyed this.

Book 286 read in 2018

Pages: 4042

Plum Spooky (Stephanie Plum #14.5)

 Plum Spooky (Stephanie Plum #14.5)
by Janet Evanovich
Pages: 384
Rated: 4 out of 5

Stephanie and Lula are pulled into another mystery with Diesel. They have to venture into the "wilds" of the Pine Barrens and have a run in with the Jersey Devil and Sasquatch.

First Comes Love by Emily Goodwin

First Comes Love by Emily Goodwin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just another romance story, nothing really important that stands out about this book. A one night stand that turns into something so much more. To make things harder, he is the best friend to her brother.  222 Pages

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Sandberg encourages a global perspective on seeking gender equality. Only when 50% of leaders around the world are women, will there really be equality. Though we have come a long way since the sexual revolution, especially in the United States, we all, men and women, should still be dissatisfied with the imbalance that remains. Furthermore, we should use this dissatisfaction to instigate change.

Sandberg explains some of the cultural expectations that inhibit and prohibit women from advancement in their chosen professions and callings, including the imposed female desire to be liked. She cites studies to prove the existence of these biases and to support the beneficial results of circumventing them.

217 pages

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This YA novel is about a teenage boy named Tanner who enrolls in a novel-writing class. Tanner is half-Jewish and bisexual, and he has some immediate chemistry with the class assistant, Sebastian. Sebastian wrote a novel the previous year and came back to help the next group of students. This would typically be the start of an adorable romance, except Sebastian is Mormon. Cue conflict and heartache.

I loved this story. It's both adorable and heart-wrenching. It has a gentle but honest way of showing what happens when what someone feels conflicts with what someone has grown up believing.

Book 281 read in 2018

Pages: 407

Beneath the Shine by Sarah Fine

Beneath the Shine by Sarah Fine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That was not what I expected, in the best sort of way. The characters are truly different in this, and they let their experiences and emotions cloud their judgment at times, which leaves you wondering who is really right and who is wrong.

The story also has a lot to say about crooked politics, but all in a future world. I confess I'm tired of politics at the moment, but this kept my attention, as it was more about the subtle ways people lie, manipulate, or sculpt a story to their benefit.

Pages: 304

Star-Crossed Series by Rachel Higginson

Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eden thinks that she is a normal human, than she moves to a new school. She then discovers that she is one of the strongest magical creations out there. Once she meets Kiran they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. They are drawn to each other and it’s very sweet.  327 Pages

Hopeless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My oh my! The ending of this book just left me speechless and I guess that I didn’t see the ending coming and after being shocked I knew that I would have to keep moving forward now! Eden starts to learn more about her powers and what she can do. She also gets to spend more time with her grandfather. This book gives you a glimmer of hope that some more of her family is a live. 326 Pages

Fearless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series is very additive…. This book had my emotions up and down. I can’t add much more without giving spoilers.  300 Pages




Endless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book played with my emotions the most. I felt like I was being pulled one way than the other. I wanted it to go one way, than the other, I wanted to believe that he was good, and I wanted it all to work out. 349 Pages


The Reluctant King by Rachel Higginson

This book starts going into the other side characters that I could not wait to hear more about. I was happy to see Avalon’s story be the first one that they moved onto.  294 Pages





The Relentless Warrior by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this and was happy that he was able to get his happy ending. I always really enjoyed him and just felt he didn’t find his forever at first.  310 Pages

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Breathless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was just a little short story of on of my favorite couples. The only downfall is that I wish they would have provided more information than just another side to the last scene in The Relentless Warrior. 78 Pages



Fateful Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes… Lilly. She was one of the sweetest side characters in the series. I am glad that she got her own book, but I think this could have been made into a full length book with both of their back stories. Even though it was short I did really love it! 74 Pages





The Redeemable Prince by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At first I didn’t know if I would like this book or not, Seraphina didn’t come across as the nice girl in the first few books. While her character does grow over the next few, I still wasn’t for sure. However, she was so much more than I expected and you get a better understanding of why she is the way that she is and that she truly isn’t the way that you see her in the first few books. All and all it was a great ending to a wonderful series.  306 Pages

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have put off reading this for years, because I don't tend to enjoy ghost stories. However, this really isn't a ghost story in any typical or traditional kind of format. It lives in it's own unique space, and I was okay with that.

I confess there are some things that happen, particularly at the end, that I wasn't really okay with and didn't feel was necessary. That resulted in the loss of one star, but overall, this was a well-written story with an interesting concept.

Book 280 read in 2018

Pages: 328

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The perspective about war, life, and death is very different coming from someone who lived within that world on a daily basis. To me, that was fascinating, even if there were a few things that made me uncomfortable along the way.

This was a compelling read, because this life was so different than any life I will ever lead. It's also interesting to hear about the war from someone who was on the ground. I appreciated the honesty, even when it didn't shed Chris in the best light.

Book 279 read in 2018

Pages: 538

The Thinnest Air by Minka Kent

The Thinnest Air by Minka Kent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an attention-grabbing mystery about a woman who disappears. It had my full attention and kept me guessing, though I don't think in a matter of a week that I'll be able to remember what happened in this one. That's why I left in with 4 stars.

It was a good read and entertaining, but I'm not sure how much of an impression it really made on me. I think it was trying so hard to keep me guessing that it failed to give most of the characters the level of depth they needed.

However, that being said, if you like a good mystery about a missing woman, this is that.

Book 283 read in 2018

Pages: 281

Between Frost and Fury by Chani Lynn Feener

Sequel to Amid Stars and Darkness

Between Frost and Fury by Chani Lynn Feener

Summary: "Delaney finds herself kidnapped by aliens, at the center of a tense political battle between two alien kingdoms, and the attention of Trystan's romantic attentions. Just another day in the life of an ordinary human girl."

Well, darn. I had such high hopes for this sequel, but it didn't quite deliver. I wanted more drama, more intrigue, way more action and more well-loved tropes. I need Trystan to be more extreme, one way or the other. 

I'll definitely read the next one though!

360 pages

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so unexpected for a post-apocalyptic story, and it took me a while to understand what was happening with the different layers that were being woven together across the course of this book. I found it intriguing, but I occasionally held it at arms length, feeling uncertain about everything.

Overall, it's a very unique story.

Book 278 read in 2018

Pages: 336

Shameless by Lex Martin

Shameless by Lex Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was sweet and well-written. It follows a typical romance novel format, so there's not much surprise. However, I enjoyed the story and characters.

Book 277 read in 2018

Pages: 394

Shameless by Lex Martin

Shameless by Lex Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this story, but it was just like most normal romances. I can’t say that there was anything great about this story compared to other books. I did feel bad for her thinking that what happened to her best friends was her fault. I did enjoy the small humor with the other little animals that were on the farm.  394 Pages

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Meh. I just couldn’t with this one. If the first book is the absolute worst book in the series, and it gets better (a lot better), someone let me know. Otherwise, I won’t be continuing on with this.

To me, this was silly, shallow, and not even remotely dark, despite the enticing dark concept. It’s a concept that sounded great on paper, but when written in such a frilly, shallow way, it took away everything that should have been great about this.

This could have been deep, dark, angst-filled, and emotional. Instead, what you get is 2D characters, a plot that is only there to forward the romance, underdeveloped side characters, shallow and lazy villains, and weak world building. Honestly, I’m most upset about the weak world building and boring, one-note characters.

Yes, this is fiction, but you’ll have to suspend disbelief to an ultimate level to be able to swallow the lazy dialogue and plot.

And I take it back. I’m most upset that this is a high concept failure, because there’s just so much that could have been done with this dark, demon-filled world. And instead, I got a bunch of annoying, emotionless fluff. Bummer.

Book 274 read in 2018

Pages: 379