Tag Archive | 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

REVIEW: Silence of the Lamps by Karen Rose Smith

I’ve been slacking in all departments lately.

Blogging, writing, my publishing job, life.

I started a new job at the beginning of September in the hospitality industry and I LOVE it. It’s a part-time job, but these past two weeks I’ve been given full time hours to compensate for just how crazy busy it’s been. No complaints though, who couldn’t use a little extra cash in their bank account, right?

Things have started to slow down a bit now, which means more time to get stuff done. Including reading. When it’s super slow at work and I’m all alone I can fold laundry and listen to my Kindle read to me. That’s how I got through the book I’m reviewing below. Hopefully that means I’ll be posting more reviews more frequently! (I do have 5 other reviews written and ready to post, plus a couple to be written.)

So that’s what’s up with me. What’s up with the rest of you? Leave a comment below, I’ll make time to reply. 🙂

Silence of the Lamps by Karen Rose Smith

Series: A Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery #5

Read: September 12 – October 2, 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 2.5 Stars

Genre: Cozy Mystery

ABOUT THE BOOK

Caprice’s house staging is disrupted by Drew Pierson, a caterer who opened Portable Edibles, a business in direct competition with her sister Nikki’s Catered Capers. Nikki turned down Drew as a possible partner and he seems determined to undermine and bury her. However his successful launch of a deal for his blackberry barbecue sauce must have stirred up his enemies.

When Nikki visits the house where Drew lives with his grandmother to resolve differences, she and Caprice find him dead—murdered with the base of a valuable Tiffany lamp.
Caprice discovers clues about Drew’s sly business dealings—from stealing recipes from another chef, to friends who hold grudges, to a sister who will now inherit half of her grandmother’s estate since Drew is dead. In the midst of her own romantic relationship upheaval, helping her uncle set up his pet sitting-business, assisting a friend care for a pregnant stray cat, Caprice follows the suspect trail, inadvertently putting herself in danger once more.

REVIEW

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Earlier this year I read my first Cozy Mystery – Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott. I loved it. It was like, murder mystery-lite. A quaint small town and a regular gal trying to solve a murder mystery. After that, I went on a binge entering to win more cozy mysteries from Goodreads, and even requesting this cozy mystery from NetGalley. However, like all books, no two are created equal, and unfortunately for me, Silence of the Lamps did not reach the bar that Kernel of Truth set.

Now, I’m jumping into this series late. This is book 5 in the Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mysteries. Right off the bat, Caprice attends a family event and the reader is bombarded with details of her large family. At first it was a little difficult to keep them all straight, but I caught on quickly enough. It’s possible that the characters were introduced gradually in book 1, so I won’t fault the author/book too much for this because as book 5 it would suck for those who have read since the beginning to have to go through the introductions all over again.

The writing in this book is fine, I can’t complain about that, but the content is where I had issues. This book is so full of mindless filler I actually had to put the book down a few times and read something else. I was just bored. If you’re not an animal lover, you’ll hate this book. Caprice is absolutely obsessed with animals, which is all fine and well, but she’s to the point where she constantly has people “babysit” her dog. Every chapter. It’s fine that she does this, but as the reader, do I really need to constantly hear about it? And don’t even get me started on her outfits. I got it after the second clothing description, Caprice has her own sense of style, she only wears vintage, that’s cool and all, but after half a dozen times I’m ready to throw my Kindle at the wall. I really don’t need a head to toe description of every pair of bell bottoms the woman owns.

Onto the murder—there were so many possible suspects that by the end, when the killer was revealed, I had already forgotten who that person was. I still can’t recall the interaction with the killer prior to the ending.

I did like the ending though. It was dangerous and suspenseful. I really feel that with a lot of the unnecessary filler cut out (especially about Caprice’s family, pets, and her damn wardrobe descriptions!!!) this book would have been stronger. I thought I was reading a mystery surrounding a home stager, but that ended up being an aside to pet side plots.

So, would I recommend this book? Probably not unless you really love animals and want to read more about them than murder.

I would consider reading the first in this series to see how it compares, but the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

Get the Silence of the Lamps here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

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REVIEW: Just Say Maybe by Tracy March

May12

GUESS WHAT! In 3 hours I’m meeting my fav author – Richelle Mead!!!

To keep me occupied until then, I’m posting this review for your enjoyment. (I’ve been putting off writing it for a few days now. Along with another review.)

BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:

Award-winning author Tracy March follows up Should’ve Said No (“Wonderfully quirky . . . a pleasure to read!”—Laura Drewry) with this enchanting novel set in Thistle Bend, Colorado, a magical place where old wrongs are righted, and adventure leads to true love.

Real estate lawyer Holly Birdsong’s hike in the Rockies takes an unexpected turn when a smokin’-hot stranger tumbles off his bike and into her path. Turns out he’s purchasing the abandoned Lodge at Wild Rose Ridge, and Holly agrees to take him on as a client—despite her family’s traumatic history with the previous owner, who shamelessly abused the town’s goodwill at every turn. But when their professional relationship turns personal, Holly must reconcile the past with her hopes for the future.

Adding the rustic lodge to his portfolio of adventure properties isn’t just a business decision for Bryce Bennett. The rugged mountains also offer a killer setting for his extreme-sports camps for at-risk teens. What’s not in the blueprints is finding a kindred spirit in his irresistible lawyer, even if she seems apprehensive about getting involved in the deal. Bryce’s plan to ease her mind just might work, as long as no one discovers his secret. Yet he can’t stand hiding the truth from the woman who makes him want to build something permanent: a happily ever after.

REVIEW

Just Say Maybe by Tracy March

Series: Thistle Bend #2

Read: May 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 3 Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last September I had the privilege of reading Should’ve Said No, book 1 in Tracy March’s Thistle Bend series. I was impressed with a romance novel full of likable characters and a mystery to boot!

I was excited when Just Say Maybe appeared on NetGalley because why wouldn’t I want to follow up that fabulous 4-star book 1 with the sequel?

Well, I think I liked book 1 so much that I was let down by book 2. While book 1 featured the mystery as the center plot, this one is very much romance centric. Sure, Holly says she doesn’t want to be with Bryce if he’s not going to stay, but it was barely an obstacle. There was a misunderstanding and jumping to conclusions that had me rolling my eyes as well.

I did like the characters, they were interesting and believable. The hotel storyline was somewhat interesting, but I would have liked this book more if that was the central story, and not the romance.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like the romances to be built around the plot. If that makes sense. And this book felt like the plot was built around the romance.

I think those who like traditional contemporary romances will enjoy this book. I’ll probably read book 3 as well, but I doubt it will live up to book 1.

GET THE BOOK:

AMAZON | B&N | GOODREADS

REVIEW: Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Apr22

Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Series: Black Blade #3

Read: April 8 – 21, 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 5 Stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I. LOVE. Jennifer Estep’s Black Blade series. Love it. I mean, look at this cover? See how amazing it is? The book inside is just as amazing!

Lila lives in Cloudburst Falls, a town in Virginia where monsters roam free, and the whole city is run by The Families (they’re like mob families, but they’re not all bad). Those in the families also possess varying degrees of various magical powers; enhanced strength or speed, the ability to see in the dark, or if you’re Lila, Transference: the ability to take others magic into herself and use it to enhance her own strength, speed, etc.

Lila is also a thief, but she’s a good person. She’s joined up with the Sinclair family and is acting as bodyguard to Devon, son of the head of the family, Claudia.

This book is the third in the series, and while I felt that book 2 could have been read without reading book 1, I don’t think that’s the case with book 3. There is so much that happens in those first two books that the reader won’t get the full enjoyment without reading the previous books .(Or at least book 2.) This book brings the overall story arc to an end, but also leaves the door open for more books should the author choose to write them. (I hope she does!)

Lila has a lot of history with The Families. Years ago her mother fled from them for her own safety. Upon her death, Lila stuck around town, hell bent on someday getting revenge and taking down the man who killed her, Victor Draconi.

This book starts out with a bang. Lila, Devon, and their friend Felix are on a mission to steal from Victor. The next day, all hell breaks loose. Seriously, this book did not waste time with unnecessary set up, we’re thrown right into the thick of things.

I loved the relationship development between Lila and Devon in this book. I also warmed up a little more to Claudia, who I was on the fence about before.

The action in this book is awesome. Some of the movement descriptions were quite repetitive, but that’s probably true to life. If it works, keep doing it, right? And there was no shortage of fighting.

My favorite character, hands down, is the Lochness who lives under the Lochness Bridge. I love that Lila treats the monsters with respect, paying the Lochness his toll and the tree trolls their chocolate bars. The monsters have played an important role in the previous books, and that’s the same here too.

I love this entire series. I recommend it for those who like fast paced, action filled clean YA stories. (There’s kissing, but that’s it. And it’s minimal. It probably could stand for more kissing! There’s plenty of violence, but nothing too graphic.)

Go now and read this series. Seriously. Bright Blaze of Magic releases Tuesday April 26, 2016. That gives you a few days to binge read the first two book!

REVIEW: Fifteen Lanes by S. J. Laidlaw

Apr4

Fifteen Lanes by S. J. Laidlaw

Read: March 31 – April 4, 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars

Genre: YA Contemporary

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I requested this book from NetGalley, I’m not really sure what I was thinking. I like a certain type of book and I don’t often deviate. When I deviate, I usually end up disappointed. So, while I have no clue what made me think I’d enjoy this book, I’m glad I clicked the REQUEST button, because this book will stay with me for a very long time.

“There is a whole world of possibilities beyond our fifteen lanes”

Fifteen Lanes is a story of two girls in India, told in dual perspectives. Noor is a a young teen girl living in a brothel in the slums of India. Her mother is a sex worker and she knows it’s only time before she herself is sold off into the sex trade. Until then, she attends a school where nobody knows her true identity, and she cares for her younger sister and brother. She dares to dream that maybe someday she can escape this life and rent a room for herself, her mother, her siblings, and all of her friends who are slaves to the brothel.

Meanwhile, across town, there’s fifteen year old rich, white girl, Grace. She has problems of her own when she becomes the victim of malicious bullying. Her problems may not be as bad as Noor’s, but we all have our limits, and Grace has reached hers.

Can two girls from two completely different worlds save each other?

Side by side Noor and Grace are night and day. They live in completely different worlds and are going through completely different ordeals, but together they form a friendship. I wish the book had given more time to develop their friendship, as they met after the 50% point in the book and probably only saw each other on two separate occasions before the books climax.

You would think that Grace, who has never gone hungry, never slept on the streets, would be the stronger of the girls, but it’s Noor. Noor has been through hell, it’s all she knows. Of the two, she is the strongest and in the end, they have to save each other.

I think the book could have worked (possibly better?) just telling Noor’s side of the story, however giving the reader Grace’s POV may help some readers who are either unable to identify with Noor, or hesitant to even start the book because they’re afraid to dive into a culture so different from their own.

Remember when I said that I read what I know I’ll like, and I’m not sure why I requested this book?

I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to identify with Noor, being that she’s from the slums of a third world country and I’m middle class American. I was wrong, she was so easy to empathize with. That in itself is a true testament to an authors abilities.

I was afraid that the subject matter would be too dark—and it is—but the way the book is written, it doesn’t feel so dark. That’s not to say the author sugar coats things, she simply gives as much detail about the horrors of Noor’s world as a young reader needs. I cried more than once reading this book and I know if the author had chosen to go darker with more details, I would not have been able to finish, and I would not have been able to expand my world view via this book.

I would love to see Fifteen Lanes in schools. This book sheds a whole new light on #firstworldproblems. This book makes me want to do more for the world.

To sum it all up, my final status update for this book on Goodreads when I reached the end: In tears. Wow.

REVIEW: Lastland by A. R. Ivanovich

Mar30

You guys, my NetGalley reading list is OUT. OF. CONTROL!

I wish I could say that by finishing Lastland last night, my list is growing smaller…. but alas, I was just approved the other day for the third book in the Black Blade series by Jennifer Estep.

Oops?

My husband says, “Just stop requesting new books until you catch up!”

Ha! Like it’s that easy! Whose with me here? Reading is an addiction. There are so many great books out there, I don’t want to miss any of them!

Tell me in the comments, is your TBR list as out of control as mine?

Lastland by A. R. Ivanovich
Series: War of Princes #4
Read: March 2 – 29, 2016
Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)
My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy / Steampunk

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, if you haven’t read The War of the Princes series yet, you are MISSING. OUT.
We’ve got a fantasy world like our own, hidden within another fantasy world.
We’ve got a driven, relatable, female heroine.
We’ve got the tortured love interest.
And a whole slew of other amazing characters.
There are twists. There are turns. People we’ve come to love die—it’s a war, remember?—but others live.

Lastland is the final book in the series. While book 1, Haven, remains my favorite of the series, Lastland is jam-packed with feels.

The War of the Princes has raged for hundreds of years, and Katelyn and crew will do everything they can to save her homeland of Haven and finally bring down Prince Raserion.

After four books I feel like I’ve come to really know these characters—Katelyn and Rune, Kyle and Dylan and Ruby, and so on—so a satisfying ending had to happen for me. I expected nothing less, and Ivanovich delivered. There were moments I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. Moments I wanted to yell. Moments I wanted to hug the characters. I felt a whole range of emotions.

So now you’re thinking, if you loved it so much, why are you only giving it 4.5 stars? The answer to that is simple, I don’t really like military/war books. This series, despite the title, didn’t start out that way, but it sure ended that way. We’re talking epic battles of war. There were a couple times in the book where I just wanted to get on with things because I was growing bored with the war, and then Ivanovich would throw in a plot twist. This author knows how to hold a reader, even as I was starting to wonder about this book, she always pulled me right back in. And in the end, I leave Lastland with peace, glad to have had the chance to visit this world and meet these amazing characters.

Bonus: There was a plot twist from book 3, Monarch, which I had completely forgotten about due to the length of time between reading this book and that, which the author didn’t forget about, because she tied the loose ends in this book. We also get to find out what really started the war, which leads me to something I love about villains. Well written villains always have a realistic backstory—Well, realistic in the realm of the world in which the book takes place anyway!—and this book is no different. In the end, I felt a little bad for Raserion.

Long story short: This is a must read series I will continue to recommend!

REVIEW: The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever by Jeff Strand

Mar12

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever by Jeff Strand
Read: Feb 27 – March 11, 2016
Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)
My Book Rating: 2.5 Stars
Genre: YA Humor

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book… the cover is awesome. The description is awesome. But the book…. It fell short of expectations.

The story is about Justin, a high school freshman who sets out to make the greatest zombie movie ever. He has almost no budget. He has no script. He has literally nothing except himself and his two best friends and a total of about 12 days from start to finish to complete the film. Of course it’s going to be a disaster.

Now, there were plenty of good things about this book. The warning at the very beginning set the tone and had me laughing out loud and reading parts of it out loud to my husband, much to his dismay. Justin’s mom has some very funny lines. Justin trying to B.S. his way into convincing the principal to let them film in the school, and the actors audition scene, were both pretty darn funny. In fact, there were a lot of laugh out loud moments.

At first I really couldn’t put my finger on what was bothering me about this book. It held my attention enough to keep reading, but when I wasn’t reading, I never felt like I WISH I was reading this book.

Then it hit me, the reason I had trouble with this book was because in my opinion, all of the characters were the same. They all acted/reacted/spoke in very similar manners to one another. At any given time, any character could be speaking and without the dialogue tag, it would be anyones guess. And yeah, it was funny at times, but after a short while, it was too much. Also, aside from Justin’s parents, all of the adults in this book were pretty terrible excuses for human beings. Maybe that’s just the 15-year old main characters view of them, but I’m going off of the direct quotes from them. The adults in this book are terrible. From Justin’s Grandmother to his friend Bobby’s uncle. Every last adult (aside from Justin’s parents) were pretty awful.

And finally, this book was just too long. I got to a point where the humor was just irritating.

All of that said, I think pre-teen boys would get a kick out of this book. I have a 14-year old nephew and I could see him in a lot of these characters and how they acted.

So… would I recommend this book? Yes, but only to pre-teen/teen boys. Or people with the humor of pre-teen/teen boys.

REVIEW: Paperglass by A. R. Ivanovitch

Jan17

Paperglass by A. R. Ivanovitch

Series: War of the Princes #2

Read: January 4-15 2016

Format: Kindle Ebook

My Book Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: YA Fantasy

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paperglass is the sequel to Haven and picks up a year after the events in the first book. If you haven’t read Haven yet – What are you waiting for? The book is amazing!

Anyway, in Paperglass we find our heroine, Katelyn, graduating from high school, ready to set off in the world. After leaving her peaceful haven in Haven (see what I did there? Sorry…) Katelyn vowed never again to leave Haven for the war-torn outside world. Then, everything changes. A man commits an act that puts many lives in jeopardy, including Kaelyn and her friends. Soon she finds that Haven’s government is hiding things from it’s citizens and Katelyn is tasked with using her talent of finding anything to lead a rescue team to the outside world to rescue a group of Havenites who have left their protective country and ventured into what was unknown to them, but a world Katelyn knows all too well – she bares the scares.

Unwilling to bring more people to the outside world and risk their lives, she sneaks off to rescue the team, led by an individual going by code name Paperglass. Once back on the outside, Katelyn finds herself in an alliance she doesn’t quite trust, and three other surprises are waiting for her.

Paperglass reunites us with characters we knew and loved…and hated from Haven, as well as introducing us to new characters and more of the outside worlds war and politics. There are twists and turns, just when I think Katelyn is home free, safety is torn from her. Everything is so well thought out and put together, it just flows from one scene to another. The only reason it took me 11 days to finish this book was because I had to read another book for my job.

If you loved Haven, Paperglass will surely keep your attention and leave you desperate to find out what happens next, in book three of the War of the Princes series, Monarch.

NOTE: Paperglass was previously released under the title Dragoon.

REVIEW: Haven by A. R. Ivanovitch

Jan5

Don’t forget to enter to win the ghostly romance The Way Forward by Jill Bisker over at THIS post!

Haven by A. R. Ivanovitch

Series: War of the Princes #1

Read: January 3-5 2016

Format: Kindle Ebook

My Book Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Genre: YA Fantasy

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book. Wow. This is the kind of book that keeps you turning the page, not wanting to put it down, saying ‘just one more chapter!’ only to get to the end and need to dive into the next book ASAP. That is Haven.

Katelyn Kestrel is the heroine of this series. Seventeen years old and a bit of a rebel, Katelyn doesn’t just accept the way things are, she questions them. Growing up in Haven, an isolated kingdom/country nestled in a hidden mountain valley, she knows that to try to find a way out is the greatest law, punishable by imprisonment or worse. However, Katelyn can’t help herself. She’s always had an instinct about finding what she’s looking for, and finding her way out of Haven is no different. She suddenly finds herself in a cave, forced to choose between taking the safe route and going back, or helping a wounded soldier in her path. Katelyn helps the soldier and that’s where the story really begins.

There is a minor-almost-love-triangle in this book. Katelyn has strong feelings for her rescued soldier, Rune, but the other young man she meets, the Common Lord Dylan Axton, has his eye on her as well, showering her with gifts.

Katelyn discovers secrets about herself and her people and soon, Haven’s fate is entirely in her hands.

The world building in this book is captivating. There were little things that drove me a little crazy, like the Haven people’s superstition that name alliteration was good luck (hence our heroine being Katelyn Kestrel, sister to Kevin Kestrel, friend of Kyle Kiteman, etc.) I quickly forgot all that once the plot moved forward. The powers are very cool, and the military and royal hierarchy well thought out.

The best part of this book though? It’s a fantasy novel done right. The reader is not inundated with pages and pages of description, we’re given just enough to set the scene to feel as though we’re there, and then we move on. As I stated before, I could not put this book down. I said ‘just one more chapter’ for a good seven chapters before forcing myself to go to bed. I told myself I would get some work done before starting book 2, however I’m already almost 20% into Paperglass and let me tell you, it’s as good if not better than Haven!

There are plenty of questions left unanswered in this book; for example, if the Haven people have been secluded from the Outside World for over 700 years, why do they still speak the same language, albeit with a strong accent? At least some of these questions are answered later in the series (which I only know because I’ve started the next.)

In my opinion, this is a must read YA title for readers looking for a strong heroine, adventure, magic, and alternate history. I did deduct half a star because there were more than a couple editing errors, perhaps not enough to distract the average reader, but definitely enough for me to catch.

Haven and the rest of the series was originally self-published and now available from Alloy Entertainment.