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fortheloveoffictionalworlds's reviews
1351 reviews
Just Breathe by Kari Lynn
4.0
More Reviews Can Be Found Here - Indian Book Love Affair
Review:
The author contacted me because she wanted people to read her book! And me, being me, I just had to say yes (because more books!!!).
When she gifted me the digital copy through Amazon, I did what any good reader would do. I went online and checked out the blurb on GoodReads (no, I did not check out the other reviews. Yes, it took a lot of self-control not to check out the reviews. Yes, I am very proud of myself right now!)
You read the blurb and you think – definitely some mental issues in the story and that’s what I actually thought for about 30% into the book.
There is the unknown quality that some books have to capture your interest in the first few pages and this book had it, not just in building of the storyline but also in the way she has evolved Keira (I Love her name!!)– her character, her problems and her personality. We start off the book with Keira and her siblings Justen and Jocelynn (Both hot. Both twins. Ofcourse) moving to their Aunt and Uncle’s place after the death of their parents. Justen is the lovable protective big brother, while Jocelynn being the typical mean girl. We also spend about half of the book getting to properly know Kiera, her fears, her issues and best of all, her idiosyncrasies (Hint: She talks to herself! And that endears her to me, more than anything else.)
This is the author’s debut novel and it has a great potential. I loved the fact she took time to let Keira grow and let me know her, properly. Her fears, her insecurities and her anxiety. And she was sassy as well, though that sassiness was far and few in between. So when she starts hearing a voice in her room when she is alone, she reacts exactly like a normal sane person would – with fear of going insane. (Well, so did I! Boy was I surprised when the author revealed what actually was going on! Nicely done, Ma’am!)
And let’s talk about David, now shall we? Isn’t David such a nice name? Such a normal pretty name for a pretty boy! So, tell me, Ms. Lynn, why did he have to be a vampire? (Whoops. Spoiler!) And David and Keira’s relationship felt honestly rushed (I literally had flashbacks of Twilight at some points) but Keira did keep her head in the game. She was cautious and sceptical of how fast the relationship went from just dating to ‘I Love You’s’ within a a couple of chapters and that felt unrealistic (especially to a reader, who likes that her characters grow together before jumping into a relationship). But David was actually good for her, especially during the anxiety attacks and did her support system through the difficult time of her being vulnerable to the changes she was undergoing.
And that’s the reason why I will not understand the choice Keira made one night. Don’t get me wrong, the author actually made a pretty strong argument for that particular choice, but the choice is something that will never ever sit right with me. (And frankly, accepting that choice made David a wimp, even with sound reasoning that he had.)
Beyond this, this book was un – putdownable (Is that even a word?) and I read it through the night I wasn’t able to sleep. It was a fun read and a strong start for the author, especially for a debut novel. With the mystery of Keira’s parents’ death and other missing people was also quite the perfect addition.
But do you want to know where Ms. Lynn went mean on me? When everything ended with smiles and laughter and the perfect present, she went ahead and added the the teaser to the next book in series, Just Listen and shattered my closure completely!! How could you, Ms. Lynn, how could you do that to your readers?? *sobs*
(Now I want you to remember that I love books and I would also love to review Just Listen! I need to know what happens. Pretty please with cherry on top!)
Rating and Recommendation:
3.5/5 Stars
I would recommend this book for high school students who enjoy a book with vampires and magic with a little bit of mystery thrown in. This would be an enjoyable read, especially on a night that you can't sleep.
Review:
The author contacted me because she wanted people to read her book! And me, being me, I just had to say yes (because more books!!!).
When she gifted me the digital copy through Amazon, I did what any good reader would do. I went online and checked out the blurb on GoodReads (no, I did not check out the other reviews. Yes, it took a lot of self-control not to check out the reviews. Yes, I am very proud of myself right now!)
You read the blurb and you think – definitely some mental issues in the story and that’s what I actually thought for about 30% into the book.
There is the unknown quality that some books have to capture your interest in the first few pages and this book had it, not just in building of the storyline but also in the way she has evolved Keira (I Love her name!!)– her character, her problems and her personality. We start off the book with Keira and her siblings Justen and Jocelynn (Both hot. Both twins. Ofcourse) moving to their Aunt and Uncle’s place after the death of their parents. Justen is the lovable protective big brother, while Jocelynn being the typical mean girl. We also spend about half of the book getting to properly know Kiera, her fears, her issues and best of all, her idiosyncrasies (Hint: She talks to herself! And that endears her to me, more than anything else.)
This is the author’s debut novel and it has a great potential. I loved the fact she took time to let Keira grow and let me know her, properly. Her fears, her insecurities and her anxiety. And she was sassy as well, though that sassiness was far and few in between. So when she starts hearing a voice in her room when she is alone, she reacts exactly like a normal sane person would – with fear of going insane. (Well, so did I! Boy was I surprised when the author revealed what actually was going on! Nicely done, Ma’am!)
And let’s talk about David, now shall we? Isn’t David such a nice name? Such a normal pretty name for a pretty boy! So, tell me, Ms. Lynn, why did he have to be a vampire? (Whoops. Spoiler!) And David and Keira’s relationship felt honestly rushed (I literally had flashbacks of Twilight at some points) but Keira did keep her head in the game. She was cautious and sceptical of how fast the relationship went from just dating to ‘I Love You’s’ within a a couple of chapters and that felt unrealistic (especially to a reader, who likes that her characters grow together before jumping into a relationship). But David was actually good for her, especially during the anxiety attacks and did her support system through the difficult time of her being vulnerable to the changes she was undergoing.
And that’s the reason why I will not understand the choice Keira made one night. Don’t get me wrong, the author actually made a pretty strong argument for that particular choice, but the choice is something that will never ever sit right with me. (And frankly, accepting that choice made David a wimp, even with sound reasoning that he had.)
Beyond this, this book was un – putdownable (Is that even a word?) and I read it through the night I wasn’t able to sleep. It was a fun read and a strong start for the author, especially for a debut novel. With the mystery of Keira’s parents’ death and other missing people was also quite the perfect addition.
But do you want to know where Ms. Lynn went mean on me? When everything ended with smiles and laughter and the perfect present, she went ahead and added the the teaser to the next book in series, Just Listen and shattered my closure completely!! How could you, Ms. Lynn, how could you do that to your readers?? *sobs*
(Now I want you to remember that I love books and I would also love to review Just Listen! I need to know what happens. Pretty please with cherry on top!)
Rating and Recommendation:
3.5/5 Stars
I would recommend this book for high school students who enjoy a book with vampires and magic with a little bit of mystery thrown in. This would be an enjoyable read, especially on a night that you can't sleep.
The North Country Confessional by Craig C. Charles
4.0
For more reviews and all things bookish go check out For The Love of Fictional Worlds
The author shared a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
I didn't realise how much I missed a good old mystery thriller book till I got a chance to review this one. I have been a part of fantasy and science fiction world way too long and this book was a perfect escape for that (just for a little while at least :P)
This book has a hero (an actual war hero!) who ran away from his past but has now returned like the prodigal son. It has heroine who has lives and works in grey and that made her hardened and cynical. We have a psychopathic villain who will most definitely not turn out to be the good guy (oh how I have missed thee :D) and we have dark dirty secrets just waiting to come out. We have a man who made mistakes yet is always considered to be the bad guy by everyone including the cops.
And we have a mystery clued up in riddles.
All this should have made this book, soo predictable that it wouldn't have even been funny. But damn, if it didn't take me back to my days of gorging on James Patterson, Jeffrey Archer books that I stole from my father. These things should have not worked together and yet it did.
The writing is wonderfully imaginative and the scenery so vivid that I could actually imagine all the gory details (yes I missed that too!).
There were a few things that rankled me though not enough to make even dislike this book. Darby's emotional responses seemed a little flat. Since majority of this book was in his POV, I expected a lot of reflection from someone who is the protagonist in his position. Also, some of the methods used to kill/torture/maim the victims in this book, seemed a little far fetched, but I was actually okay with that!
Beyond this, this book was a perfect reminder of how much I missed a little bit of mystery genre in my life. I can't wait to get more from this author, cause I absolutely loved the gruesome way he killed people off :D
The author shared a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
I didn't realise how much I missed a good old mystery thriller book till I got a chance to review this one. I have been a part of fantasy and science fiction world way too long and this book was a perfect escape for that (just for a little while at least :P)
This book has a hero (an actual war hero!) who ran away from his past but has now returned like the prodigal son. It has heroine who has lives and works in grey and that made her hardened and cynical. We have a psychopathic villain who will most definitely not turn out to be the good guy (oh how I have missed thee :D) and we have dark dirty secrets just waiting to come out. We have a man who made mistakes yet is always considered to be the bad guy by everyone including the cops.
And we have a mystery clued up in riddles.
All this should have made this book, soo predictable that it wouldn't have even been funny. But damn, if it didn't take me back to my days of gorging on James Patterson, Jeffrey Archer books that I stole from my father. These things should have not worked together and yet it did.
The writing is wonderfully imaginative and the scenery so vivid that I could actually imagine all the gory details (yes I missed that too!).
There were a few things that rankled me though not enough to make even dislike this book. Darby's emotional responses seemed a little flat. Since majority of this book was in his POV, I expected a lot of reflection from someone who is the protagonist in his position. Also, some of the methods used to kill/torture/maim the victims in this book, seemed a little far fetched, but I was actually okay with that!
Beyond this, this book was a perfect reminder of how much I missed a little bit of mystery genre in my life. I can't wait to get more from this author, cause I absolutely loved the gruesome way he killed people off :D
Face to Face with Serial Killers: My Conversations with the World's Most Evil Men by Christopher Berry-Dee
5.0
Review to be up after the #5DaysofTBReadathon is done with :)
Love Aced by Jamie W. Matlock
5.0
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
I recieved this book by XpressoBookTours as a part of Love Strung Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review on my blog For The Love of Fictional Worlds.
I have never been much of a fan of Tennis, well at least I have not been able to understand it's rules quite clearly, though I did like seeing the game being played live once.
So I was scared, that this book might have words or phrases that I might have to look to Google to make me understand (highly doubtful!), but I have never been more thankful to have been proven wrong.
This book is about Kole Masters. Any other characters are secondary, yes even the swoon worthy Spanish Tennis Player - Santiago Martinez, the one player who apparently hates her guts because she is American. Through most of the book, we believe that this hatred stems from professional rivalry, yet it's only later we come to know that it might have personal foundations for Santiago.
Now coming to Kole. She is an irritating, nit picking, pessimistic and cynical girl. She makes such obvious mistakes that it's all you can do to stop yourself from smacking her. Intellectually, I realise that it makes her quite unlikable character, but emotionally? Oh god, emotionally I know that she is me! She has the same outlook of life and the people who inhabit it, that I do. And that makes this a biased review.
She knows that the decisions she is making is wrong, stems from fear and has absolutely no basis in reality, but does that stop her making them? No. Why, you may ask? It's because fears and belief's aren't rational. They never will be, especially those beliefs stemming from such emotional foundation that it is hard to shake off.
Kole grows a lot through the course of this book. She grows up emotionally and mentally but what is most remarkable is that she learns to grow an backbone and take back her life (Now if only I could go her way, everything would be sunshine and roses!!)
Santiago on the other hand, is the perfect fictional male. Even though he might hate her guts, he still gives refuge to Kole when she needs it the most. He gives her space, and he gives her the unconditional support, something she has never had in her life before. Is it any wonder that she believes that he is a little too good to be true? :P
The writing and the characterization is perfect but I would have loved Santiago's POV as well, if not for the whole story but at least an epilogue! *sigh* Is that too much to ask?
Now if you have actually read through this whole review, don't for to stop by For The Love of Fictional Worlds on the 14th of March for The Love Strung Blog Tour :)
I recieved this book by XpressoBookTours as a part of Love Strung Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review on my blog For The Love of Fictional Worlds.
I have never been much of a fan of Tennis, well at least I have not been able to understand it's rules quite clearly, though I did like seeing the game being played live once.
So I was scared, that this book might have words or phrases that I might have to look to Google to make me understand (highly doubtful!), but I have never been more thankful to have been proven wrong.
This book is about Kole Masters. Any other characters are secondary, yes even the swoon worthy Spanish Tennis Player - Santiago Martinez, the one player who apparently hates her guts because she is American. Through most of the book, we believe that this hatred stems from professional rivalry, yet it's only later we come to know that it might have personal foundations for Santiago.
Now coming to Kole. She is an irritating, nit picking, pessimistic and cynical girl. She makes such obvious mistakes that it's all you can do to stop yourself from smacking her. Intellectually, I realise that it makes her quite unlikable character, but emotionally? Oh god, emotionally I know that she is me! She has the same outlook of life and the people who inhabit it, that I do. And that makes this a biased review.
She knows that the decisions she is making is wrong, stems from fear and has absolutely no basis in reality, but does that stop her making them? No. Why, you may ask? It's because fears and belief's aren't rational. They never will be, especially those beliefs stemming from such emotional foundation that it is hard to shake off.
Kole grows a lot through the course of this book. She grows up emotionally and mentally but what is most remarkable is that she learns to grow an backbone and take back her life (Now if only I could go her way, everything would be sunshine and roses!!)
Santiago on the other hand, is the perfect fictional male. Even though he might hate her guts, he still gives refuge to Kole when she needs it the most. He gives her space, and he gives her the unconditional support, something she has never had in her life before. Is it any wonder that she believes that he is a little too good to be true? :P
The writing and the characterization is perfect but I would have loved Santiago's POV as well, if not for the whole story but at least an epilogue! *sigh* Is that too much to ask?
Now if you have actually read through this whole review, don't for to stop by For The Love of Fictional Worlds on the 14th of March for The Love Strung Blog Tour :)
Love Strung by Jamie W. Matlock
4.0
This review was first posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds as part of the Blog Tour for Love Strung on the March 14th!
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars
I absolutely loved Love Aced, the GoodReads Review of which is already live. I fell in love with Kole Masters (yes more than Santiago!) and when Kennedy was introduced, it was clear that though the sisters were different as night and day, she clearly had issues of her own and that made me more than excited for her book!
"I wasn't a weak-in-the-knees type of girl. No, those reactions were saved for women of lesser species, a smaller subset of feminine individuals who didn't know any better. I didn't melt for smiles. I didn't drool over mundane, certainly not for something as simple as forearms or the mere idea of a pe-- on the other side of the denim. And, I had never, not in almost two and a half decade existence, gotten jealous of other women's considerations towards someone who I found slightly attractive."
Kennedy Masters is a strong willed independent musician who is trying to make big in Nashville, and has scored to be an opening act for Mick Callahan, the resident music star. Her impulsive decision to help a friend (while admirable) also leads her on roller coaster ride that will ultimately change her life.
Mick Callahan, sorry to say, is the male version of Kennedy. He is impulsive and absolutely has no thought over the consequences that others might have to bear due to his actions.
His impulsive actions lead Kennedy to hide out in the Callahan ranch with his sibling and niece. Now this is where everything goes up in smoke. Here, she goes extreme reception - a warm reception from Sutter and Hannah (sister and niece of Mick) and hostility from Griff (brother of Mick).
"I wasn't sure which was worse, being referred to as a ‘stray’ or a ‘that’."
Everything becomes complicated (well more complicated than it was before - yeah I am not lying). Kennedy becomes a "charity case" another of the consequences that Mick's family has been taking care for Mick all his life. Griff and Mick have a contentious relationship, a love for hatred between them, a hatred that both of them are so comfortable that neither of them wants to change.
Kennedy becomes involved their family since despite her independent nature, she yearns for someone to love her (don't we all?). She becomes friends with Sutter and Hannah and is irritated by the attraction she has for Griff who has made no secret for the fact that he hates her.
She goes from a girl who I actually like to someone who irritates me then back to someone I like throughout the book. She becomes spineless, scared of loosing her career, refuses to go on the defensive with all the crap that is happening in her life. She refuses to stand up to Mick, even when it's Griff he really wants and that irritated me the most honestly! She is someone who knows she is making the wrong decisions yet continues to make them anyway. Her emotions became quite dramatic towards the end (though I really understood the reason for her overreaction!), when it was her handle on emotions, at least her recognition and acceptance of her feelings that endeared her to me.
All of this though, made her more real than fictional because lets face it, we have all been there and this is the best part of Kennedy Masters.
"I couldn't function if I thought I'd never be kissed like that again - by you - and I'd hate you for it. And I'm so damned tired of hating you."
Griff hated Kennedy from the moment he met her. Well, hated is the wrong word. He despised her. His disgust and hatred was so strong that even I could feel it jump out of the book to me (and the story wasn't even in his POV!). I have to say that I did not like Griff at first (His more apt name is Gruff, trust me!). He projected his hate and disgust for his brother (and himself) to Kennedy because she was the available target. But of course, this wasn't the real reason. He had become attracted to her from the get go, but believing that she had slept with Mick, made that attraction dirty.
Griff is supposed to be the Alpha male, but honestly his Alpha-ness (Is that even a word?) was a little over the top for me! I am more of the Silent Alpha type (like Santiago) who don't say to the female in question but damn if they wouldn't be protective when the need arises (note I say protective not possessive!).
Don't think though that Griff wasn't protective. He was both protective and possessive, and that is actually quite hot but he was more vocal than I actually like. But by the end of the book, damn if I wasn't a little in love with him as well. He grew on me, like this bug that attacks you, but you don't even realize how much of a hold it has on you till it takes over your body (I am really bad at analogies - the main reason why I am a reader not a writer!).
“Love was a myth that we as musicians wrote about, capitalized financially from. Not some grand thing that you fell into. There was no happily ever after as far as I was concerned. Period. End of Story. I thought my heart knew that. I thought my brain agreed. Clearly they were on different pages.”
This was actually a complicated book plot wise, and there were many times when I wasn't even sure what I was actually feeling about it. And one the reason why I gave it the rating I did, because I didn't get any sense of closure from this book. I actually felt a little dissatisfied. The humor was amazing, but the chemistry between Kennedy and Griff didn't do it for me. But boy, do I love Jamie's writing style. Her writing was one if the major reasons why I stuck to the book, and I am so glad I did. Because by the end, this book and it's characters grew on me.
And my review would be incomplete without a mention of Hannah, Mick and Griff's niece. She is precocious and an adorable little girl whose antics and energy was just the thing needed to diffuse an awkward sitiutaion and she delivered with aplomb. She is one character that I would love to revisit in the future and I really hope that she gets her own story soon.
“So, which Uncle do you like?” Hannah questioned from behind me, my feet gluing themselves to the marble tile beneath them. “Neither one of them has a woman who eats bacon.”
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars
I absolutely loved Love Aced, the GoodReads Review of which is already live. I fell in love with Kole Masters (yes more than Santiago!) and when Kennedy was introduced, it was clear that though the sisters were different as night and day, she clearly had issues of her own and that made me more than excited for her book!
"I wasn't a weak-in-the-knees type of girl. No, those reactions were saved for women of lesser species, a smaller subset of feminine individuals who didn't know any better. I didn't melt for smiles. I didn't drool over mundane, certainly not for something as simple as forearms or the mere idea of a pe-- on the other side of the denim. And, I had never, not in almost two and a half decade existence, gotten jealous of other women's considerations towards someone who I found slightly attractive."
Kennedy Masters is a strong willed independent musician who is trying to make big in Nashville, and has scored to be an opening act for Mick Callahan, the resident music star. Her impulsive decision to help a friend (while admirable) also leads her on roller coaster ride that will ultimately change her life.
Mick Callahan, sorry to say, is the male version of Kennedy. He is impulsive and absolutely has no thought over the consequences that others might have to bear due to his actions.
His impulsive actions lead Kennedy to hide out in the Callahan ranch with his sibling and niece. Now this is where everything goes up in smoke. Here, she goes extreme reception - a warm reception from Sutter and Hannah (sister and niece of Mick) and hostility from Griff (brother of Mick).
"I wasn't sure which was worse, being referred to as a ‘stray’ or a ‘that’."
Everything becomes complicated (well more complicated than it was before - yeah I am not lying). Kennedy becomes a "charity case" another of the consequences that Mick's family has been taking care for Mick all his life. Griff and Mick have a contentious relationship, a love for hatred between them, a hatred that both of them are so comfortable that neither of them wants to change.
Kennedy becomes involved their family since despite her independent nature, she yearns for someone to love her (don't we all?). She becomes friends with Sutter and Hannah and is irritated by the attraction she has for Griff who has made no secret for the fact that he hates her.
She goes from a girl who I actually like to someone who irritates me then back to someone I like throughout the book. She becomes spineless, scared of loosing her career, refuses to go on the defensive with all the crap that is happening in her life. She refuses to stand up to Mick, even when it's Griff he really wants and that irritated me the most honestly! She is someone who knows she is making the wrong decisions yet continues to make them anyway. Her emotions became quite dramatic towards the end (though I really understood the reason for her overreaction!), when it was her handle on emotions, at least her recognition and acceptance of her feelings that endeared her to me.
All of this though, made her more real than fictional because lets face it, we have all been there and this is the best part of Kennedy Masters.
"I couldn't function if I thought I'd never be kissed like that again - by you - and I'd hate you for it. And I'm so damned tired of hating you."
Griff hated Kennedy from the moment he met her. Well, hated is the wrong word. He despised her. His disgust and hatred was so strong that even I could feel it jump out of the book to me (and the story wasn't even in his POV!). I have to say that I did not like Griff at first (His more apt name is Gruff, trust me!). He projected his hate and disgust for his brother (and himself) to Kennedy because she was the available target. But of course, this wasn't the real reason. He had become attracted to her from the get go, but believing that she had slept with Mick, made that attraction dirty.
Griff is supposed to be the Alpha male, but honestly his Alpha-ness (Is that even a word?) was a little over the top for me! I am more of the Silent Alpha type (like Santiago) who don't say to the female in question but damn if they wouldn't be protective when the need arises (note I say protective not possessive!).
Don't think though that Griff wasn't protective. He was both protective and possessive, and that is actually quite hot but he was more vocal than I actually like. But by the end of the book, damn if I wasn't a little in love with him as well. He grew on me, like this bug that attacks you, but you don't even realize how much of a hold it has on you till it takes over your body (I am really bad at analogies - the main reason why I am a reader not a writer!).
“Love was a myth that we as musicians wrote about, capitalized financially from. Not some grand thing that you fell into. There was no happily ever after as far as I was concerned. Period. End of Story. I thought my heart knew that. I thought my brain agreed. Clearly they were on different pages.”
This was actually a complicated book plot wise, and there were many times when I wasn't even sure what I was actually feeling about it. And one the reason why I gave it the rating I did, because I didn't get any sense of closure from this book. I actually felt a little dissatisfied. The humor was amazing, but the chemistry between Kennedy and Griff didn't do it for me. But boy, do I love Jamie's writing style. Her writing was one if the major reasons why I stuck to the book, and I am so glad I did. Because by the end, this book and it's characters grew on me.
And my review would be incomplete without a mention of Hannah, Mick and Griff's niece. She is precocious and an adorable little girl whose antics and energy was just the thing needed to diffuse an awkward sitiutaion and she delivered with aplomb. She is one character that I would love to revisit in the future and I really hope that she gets her own story soon.
“So, which Uncle do you like?” Hannah questioned from behind me, my feet gluing themselves to the marble tile beneath them. “Neither one of them has a woman who eats bacon.”
Prodigal by Rektok Ross
The review was first up on For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I got in touch with the author, Ms. Ross on IG (yes I love that platform. It is now more than half of my social life :P) and she couldn't be anymore sweeter. When we were discussing the idea of me reading and reviewing her book, she was more worried about the fact that if the book would be a good fit form. Now as an individual human (highly debated! I still I am an alien) with some sort of working brain, actually understood where she is actually coming from. Not every book is for everyone. And why read something that is not up your valley. And that's exactly why I wanted to read this one. What's the point of being a bookworm if you didn't read something unusual? ;)
“It's just not that easy answer you want wrapped up in a pretty, little bow. Nothing real ever is, but that doesn't mean it's hopeless.”
Lexi Quinn is told by her parents that they are moving to Texas to start her senior year at a private school. Now this is a total life change for her, because finally she has the coveted position on the school newspaper. And leaving all that behind to start anew, to her, is basically destroying her life. But she has no choice. Her mother is suffering from Cancer and they need to move for a better treatment facility.
“People lie to themselves all the time. If they lie to themselves, how can you expect them not to lie to you?”
Lexi is my kind of heroine. She is down to earth, sweet, street smart, and loyal. She is also stubborn and ambitious. Reading the story in her POV, made me understand her a whole lot better and frankly, for the first time I was actually liked the first POV and that says a lot.
"You're really comparing hard science to religion?" "They both require faith until proven truthful"
Now Ash Preston is an enigma. He has the bad boy reputation of loving and leaving them behind. Now, the only way Lexi can get into the school newspaper is by interviewing Ash, who of course is as available as fictional characters are to us. He is a complex boy, with so many layers that even at the end, I had a feeling that even then we hadn't uncovered all of the layers.
"A God that's not safe because we can't control him or what he does to us, but good because he loves us no matter what?"
When Ms. Ross contacted me, she told me that most the foundation is in faith and in God for the plot. Now, I am more of believer in Karma. I do not believe that there is a higher entity that we are beholden to. I have seen many use God as an excuse for things that are inexcusable. So, while I was hesitant to actually read this book, I still worried that my own opinions would end up influencing my opinions.
But I was pleasantly surprised. Though there was focus given to faith and religion, it wasn't in the face or even preachy. What it was, was simple questions that got even me thinking, that made me question my beliefs and opinions.
And that is where this book is a success for me.
"Sometimes things get broken and stay that way, no matter how much you want to fix them"
Now, coming back to the story. I liked the writing style and the plot itself. The writing was perfectly in sync with the plot and the characters themselves. Best part though was the fact, that Ms. Ross never ended with a happily ever after. And that is quite commendable, because this is a YA Contemporary Romance and the characters will always be too young to have a Happily Ever After.
Now to the part I did not like. Lexi's mother suffers from Cancer, and this should have been more of an emotional blow to her than was portrayed, especially considering that she is more close to her mother than her father. Lexi even came of as selfish and too self - absorbed sometimes with a mother who is suffering from cancer.
While Lexi and Ash were actually perfect for each other, this relationship was again marred by the lack of communication (when will be these characters learn? :P). Especially considering the fact that when Lexi needed Ash, he wasn't there for her. Now that is just bad bad bad decision all around.
Even with these drawbacks, this is a beautiful debut by Ms. Ross. And for her, there is no where to go but up! <3
4.0
The review was first up on For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I got in touch with the author, Ms. Ross on IG (yes I love that platform. It is now more than half of my social life :P) and she couldn't be anymore sweeter. When we were discussing the idea of me reading and reviewing her book, she was more worried about the fact that if the book would be a good fit form. Now as an individual human (highly debated! I still I am an alien) with some sort of working brain, actually understood where she is actually coming from. Not every book is for everyone. And why read something that is not up your valley. And that's exactly why I wanted to read this one. What's the point of being a bookworm if you didn't read something unusual? ;)
“It's just not that easy answer you want wrapped up in a pretty, little bow. Nothing real ever is, but that doesn't mean it's hopeless.”
Lexi Quinn is told by her parents that they are moving to Texas to start her senior year at a private school. Now this is a total life change for her, because finally she has the coveted position on the school newspaper. And leaving all that behind to start anew, to her, is basically destroying her life. But she has no choice. Her mother is suffering from Cancer and they need to move for a better treatment facility.
“People lie to themselves all the time. If they lie to themselves, how can you expect them not to lie to you?”
Lexi is my kind of heroine. She is down to earth, sweet, street smart, and loyal. She is also stubborn and ambitious. Reading the story in her POV, made me understand her a whole lot better and frankly, for the first time I was actually liked the first POV and that says a lot.
"You're really comparing hard science to religion?" "They both require faith until proven truthful"
Now Ash Preston is an enigma. He has the bad boy reputation of loving and leaving them behind. Now, the only way Lexi can get into the school newspaper is by interviewing Ash, who of course is as available as fictional characters are to us. He is a complex boy, with so many layers that even at the end, I had a feeling that even then we hadn't uncovered all of the layers.
"A God that's not safe because we can't control him or what he does to us, but good because he loves us no matter what?"
When Ms. Ross contacted me, she told me that most the foundation is in faith and in God for the plot. Now, I am more of believer in Karma. I do not believe that there is a higher entity that we are beholden to. I have seen many use God as an excuse for things that are inexcusable. So, while I was hesitant to actually read this book, I still worried that my own opinions would end up influencing my opinions.
But I was pleasantly surprised. Though there was focus given to faith and religion, it wasn't in the face or even preachy. What it was, was simple questions that got even me thinking, that made me question my beliefs and opinions.
And that is where this book is a success for me.
"Sometimes things get broken and stay that way, no matter how much you want to fix them"
Now, coming back to the story. I liked the writing style and the plot itself. The writing was perfectly in sync with the plot and the characters themselves. Best part though was the fact, that Ms. Ross never ended with a happily ever after. And that is quite commendable, because this is a YA Contemporary Romance and the characters will always be too young to have a Happily Ever After.
Now to the part I did not like. Lexi's mother suffers from Cancer, and this should have been more of an emotional blow to her than was portrayed, especially considering that she is more close to her mother than her father. Lexi even came of as selfish and too self - absorbed sometimes with a mother who is suffering from cancer.
While Lexi and Ash were actually perfect for each other, this relationship was again marred by the lack of communication (when will be these characters learn? :P). Especially considering the fact that when Lexi needed Ash, he wasn't there for her. Now that is just bad bad bad decision all around.
Even with these drawbacks, this is a beautiful debut by Ms. Ross. And for her, there is no where to go but up! <3