Category Archives: The Must Reads

These are the books that I think are a must read.

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Book Review: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Title:Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Author:Miranda Kenneally
Series:Hundred Oaks
Rating:★★★★★

Breathe, Annie, Breathe

It should really be no surprise that I’d probably read anything Kenneally wrote and published. This is the fifth book I’ve read from her, and with each book, I fall a little more in love with her writing, her settings, and her characters. Breathe, Annie, Breathe is no different.

Annie is training to run a marathon in honor of her boyfriend, Kyle. She blames herself for Kyle’s death, and the marathon is her way to staying connected to him, and completing the things he will never get to complete. She’s never been a runner, so she begins a training program that will get her in marathon shape. It’s hard and painful, but she is determined to do this for Kyle.

What she does not expect is for the brother of her trainer to show up. Jeremiah is an adrenaline junkie, and running provides him with a little thrill, but he’s always looking for more. He’s gotten into trouble for it, and is not working for his brother as a way to stay on a safe path.

I think what I loved most about this book was reading Annie comes to terms with her loss, and find a way to move on, while still preserving her memories. Annie is hurting. She blames herself for Kyle dying. She can’t help but think about all the “what ifs” that might have kept him alive. She’s determined to run the marathon to honor him, and she has people cheering her on. Kyle’s family is there for her. Her family is there for her. Jeremiah is there for her. As much as I loved the romance in this book, Annie’s growth is what made this book amazing for me.

I love the world Kenneally has created, and only love it more with each book. I love that she ties every book back to the previous ones in the series. It makes it feel like an entire world exists beyond the pages of the novels. These aren’t characters you read in a book and then never see again. They’re always woven into each other. It’s wonderful. Breathe, Annie, Breathe is another must-read book from a must-read series, written by a must-read author.

If you’d like to read Breathe, Annie, Breathe, you can purchase a copy here:
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Book Review: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Title:Racing Savannah
Author:Miranda Kenneally
Series:Hundred Oaks
Rating:★★★★★

Racing Savannah

It’s not rare for me to forego sleep to finish a book. I tend to lose any sense of time when I read and then, somehow, it’s 2am and I’ve finished a book. It is rare for me to purposely give up sleep because I know I’ll be annoyed with myself for closing my eyes when there’s an amazing book right in front of me.

That’s what coffee is for, right? To make a semi-functional human after ignoring sleep to stay up reading.

Racing Savannah is one of those books. I clearly knew I would be finishing it around 3am, but I did not care. I’d drink some coffee, maybe take a nap. Sleep was not as important as finishing this book.

I loved Savannah. She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to fight for it, yet she’s also got insecurities just like anyone. She doesn’t let those insecurities hold her back, though. She knows what she’s good at and focuses on that, rather than wallowing in what she’s not as comfortable in. Working with horses at a ranch dominated by males, I think it would have been understandable if she felt like she wasn’t a right fit. However, I’m so happy that she not only stepped right in like she belonged, but was determined to prove that she was better than the boys.

Jack is a sweet guy, and even though he’s not my favorite guy Kenneally has written, he still got to me. It’s clear he’s trying to figure out how to handle expectations from his family against his own personal desires. He’s trying to find the balance between making everyone else happy and making himself happy.

I loved the horse racing in this novel. I’ve always had a great respect for horses, and reading about the racing world was really intriguing. I also enjoyed the growth Savannah’s family went through in the novel. Savannah’s struggle to find a place in her new family unit was interesting to read. I’ve never been through something like she has, but I can understand the feelings she was having.

Kenneally has another wonderful book to add to her name. The world of horse racing draws you in, but it’s Savannah that makes this story amazing. She’s a powerful character, and one of my favorites in contemporary literature recently. I’m really happy that there is more coming from Kenneally, as I’m not ready to let this world go.

If you’d like to read Racing Savannah for yourself, you can purchase a copy here:
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Book Review: Things I Can’t Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Things I Can’t Forget
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks Companion series
Rating: ★★★★★

Things I Can't Forget

It only took one book for me to fall in love with Kenneally’s writing. I read Catching Jordan because it was a Kindle Daily Deal, and I haven’t looked back. Kenneally writes the teen experience really well, and each of her characters has a different personality. She doesn’t take the same characters and put them in new situations. Each book has something new and Things I Can’t Forget is no different.

Kate is a good girl who goes to church and loves the Lord. She has let the Bible and her faith guide her in growing up, which have good and bad consequences. She’s full of guilt, though, over what she helped her best friend do. It makes her question herself and her faith. So when she gets the chance to be a camp counselor for the summer, she wants to get away from her secret. She ends up learning a lot about herself and how faith fits into her life.

I didn’t like Kate right away, but I sympathized with her. I grew up going to church every weekend and have a religious family. I can understand why Kate holds onto her faith so tight. It’s how she is able to face the good and bad of each day and find peace with it. Until she does something that goes against her faith, and she’s left questioning everything. She was judgmental in the beginning of the book, but not just toward others. She also judged herself. The growth her character goes through as the novel progresses is fantastic. She comes to accept that faith is not the same for everyone, and she can find a way of practicing her faith that works for her.

Matt was such a sweetheart in this novel. It was wonderful reading how he slowly helped Kate find comfort in her faith. He showed her that faith comes in many forms and that one way is no better than another. He also helped her find confidence in herself and her faith. Matt was the perfect person for Kate to find, at the time in her life when she needed it most.

I also loved how Parker played a role in this novel. She was also a counselor at the camp, and slowly she and Kate became friends. I wasn’t expecting this friendship to form, but I’m really glad it did. Parker was another person that showed Kate that it is okay to adapt faith in a more personal way.

Things I Can’t Forget is an amazing novel that kept me up until the early hours of the morning to finish. I loved it from beginning to end, even if Kate wasn’t always my favorite character. I think this is a must read book for any fans of contemporary romance, and ever ones who aren’t.

If you’d like to read Things I Can’t Forget, you can purchase it here:
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Book Review: Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

Title: Her Dark Curiosity
Author: Megan Shepherd
Series: The Madman’s Daughter trilogy
Rating: ★★★★

Her Dark Curiosity

I really enjoyed The Madman’s Daughter and was anxious to read Her Dark Curiosity. I became even more anxious when I read it was inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

There are certainly issues with this novel. Juliet definitely made some stupid decisions. There’s a love triangle and some people just aren’t fans. But those issues never took me out of the novel. Shepherd explains them, or they play such a big part of the story that they make complete sense.

Take Juliet, for example, and some of her more unintelligent decisions. She feels compassion for the Beast and Edward. She trusts him when she probably shouldn’t. She keeps secrets when she shouldn’t. But each time she does one of these things, it makes sense. She herself isn’t completely human, so she understands Edward and the Beast in a way. She questions whether she can truly be at peace with what she is if she treat someone else created is a negative way. She knows and recognizes how mad her father had gotten, and she knows how far she fell after he was cast out. She fears that admitting she has the same curiosity means she will end up like her father, and telling people those secrets scares her.

I get it. I understand why Juliet sometimes comes off as making bad choices. She makes stupid decisions, but I can understand the reasoning behind them.

As for the love triangle, I never really felt like it was done to make people love one person and hate the other. The two interests mirror Juliet’s feelings about herself. There’s Edward and the Beast on one side, playing to Juliet’s fear of her father and her own madness. On the other side is Montgomery, showing Juliet that science doesn’t have to mean madness. I thought it was really well done.

Her Dark Curiosity continues the amazing journey The Madman’s Daughter started. It makes you think about what makes people good and evil. It’s fantastic in its descriptions and story. Like its predecessor, it’s dark, but wonderfully so. I am loving this series.

If you’d like to read Her Dark Curiosity, you can purchase it here:
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New Review: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Title: Exquisite Captive
Author: Heather Demetrios
Series: Dark Caravan series
Rating: ★★★★★

Exquisite Captive

I loved this book. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed reading it. If I’m being honest, my only real experiences with jinn are those of “I Dream of Jeannie” and Genie from “Aladdin.” Those are not even close to the jinn in Exquisite Captive; Demetrios created an amazing story surrounding her characters.

Nalia is the last jinni of her race. She survived a coup that left everyone she cared about either dead or tortured. She is stuffed into a bottle and sold into slavery. Enter Malek. He is her master. He is abusive. And controlling. And confusing. But he is not a love interest.

I am sure some people will disagree with me on that point. Nalia does have conflicted feelings about Malek, but I don’t believe she ever feels love towards him. Caring? Sure. Sympathy? At times. But not love. Her relationship with Malek is like that of a Stockholm Syndrome victim with his or her captor. Malek has had power and control over her for so long, and has scarred her enough with her bottle, that when his behavior changes, she finds kindness.

The relationship between Malek and Nalia is an abusive one. Nalia recognizes that what she feels for Malek can’t be called love, just as what Malek believes he feels for her is not love. Not once did I get the feelings that I was supposed to want a romantic relationship between them.

On the other hand, Nalia’s relationship with Raif is not abusive. It starts out rough because they each want to use the other for a purpose. Raif wants the ability to save the Jinn races, and Nalia wants to be free from her bond to Malek. However, there is not the same abusive tone with their relationship. They certainly don’t like each other right away, but neither individual abuses the other. They develop their relationship slowly, and I enjoyed every second of it.

I am absolutely enthralled by this story and hate that I have to wait so long for the next book. I want to know what is going to happen next, both on Earth and in the jinn world. There are so many pieces to this story that just as I start to think the book couldn’t get any better, it does.

This is definitely a must read book. Demetrios will draw you right in and, if you’re like me, you won’t be able to put the book down.

If you’d like to read Exquisite Captive, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: Deliverance by C.J. Redwine

Title: Deliverance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Couriers Daughter Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Deliverance

I have been anticipating this book for a while. Defiance and Deception set the bar high, but I had faith that Redwine would deliver. Something about how well she crafted the characters and created the world made me believe she would be able to not only meet my expectations, but also surpass them. With Deliverance, she did.

Creating a wonderful romance, and then separating the characters might put off some people. It could show the characters’ weaknesses, or even turn them from characters I once loved to characters I find annoying. Yet when Redwine did it, I saw the reasoning. I saw how Rachel wasn’t ready to face Logan yet. I understood how Logan needed to do this on his own first. Their romance was sweet and wonderful first. Deliverance is what made them real.

The rest of the story kept me guessing. These characters constantly found themselves taking one step forward, only to be shoved three steps back. Just when they think they’ve got a plan, someone throws a wrench and their plan has to change. Separately, Logan and Rachel are working with friends to reach an ultimate goal of destroying the tech that controls the Cursed One and removing the Commander from his power.

I think the most interesting thing about Deliverance is that Redwine takes the villainous characters, characters that you don’t want to like, and makes them relatable. You see that the Commander has his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. You see what him the man he is in the story. People aren’t born evil, and Redwine shows that.

I’m sad to see the Defiance series end. I’ve fallen in love with Rachel and Logan. I want to have friends like Quinn and Willow. As much as I wish there was more story to tell though, Deliverance ended the way it should. The story had reached its end and the characters were ready to move on. Deliverance is one of the best examples of how to end a series that I’ve ever read. Definitely put this entire series on your “To Read” list.

If you think Deliverance sounds like a good read, you can purchase a copy here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advance copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

Title: The Butterfly and the Violin
Author: Kristy Cambron
Series: Hidden Masterpiece
Rating: ★★★★★

The Butterfly and the Violin

By now, it should be no surprise that I’ll read anything that is related to history. Second only to the turmoil of the European royal families, World War II era works fascinate me. The extreme honor and horror that came out of one war has always pulled at my heart. When I read the description for The Butterfly and the Violin and read there would be a connection, I knew I had to read it. My only hope was that Cambron would be able to weave the past with the present in a beautiful way. She succeeded.

The Butterfly and the Violin tells the story of two women, separated by decades and only connected through a painting. Sera saw a painting when she was younger that connected to her in a powerful way. She grew up thinking about that painting, and as an adult, she devotes much of her time to searching for that painting. Adele is the star of Austrian high society. She plays violin for the Vienna Philharmonic until it is discovered she helped smuggle Jews out of the country with a fellow musician. She is sent to Auschwitz, where her only chance of survival is her ability to play violin. As long as she can play, she has a chance.

Adele is the woman in the painting. Her story, from beginning to end left me feeling raw. She begins the novel with such hope and love, and being in the concentration camp clearly begins to strip her of that. She realizes that she didn’t know as much about the world as she thought she did. She knew how horrible the world had become, but it hadn’t really clicked in her mind yet. It’s one thing to know, but it’s another thing to actually understand. Decades later, as Sera searches for the painting with the aid of William Hanover III, the painting causes Sera to search herself for how she wants to fit into the world. It was wonderful how these two women were connected.

The story itself was beautiful. Adele’s fall from glory may have caused others to give up on finding anything good in life, but it didn’t for her. She found reasons to continue trying to live. Even in the direst of situations, she tries to find a glimmer of hope. Sera has focused for so long on her career and this painting that every other aspects of her life have fallen to the background.

The only part of this book that had me really worried was the fact that it is a Christian book. Both women address God and question His role and purpose in their lives. Without becoming too preachy or heavy, Cambron placed little pieces of Christianity throughout the book. Especially in Adele’s case, her faith made me think. She is a Christian woman in a camp built to destroy Jews. There could have easily been added tension there, but from the beginning it is clear that Adele does not care what religion a person is, as long as they are kind and moral. The religion was perfectly woven into the story, in my opinion.

The only thing that bothered me was I wanted more of Adele’s story. Not because I felt like it was needed, but because I wanted it. Every time something happened to Adele, the time would switch and I’d be left wondering what would come next for Adele. Sera’s story was great and well written, but just because I’m a history nerd, I wanted more of the historical story. This complaint really has no reflection on the quality of the story. It’s just my personal preference bleeding in.

The Butterfly and the Violin is a beautifully written story about two vastly different women tied together by one of the worst times in human history. This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves history, and even if you don’t, Adele’s story of love and bravery will bring you nearly to tears by the end of the novel. It’s lovely and gorgeous, even in the face of the ultimate ugliness.

If The Butterfly and the Violin sounds like a book you’d like to read, you can purchase it here:
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Indiebound

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Boleyn Reckoning by Laura Andersen

Title: The Boleyn Reckoning
Author: Laura Andersen
Series: The Boleyn Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

The Boleyn Reckoning

Okay.

Deep Breath.

Okay.

I’ve had a little while to compose myself, and I thought sleeping on it would make the jumble of thoughts in my head make sense. But I woke up just as jumbled and happy and sad and emotional as I fell asleep. I knew going into The Boleyn Reckoning that my heart was going to get crushed. There were too many possible ways for things to go wrong and only a few ways for things to go right. I thought I was prepared. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong.

Dominic and Minuette are married. William doesn’t know; he still believes he’s betrothed to Minuette, despite her commoner birth. William has just survived the smallpox, but it’s left him physically and emotionally scarred. Elizabeth is feeling the tensions rise along the Catholic and Protestant division in England and she knows there’s only so much time before something snaps.

I continue to love Minuette, although her character undergoes a major transformation in this novel. She is used to be the lighthearted one of the group, the one that provides happiness to everyone else. Her happiness comes second to her friends. She’d do whatever necessary to make the lives of her friends easier. In the past, this only meant being there and providing light. In this novel, it means burying pieces of herself, making her nearly unrecognizable to her friends. She becomes hardened by life, and even though pieces of the old Minuette are there, she’s forever changed by the events of the novel.

Dominic is still one of my favorite characters. He’s loyal, even to the end. His one act of disloyalty is marrying Minuette, but I can hardly fault him for doing what his heart wanted him to do. Loyalty to Minuette won out over loyalty to William in that moment. Yet, through the rest of the novel, he remains focused on supporting William and being the friend William needs.

William. Oh, William. Being King has changed him, and not for the better. The power and paranoia has gone to his head. He gets rid of every threat, whether it is necessary or not. He is more vengeful than in the past. But he’s also hurting. The three friends he thought he could count on forever-Minuette, Dominic, and Elizabeth-have betrayed his trust in different ways. He feels isolated and alone, without the support he depended on to rule fairly.

Elizabeth really finds her power in this novel. She’s always been a strong woman, but she has to take even more control in this novel. She has to decide which she loves more, her brother or her country. She’s forced to take actions that go against William, but will serve the country better. But through it all, she wants to remain friends with Minuette, As Minuette rises higher and higher within the court, it’s clear Elizabeth is mourning the loss of a friend. They are still around each other, but Minuette has become protective of herself, and that ends up blocking Elizabeth from being close.

The plot of the novel had me tense. I actually snapped at people when they tried to talk to me. I had to know what was going to happen. Tensions were so high and William had become so mad with power that I was almost afraid to but the novel down. I was anxious and I cried. I had to set the book down and take some deep breaths. I even screamed into a pillow at one point. I was on edge up until the last pages. And I loved it.

I am going to miss Minuette, Dominic, Elizabeth, and William more than I can put into words. This is the first alternate history series that I wish had been more true than not. I was so invested in these characters that it’s hurting a little to say goodbye right now. This is a series that is a definite must read for anyone who loves history, but also likes to ask What if? I loved this series and can’t wait to read more from Andersen.

If you’d like to read The Boleyn Reckoning, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Laura Andersen for advanced copies of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

 

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Review: The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor

Title: The Things You Kiss Godbye
Author: Leslie Connor
Rating: ★★★★

The Things

The Things you Kiss Goodbye really threw me for a loop. I was not expecting to feel such strong emotions as I read. Bettina’s story filled me with happiness, dread, and hope. Don’t read the synopsis for this book and expect a surface level love triangle. That’s not what you’re going to get.

Bettina is the only daughter in a pretty traditional Greek household. Her father is the head of the house, making everyone’s decisions. He keeps Bettina on a short leash, but when Brady Cullen asks her on a date, Bettina’s father surprisingly agrees. The first part of their relationship is sweet. Brady is a doting boyfriend, wanting only to make Bettina happy. Then summer starts and their time together is interrupted. When school begins again, Brady is different. He’s no longer sweet. He’s emotionally abusive, venturing into physical abuse sometimes. Bettina runs away from him during one such incident and meets Cowboy. He’s much older, but his car shop provides a safe place for Bettina and soon, something develops between them.

I know there will be people who read this and consider Bettina to be weak. And maybe she is. But I can understand why she is the way she is. She has been taught to respect her elders, especially her father. Her father is tough and has taught her to, basically, suck it up when things happen to her. Plus, dating Brady gives Bettina a little bit of freedom she’s never had. Her father thinks Brady is a good guy, and tells Bettina it is up to her to keep him happy. So even though Bettina knows what Brady does isn’t okay, she has a hard time convincing herself it’s reason to leave.

Cowboy represents more than just a love interest in this story. He is safe. He is respect. He is the person who shows Bettina she has more value than others place in her. She gives herself value. It’s because Cowboy treats her with respect, and shows her that she can be important, that she starts to fall in love with him. I loved the slow build between them. I didn’t want a relationship to happen right away. The sweet little moments as they becomes friends were better than anything else that could have happened between them. It was perfect.

My only complaint with the novel is that the ending felt a little rushed, almost. I wish there had been a little more dealing with Brady’s abuse. There’s a moment of set-up when Connor could have made a big statement about abuse, and coming forward to protect people Brady might date in the future, but it passed without being dealt with. That’s the only thing that bothered me about the novel.

The Things You Kiss Goodbye is not a book for everyone. It deals with abuse and if you have trouble getting behind Bettina, then this will be a tough read. You’ll spend a majority of the novel frustrated because she won’t do what you say. But for the right kind of people, who can stand behind Bettina and want to support her, but also understand where her head is at, this is a book that will gut you in the best way. It’s raw and real, but so, so good.

If The Things You Kiss Goodbye sounds like a book you’d like to read, you can purchase it here:
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IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: (Don’t You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

Title: (Don’t You) Forget About Me
Author: Kate Karyus Quinn
Rating: ★★★★

Don't You Forget About Me

This book messed with my head. In a good way. It’s a complete trip of a book, from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was going on, something would happen that would completely throw me off again.

Gardnerville is a special place. People don’t get sick there. It just doesn’t happen. And sick people who move to the town suddenly aren’t sick anymore. But it comes at a price. Every four years, a teen explodes with deadly consequences. The book begins in the middle of one of these fourth years, just dropping the reader right into the town. Skylar uses pills to forget the past, a past where her sister led teens to their death four years ago. But something finally stops Skylar from forgetting. The secrets she’s held for years have to come out. And as little pieces of the truth appear the story becomes even more confusing and amazing.

Skylar is an interesting character. She just wants to forget what happened to her family. She wants to forget that her sister was the cause of the last fourth year destruction. She wants to forget about the evil that possesses her town. She just wants to forget. But forgetting means she can’t move forward with her life. As her secrets are shown, between flashbacks and the present day, she becomes a great character. It’s clear she knows what she has to do for her town, even though only little pieces are shown at a time.

The town is a character itself. It has a strange power to heal people, but it’s not without a price. The town gives, but it also takes. It really made me think about what price I would pay for complete health. A small connection I made to the novel is that the mother of the book had the same disease I do, cystic fibrosis. Obviously, since she lives in the town, it’s not a problem for her anymore. But it made me think about if living in fear of external death would be enough for me to cure my internal death. I can certainly understand why the mother lives in the town, but her life isn’t perfect. She traded one pain for another. It’s an interesting thought; to examine what price a person would pay for perfect health.

I’m going to be honest. I was completely confused for the majority of the novel. But it was confusion I enjoyed, because it meant Quinn has weaved an intense story. Every little piece she gives you s dropped without much context, leaving you to try and piece it together. It’s like putting together a puzzle that doesn’t have a picture until every piece has found its place. You’re working to solve a puzzle where you can hardly figure out where each piece goes.

This is not a book anyone can pick up and enjoy. You have to be able to suspend reason and take the events that happen for what they are. If you can do that, then (Don’t You) Forget About Me is a fantastic book.

If you think (Don’t You) Forget About Me is a book you’d like to read, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.