Something Beautiful - Amanda Gernentz Hanson

Synopsis:

Cordelia and Declan have been best friends since they were three years old. By the time they hit middle school, Cordelia—Cord, to Declan—is already feeling the blackness in her life as depression takes hold. Their mutual attraction to each other leads to a serious high school relationship, one with their foundation of friendship at the forefront. Cordelia seems to have her mental health under control. All appears to be well.

However, when Declan starts to accept his own fluid sexuality, it sets something in motion in their lives that is both beautiful and tragic as they learn to love each other for who they are.

Review:

I received this book as an e arc from Insta freebies, the synopsis just made me want to read it so I couldn't resist getting a copy.

In the book we follow Cordelia and Declan who have been friends since they were 3 years old and they are the best of friends, sticking with each other through thick and thin through the hard times and the good. You can easily see that their bond is unbreakable. I fell in love with both character instantly and so easily, they were innocent and adorable and its beyond adorable.

We follow the couple through time switching from the present to the past to present and so on until we reach the future. It's a perfect mix of past and present which helps you as a reader understand the characters and their lives and actions. We see Cordelia through breaking her arm, moving to England for months leaving Declan behind, then coming back and rekindling her friendship with him and then fall in love, there are so many more moments we witness all of which are beautiful. It was hard to stay dry eyed throughout this book it just poked so many times at my heart I could just about manage it.

The plot is beautiful, showing how fluid love and acceptance can truly be. Everything was incredibly hard to see coming, I was so emotionally attached to the characters I just wanted everything to be okay in the end. The plot was well thought out and written, the switches between times helped you as a reader understand what was happening at the present time and it was just a perfect read. I guarantee you as a reader will not be able to stay calm or dry eyed throughout the story, even as I finished I had burst into tears and just had to lie down for 5 minutes to collect myself.

I can't give this book anything less that 5/5 it was just perfect in everyway and a true representation of so many things. I recommend this book to anyone who can handle it, any YA lovers, anyone who wants a LGBTQ+ to read and pretty much anyone else. You experience happiness, love, acceptance and tragedy and to put it simply this book is exactly what the title says, Something Beautiful.         

Shadows and Lies (Carson Reno Mystery Series Book 16) - Gerald W. Darnell

Synopsis:

All Carson Reno Mystery Series Books are standalone novels. It is not necessary to read them in any particular order.

What happens when a rich client, three beautiful women, a shifty businessman, a gambler and a missing spouse are all suspected of murder? The results are a merry-go-round of shadows and lies in a house of cards with clues almost as old as Carson.

Greed, blackmail, infidelity, murder, serial killers and a twenty year old crime spin a tale that is practically unbelievable – with the truth masked behind a story that nobody wants told.
This old fashion ‘whodunit’ takes Carson Reno and his crew on a complicated adventure, which has too many victims and too many suspects.

Come along and help Carson find the clues and discover the truth as he tries to make sense of all the Shadows and Lies.

Review:

Going into this book I knew great things were going to happen as ive read on Carson Reno Mystery books before and I loved it and this book definitely lived up to the last book of Gerald's book that I read. I love the fact that it is still as fast paced as I remember the series being, as soon as I begun reading I was pulled into the drama and it was great. Some may be concerned that you wont be able to make sense of all that was going on as this book is a part of a series ( Carson Reno Mystery Series) but as Gerald explained this book stands alone and everything ended up being crystal clear easily understandable.

The pictures involved in the pages of the book were really nice and a great change from the usual block of text. I like how not only they split up the text but also helped you imagine the story unfolding in these places because after all each and every one of the photos were of either places or of objects used in the story which helped enhance the overall immersion.

There were many characters within this story, they're easily remembered and I have to admit they are captivating characters, each of them involved within this story are portrayed so well it's hard to not become attached to them. They are all very strong and powerful characters who are all very different from the other. I don't want to name or describe any of them because I feel that doing that with these books takes away some of the magic. Darnell manages to bring each of them to life and makes them truly unforgettable.

The plot was very much a great one, it was a very well thought out and well written. I didn't see any of this plot happening, it was much of a surprise to me as it was the characters. There are so many moments where you have to sit back and try joining the dots, I failed miserably of course so come near the end of the book and I'm on the edge of my seat just begging to know the secrets hidden within the story, when the whole thing is told I sat back in amazement having not seen it coming the conclusion just blew me away, I wish I had managed to join some of the dots if I'm honest. Although to some the plot may seen far fetched or whatever, it's very gripping and brilliantly written. 

I have to give this book a 5/5 I'd feel horrendous and it would feel very wrong for me to mark it anything else. It was truly brilliant and gripping all the way through. There are no negatives from me.

Tobacco Sun - Lorna Hollifield

Synopsis:

The year is 1947. The war is over, Jackie Robinson has just integrated baseball, and Frank Sinatra breezes in over the fuzzy airwaves. A sense of relief is finally sweeping the nation...everywhere except Tobaccoville, North Carolina.

Beyond the rural fields that are pregnant with decades of secrets, a mysterious Hollywood pin-up is jailed for murder while her facially birth marked half-sister may hold the answers as to why.

The two girls, estranged for years, share a haunting past, a shell-shocked love interest, and maybe even a cruel destiny. Through mountains of lies, the truth that inevitably comes pouring out of the tobacco leaves will come to light. Will this light reveal the path to the siblings’ foreordained destruction, or their long-awaited deliverance? Will they realize they each hold the power to set the other free before it’s too late?

A story of heritage, hurt, and somehow, hope; Tobacco Sun keeps you on the edge of your seat while you find yourself rooting for redemption.

Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book going in, for me it was a slow beginning where I struggled to get into the book and get excited for what was to come. After what felt like an eternity, I got completely sucked into the world of which the character live.

We follow 4 characters throughout the book, each of them with their own point of view and with their own something to bring to the table so to speak. We follow Jimmi-Lyn, whom I did feel sorry for when things were explained. Shes the older half sister to Sydra, although Jimmi-Lyn has a birthmark on her face and is sort of seen as flawed because of it, I felt so sorry for her and when it came to the treamtment of her from people who were supposed to love her just broke my heart. Sydra is the younger 'more beautiful' and talented half sister, she's an actress/model and behind bars, there were times I felt connected to her in the way I could feel her emotions and understand them but I never felt fully connected to any of the characters. There were times when I hated Sydra. just because of how narcissistic she was and I feel like she felt as though she was above everybody else because of her talent and looks which annoyed me. We also see Vanse, he's been to war but has been Jimmi - Lyn's friend since way before and you can feel their chemistry when you read about them spending time together. He's flawed and yet wonderful, he's supportive and strong but in touch with his emotions an its just beautiful. The final character we come into contact with is Dr Peter Garris who is evaluation Sydra, you can tell he is kind-hearted, I felt as though he really felt for Sydra and was always willing to stand up for what he believed in even when people above him with more power begun making threats.

The plot itself is great, very slow paced which I feel is done so that you have time to absorb all that is happening and is being explored. There are thing I never saw coming, I definitely loved how secret the twists were, maybe its down to the fact I cant join dots that I didn't catch on earlier but it was definitely a good shock when all unravelled. The depth in which the plot goes is perfect, its an equal mix of past and present which helps you as a reader full understand it all.

I enjoyed the book and it was a great plot and great characters, its mostly down to the pacing alone that it's a 4/5 for me, I tend to like gripping fast paced books but this book is great and gripping and truly something to read and enjoy.

Eric Olafson, Space Pirate - Vanessa Ravencroft

Synopsis:

It's the year 5021 and the Milky Way Galaxy is teeming with life and exotic species. The majority of the known civilisations have formed a multi-cultural mega organization called the United Stars of Galaxies. This Union is protected by the brave men and women of the United Stars Space fleet against external threats.

Eric Olafson, born and raised under harsh conditions of the traditional and inward looking society of Nilfeheim, left his planet to fulfil his dreams of becoming a Starship captain.

When Eric gets kidnaped by an unknown organization and brought to Sin4, he slowly starts to discover his central role in an ancient conflict of cosmic proportions.

Review:

First of all I have to say that I was contacted and given a copy of the book in return I was to give an honest review. All the opinions in this review are mine and I am going to try and avoid any sort of spoilers that I can and still try to give a good quality review.

Today is in fact Eric Olafson Space Pirate' publication day! HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY ❤

Admittedly jumping in to this book was kind of like being thrown right into the deep end of a pool and barely being able to swim because this book is part of a larger series, and I mean a large series. Without reading any of the other books I was pretty much drowning right away, all the characters flooded me and I was tying to keep them separate and it was beyond a struggle. I hadn't read any of the other instalments so everything was overwhelming and hard to process as I was reading and trying to establish a clear image.

I struggled and continue to struggle with identifying and analysing how I feel towards all of the characters involved in the plot. I mean Eric is our main character and he wants nothing more than to fulfil his dream of becoming a starship captain. He end sup kidnapped and then basically from there on out I'm pretty much rolling down a hill it was that hard to keep track of everything that was happening. As much as I really wanted to connect with Eric and the other characters, I feel as though that my lack of knowledge on them due to not reading any of the other books really effected that and the only link between me and them was the fact they were in the story, I was nowhere near feeling any emotion or connection between myself and them. I will hopefully be able to put time aside in the future to read the series from the start in hopes of gripping the larger picture and establishing some sort of understanding and connection with the book and characters.

For what I understood and managed to keep a hold on, I loved. The action really pleased me and the level of detail was really awesome. At points the amount of detail was annoying but for the most part its use really helped to get me immersed. At points the level of detail did end up actually pushing me from the book and I found myself unable to read the book for a few hours just because the detail felt overpowering, like the author had tried so hard to immerse the readers and create a believable setting that it just ended up being too much and became overwhelming, almost so detailed and needing to be gripping that you could tell it was a work of fiction, I'm trying to say that at points the level of detail it had stopped it being immersive, so detailed it was obviously nowhere near real.

I must keep it clear that this book is great for those who love Sci.fi action and have time to read all of the other books or have a great ability to follow stories that are really sort of in the middle of a series without reading the others. I can 100% see why people who have read the book and series love it and love Vanessa, I can 100% see why Inkitt published this book. I just really wished I had caught wind of the series a long time ago so I could have followed it all the way and gotten a real addiction to it. However it wasn't meant to be and I was drowning the moment I begun reading but I loved what I read for the most part and I wish Vanessa continued luck with the series. Its a 3.5 out of 5 and I hope that my opinion and view does in no way deter you from embarking on the journey through the series.

Grab your copy from Amazon here!

Read more about this instalment on Goodreads

Read Pre- release reviews here

To read about all of Vanessa's work, go here

Cardiac: A Jack Getty Thriller - Jeffrey Monaghan

Synopsis:

What if the one thing meant to keep you alive was used to kill you?

Embattled CEO Jack Getty is nervous. This is his final chance to save his company. He is announcing his firm's breakthrough discovery at the world’s largest annual biotech conference. A discovery that trials show will extend human life by 75%. But as Jack approaches the podium, he suffers a major heart attack and collapses onto the stage, stunning the conference attendees.

Jack is rushed to the emergency room where surgeons implant the latest Wi-Fi enabled pacemaker, saving his life in the process. What Jack doesn’t know, however, is that an underground hacking group has its sights set on manipulating his “secure” pacemaker to get information only he can provide. Despite the hackers unrelenting terror, Jack refuses to give them what they want and soon starts to uncover the true motives of this mysterious and powerful group.

Fast-paced and complex, this medical/techno thriller twists and turns as it stays one step ahead of the reader. Readers will find it a heart-pounding novel that dances on the fringe of the dangers lurking within today's modern technologies.

Review:

Cardiac is the perfect story to make anyone paranoid about any wireless device yet alone pacemakers. You are taken right into the story, there's really not much fussing around when it comes to starting. Everything is perfectly fine until Jack gets on the stage where he suffers a huge heat attack. The pace seems to slow down a lot, I feel like it happened just so suspense was built and so that you were really able to connect and get to know the characters and the ins and outs of their actions.

I found it really easy to fall for Jack, he was just a relaxed character, charming and very family orientated and caring and not only just to his family but also all of those that work for him at his company. Cynthia, Jacks wife was a great character, she always had her head turned on and she was always doing best for her kids and husband, she was never anything less than a great mother and wife in her situation. I felt like Declan who is Jacks youngest son at the age of 13 was portrayed as a perfect 13 year old like he was portrayed perfectly, a kid who behaved and was rewarded for that and loved Minecraft and had a great creative flare. Yet he also had that 'still a 7 year old' flare when it came to his emotions. Michael was a casual 18 year old, a grown up in the way of he was doing what he loved, which was playing for his band that was made out of his friends whilst also having independence and responsibilities and a perfect emotional range.

The plot was really intriguing and thrilling, it made me truly wonder what if. I felt my heart do a few very weird things during the reading of this book. Cardiac is definitely a masterpiece of a new kind, a kind of creativity that is unique and thrilling. Cardiac was the first book I tested my new level of love for a book chart on, every 25 pages I would pause and colour in a square next to the title in the shade of crayon that I had linked with my emotions towards the progress, its clear to say that Cardiac was a clear Great scorer throughout and the perfect try out for my new chart.

I didn't really want to go into too much detail about the goings on's from the book just because if I did that would ruin all of the tension the pages were meant to build up, it is a definite read for someone who like technology and their possibilities and also thrillers just because it was a really great one. Different from other thrillers but still on the same wavelength.

4.5 out of 5, a great read that I'm glad I got around to reading, I hope you like what I had to say about this book and feel free to grab a copy and come back and share your thoughts with me, I cant wait to see what Jeffrey has in store for the future.

Caged - Onaiza Khan

Synopsis:

"Keep your mind right, put your body in action and let your spirit guide you.”

These are the words keeping her sane after her husband takes her from India and into isolation in northern Canada. But after three months with only a servant, a television and the screams of another captive keeping her company, she begins to lose touch with reality - even forgetting her own name.
With the help of an unexpected ally, she discovers an inner strength and powers previously unknown; changing her perspective and realigning her past, present and future.

Review:

Our protagonist Noor, is being held by her husband, she hasn't left the house in 3 months, and longs to be free. Her days are consistent, the routine she is used to is suddenly broken when her captor begins to break It in unusual was that seem nice  us but make our character weary which turns my feeling of the actions being nice into being suspicious. After all he has beaten and abused her over her time as his prisoner.

After her routine is broken in small, subtle ways she finds the other human who she has been hearing being tortured and abused. However he is kept differently to her, Noor finds him chained to a chair and in the dark. To anyone normal this is suspicious.
In short they both plot escape, and it works, but she has moments of panic as to whether she can actually trust him, or will she find herself worse of. It turns out that all is not as it seems and it causes Noor to call in toe question the whole 3 months she was held captive in her own home by her husband Daniel.

I felt really odd about this book, at the beginning I was really into it, there was a beautiful and well described dream scene which really had me interested but pretty much everything from there on out wasn't exactly brilliant. The plot itself was actually a very smart and cunning one, you're lead to believe one thing when in fact its something, not entirely but somewhat different. I felt like the story was rushed, that the ending was important and you were needed to get there urgently. The book has potential, it really does, I really thought I'd be absorbed into this book and have emotions and connections to the places and people but I didn't, I felt very little towards each character, I just didn't click with them and I was unable to care for them as much as I usually would.

Its classed as a supernatural thriller, psychological thriller but I'm not really sure I feel comfortable using those genres with this book. I mean it works as s psychological thriller I suppose, but I don't feel like it really emphasised the psychological state of Norah's character.

I really appreciate receiving a copy of this book and that I was asked for an honest review. For those who like fast pace books that you can get through really quickly his is one for you. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would I give this book a 3 out of 5 and I wish Onaiza all the best with the success of Caged and all of her projects in the future.

Ravens Peak (World On Fire Series #1) - Lincoln Cole

Synopsis:

A quiet little mountain town is hiding a big problem. When the townsfolk of Raven's Peak start acting crazy, Abigail Dressler is called upon to discover the root of the evil affecting people. She uncovers a demonic threat unlike any she's ever faced and finds herself in a fight just to stay alive.

Abigail rescues Haatim Arison from a terrifying fate and discovers that he has a family legacy in the supernatural that he knows nothing about. Now she's forced to protect him, which is easy, but also to trust him if she wants to save the townsfolk of Raven's Peak. Trust, however, is something hard to have for someone who grew up living on the knife's edge of danger.

Can they discover the cause of the town's insanity and put a stop to it before it is too late?

Review:

Lincoln had contacted me early June asking if id like to read Ravens Peak and give an honest review, I said yes of course and added it to my list to be read but I eventually got around to it.

It all begins with reverend Arthur who within seconds had me asking all sorts of questions about his character. I loved that about Arthur, he was a mystery. He receives a visitor named Freida who rings familiar to him and upon meeting with her not only does Arthurs story begin but so does the journey.
It turns out Arthur is a demon hunter and he wants revenge for the death of Abigail, someone he thought of as his daughter. However, he soon learns that Abigail isn't dead but possessed and in the act of saving her ( after an epic scene that Supernatural would be proud of), Arthur is banished to Hell.

Five months later we see the world through Abigail's eyes, and she works for a secret organisation called the Council. In a series of events that end up with Abigail gaining a sidekick called Haatim, they travel across America trying to get to Ravens Peak which has 2 versions. One is an old town within the forest that now acts as a camping ground whilst the second is a modern version.
All Abigail wants to do now is save Arthur, but at first glance it seems like more trouble than its worth.

The action is really great throughout this book and especially the parts based within Ravens Peak, I loved both of the characters and really started to feel emotionally attached to them. I loved how the characters changed from what hey were at the beginning, Haatim begins as an inexperienced and fragile youth to them becoming confident and better equipped to deal with what is going on around him. Abigail begun being independent and slightly stubborn but by the end barriers have been broken down which makes her more loveable.

 Lincoln wastes no words in his writing, every sentence is added because it is needed to progress the story. I was fully immersed throughout and cannot fault Lincoln's writing at any point, I loved the fact there was unexpected twists in the plot and action packed scenes that moved along quickly so the story could progress further.

Has to be a 5/5 for this book and I really can not wait to see what happens next in the World On Fire Series.