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Monday, January 30, 2017

*Deja Revu 1/30/17*

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Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.
Picture
Original
Meme
Picture
Picture
Action/Adventure
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Fantasy
Graphic Novel
Paranormal
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Contemporary
Romance
Suspense/Thriller
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Contemporary
Historical
Horror
Mystery
Romance
Science Fiction
Suspense/Thriller
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Sunday, January 29, 2017

*Review* Something Forever by M. Clarke


Genre: NA Romance
Published: August 25, 2014
Pages: 321

Synopsis

A heated moment.
Desperate decision.
Life altering choices.

Max and Jenna are forced to test their relationship. Will they be able to embrace the challenges life throws their way?

Secrets can ruin the foundation of a relationship. Will Matthew choose to withhold vital information from Becky that could consume her with doubt about their future?

When it comes to love, Something Great can turn into Something Wonderful, but can it be Something Forever?

Review

I was hired to provide post publication proofreading for this book. The only aspects of the story that I influenced were the spelling and grammar. If you feel that my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

I do not particularly enjoy reading books that make me feel dissatisfied with my marriage, and this book kind of did that to me. I realize it's fiction so the relationships should be idealized to an extent, I just personally prefer stories about relationship build-up to stories about fairly developed relationships that aren't on the brink of collapse. That factor alone made this story a bit more meh for me.

That being said, an upside of this story is that it followed two couples and while Max and Jenna's relationship left me dissatisfied with mine, Becky and Matthew were still working on establishing their relationship on solid ground, and they had a heck of a lot of rocky terrain to work through to get there. That helped counter the meh feeling for me a bit.

There was one aspect of this story that I consider an "Oh shit" moment, because when the connection clicks in my head, it makes me gasp "Oh shit!" I like those moments. They add emotional suspense for me, waiting for the characters to make the same connection and wondering how they'll react when they do. Something Forever's oh shit moment played out pretty much how I thought it would because these characters act like freakin' children sometimes. But if that hadn't, the story would've been shorter and far less dramatic. But it's kind of nice when fictional characters make me feel like maybe I do have a grasp on this adulting thing after all, because I wouldn't be that childish. (I would probably totally be that childish.)

Overall I give Something Forever 3.5 out of 5 stars because it was a decent book, but it just did not resonate well with me on a personal level. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

International Bestselling, Award Winning, Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Ways to keep in touch with the author:

Newsletter Updates: http://eepurl.com/YMyCn

Website: www.authormaryting.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryTing?
Twitter: @maryting
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11283685-crossroads
Blog: http://www.marytingbooks.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authormaryting
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*Review* Second Grade Spelling Challenge by Lynn Marie Lusch


Genre: Children's Chapter
Published: January 28, 2014
Pages: 44

Synopsis

Seven year old Lindsey loves learning new things! When her second grade teacher decides to challenge her class, and has them learn five "big" words for a special spelling test, the whole class is in a panic! This is taking them out of their comfort zone, but the rewards are huge and each one is determined to succeed. 

Lindsey and Melissa are also having a "hand-made" jewelry sale this weekend. They both want to earn enough money for special reasons. Will they have enough time to accomplish both? 
A very busy and challenging week for Lindsey.

Review

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program in the hopes that I would leave an honest review. 

I am about twenty-five years older than the target audience for this book, but I have a second grader, so that probably counts for something, right. I found the story to be very juvenile, which should probably be considered a major selling point because the book is about second graders after all. The plot was simplistic without much nuance, but that is probably to be expected in books targeted towards seven year olds. 

For a chapter book, this was rather short, so it would make a good read for a child who struggles with reading or is maybe a little intimidated by longer books. It could at least help inspire more reading confidence for slightly longer chapter books. The main character is female, so it may not appeal as much to boys (although I will be asking my son to read it, so I will have a better idea about that at a later date.) 

The vocabulary in this book is on the simple side, aside from the five special spelling words, which is another benefit for struggling readers. And the five special spelling words are defined within the story and even have examples for use given, which should help to expand the vocabulary of the reader.

So although I found this book to be juvenile and a bit boring, I think it's a fairly good book for it's target audience to help build vocabulary and inspire reading confidence without the length being overly intimidating.

I give Second Grade Spelling Challenge 4 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

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*Review* The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charlie Lovett


Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: October 20, 2015
Pages: 107

Synopsis

A delightful sequel to Dickens’s beloved A Christmas Carol by the bestselling author of First Impressions and The Bookman’s Tale 
 
On a hot summer day some twenty years after he was famously converted to kindness, Ebenezer Scrooge still roams the streets of London, spreading Christmas cheer, much to the annoyance of his creditors, nephew, and his employee Bob Cratchit. However, when Scrooge decides to help his old friend and former partner Jacob Marley, as well as other inhabitants of the city, he will need the assistance of the very people he’s annoyed. He’ll also have to call on the three ghosts that visited him two decades earlier. By the time they’re done, they’ve convinced everyone to celebrate Christmas all year long by opening their wallets, arms, and hearts to those around them.

Written in uncannily Dickensian prose, Charlie Lovett’s The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is both a loving and winking tribute to the Victorian classic, perfect for readers of A Christmas Carol and other timeless holiday tales.

Review

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program in the hopes that I would leave an honest review. 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of my favorite Christmas tales (it's a classic for a reason) so I was excited to see how it could be taken into the future. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. (I think, maybe I was expecting Scrooge to have relapses somewhat; I'm pretty sure most people in his position would suffer at least a bit of a relapse to be quite honest. But he didn't relapse, so I didn't get what I was expecting for that simple fact alone.)

I liked how the basic premise of this story was that Marley needed to effect change in more lives than just Scrooge's to escape his shackles, and it makes sense that it would be necessary considering the monumental number of people he must have shortchanged in his lifetime, and the far reaching impact of that on their descendants. I think it's strange that Scrooge has to help him in that endeavor though, since he has clearly changed his ways and spent the past twenty years doing good for people. There are some reasons why I can still accept this being the case though, but I still think it's strange.

Overall the story was fun and whimsical and stayed fairly true to the Spirit of Books Past (see what I did there?), in my opinion. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an uplifting holiday read this coming Christmas in July season. 

4 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

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About the Author

Charlie Lovett is a former antiquarian bookseller, an avid book collector and a member of The Grolier Club, the oldest and largest club for bibliophiles in America. A teacher and playwright, his plays for children have been seen in more than three thousand productions. He and his wife split their time between North Carolina and England.
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*Review* Filling the Void by Zainab T. Khan


Genre: NA Fantasy
Published: November 6, 2016
Pages: 91

Synopsis

Two incomplete individuals who meet in the unlikeliest of circumstances, just to be whole again. Fate sure loves an extravagance.

After the sudden death of her beloved Granda, Candice Davis finds herself unable to play the piano. With her best friend gone and her passion blocked, Candice decides to return to her hometown in Rozenne to volunteer at her favorite place in the world: Greenwich Orphanage. Between Nathan, Jake, and all of the other orphans, Candice believes her life is finally filled with love, but then she meets James. 

He’s tall, stubborn, and smells just like her woodworking Granda. He’s also invisible. Literally. And though Candice doesn’t seem to notice she’s the only one who can see him, Candice senses something is off about him—and her life. 

Torn between an impending adoption and a terrible accident, Candice has to solve the mystery of James and learn to play the piano again, or she’ll never fill the void of her broken heart.

Review

I was hired to proofread this book. The only aspects of the story that I influenced were the spelling and grammar. If you feel that my connection to the story makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

This book got off to a weird start and I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know more. I really needed to know why people apparently couldn't see James. I needed to know if he was actually invisible or if he'd just become easily ignorable. 

I had a little trouble relating to Candice. There were several small things that contributed to that. Ultimately our backgrounds are just different enough for the connection to feel off to me. 

I really liked the premise of this story though. The idea that someone would be invisible to most people, except those that had holes in their hearts, so to speak, was rather original, at least in my experience. It's certainly not a far stretch for the imagination to make that leap, so it was easily acceptable for me.

My biggest problem with this book is that one of the most interesting aspects of the story happens at the very end, and we only get a very small taste of it. I want to know so much more about it, and I don't even know if there will be another book that delves more into that or not. It's not even a major part of the story, but it has me so interested and I want more, but more doesn't exist. 

Overall I give Filling the Void 4 out of 5 stars for being original, intriguing, and making me want more. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

At the age of eleven, I started my wondrous journey of reading. Ever since then (been 7 years now) I haven't lost my interest one bit. I still read. And I love every single bit of it.
As for writing, that's a difficult question. I started writing at the age of fourteen. And finally, at the age of 16, I published my manuscript as an indie author.

I'm still in High School, so I can not say much about my achievements. If anything, writing a book might just be one college-application worthy achievement I have. 

For more stuff about me or my works, please head to my website: http://zainabtkhan.weebly.com/

If you're in a mood to chat, drop me a note on my website. Or twitter. Or Facebook. Or Instagram. Anywhere, basically.

Have a lovely day!

Twitter: Zainabk109
Instagram: zainab_tkhan
Facebook: ztk109
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Saturday, January 28, 2017

*Stacking the Shelves* 28 January 2017


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm going to try to start posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too (even if none of the Platypires will be joining me), which will cover the books I receive through Netgalley. But I also go to my thrift store at least once a week, and often leave with a bag full of books. It's such a common occurrence that I'm known as The Book Lady to the frequent volunteers (and I suspect that they've started scheduling their $1 bag of books sales for Thursdays simply because that is the day I usually visit.) So my Stacking the Shelves posts are going to focus on my thrift store hauls, because this is my blog and I do what I want. 

 On that note, here are the books I picked up this week.

 The Way to Cook by Julia Child - Ever since reading My Life in France and Julie and Julia for book club, I've been a bit fascinated by Julia Child, and even got Mastering the Art of French Cooking as a birthday present from my husband two years ago. This should make a great complement to that. 
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire - I'm a big fan of fairytale retellings, and I rather enjoyed Wicked, so picking this book up was a no brainer for me. 
Yes Please by Amy Poehler - This book has been on my Amazon wish list for ages. Snagging a hardback copy for 50 cents seemed like a great idea to me. 
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly - I feel like I've seen this book on a list somewhere, but I may just be imagining that. In any case, this copy came complete with a paper airplane bookmark. 
Unbelievable by Sara Shepard - This is book 4 in the Pretty Little Liars series, and while I'm not a Pretty Little Liars (the tv show) addict, I have seen a few episodes and will probably binge watch it at some point in the future. 
Wicked by Sara Shepard - I couldn't very well buy book 4 in a series and not also buy book 5 when it was sitting right there next to it could I? 
Nefertiti by Nick Drake - I love historical fiction and have a mild fascination with ancient Egypt, so this was a win win. I might even be able to convince my husband to read this one (because ancient Egypt is one of the subjects he's said he's actually interested in.) 
The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer - I feel like this is one of those books that middle grade boys are supposed to be interested in reading, so it's going in my collection for my son (and daughter if she should choose to read it too.) 
The Brocaded Slipper and Other Vietnamese Tales by Lynette Dyer Vuong - I'm not sure how much diversity I have in my kids books at the moment, so adding this book seemed like a no-brainer to me. 
The First Collier by Kathryn Lasky - This is book 9 in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. I have book 1, and maybe book 2. Sure, I'm clearly missing some in between, but why pass up the chance to get this because of that?
The American Girls Handy Book by Lina Beard and Adelia D. Beard - I briefly flipped through the pages of this book, and it looks like it's the type of book that Laura Ingalls Wilder or Caddie Woodlawn would have had (or maybe something they would have inspired). Since I loved both Laura and Caddie in my youth, I wanted this book. It basically describes things a girl could do or create to amuse themselves in the 1800's. 
Katy by Jacqueline Wilson - Sure, the title character spells her name wrong, but this seems like an interesting book. It's got a blue cover that I find reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking. 
Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars by Sheri Holman - This book is part of a collection of books about influential women of history called The Royal Diaries. I actually got several of these books two weeks ago, I'm not sure why it took so long for this one to make it's way to the shelves. I hope my children will find them interesting.
Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory - This is also from the Royal Diaries collection. Hopefully this makes my Royal Diaries collection complete. 
How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell - This is book 3 in the How to Train Your Dragon series. Much like The Royal Diaries series, I picked up the first two books a couple weeks ago. I wonder if the same family donated both series.
How to Twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell - This is book 5 in the series. Obvs had to buy it too. 
How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell - I believe this is book 4 in the series (my copy has a different cover style than the other two books listed, hence the reason these are totes out of numerical order.) 
Babymouse #3: Beach Babe by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - This is a kids comic book, and while I'm not a fan of comic books myself, my son likes them. And if buying him comic books will get him to read more often on his own, I'm all for that. 
Babymouse #4: Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm - I got several of these, but not all of them. 
Babymouse #5: Heartbreaker by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - Do I need to keep adding commentary for these? I didn't think so either. 
Babymouse #8: Puppy Love  by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
Babymouse #12: Burns Rubber by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - You silly English k-niget.
Babymouse #13: Cupcake Tycoon by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - Come back here and I shall taunt you a second time.
Babymouse #14: Mad Scientist by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - Brave Sir Robin ran away.
Babymouse #15: A Very Babymouse Christmas by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - Bravely ran away, away.
Babymouse #16: Babymouse for President by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - Brave Sir Robin turned about, and gallantly he chickened out. 
Barbie I Can Be Story Collection by Various Authors - This is a collection of Early Readers. Since I'm currently teaching my 5 year old daughter to read, it should come in handy, even though I already have a massive collection of level 1 and 2 early readers to begin with.
Barbie Story Collection by Various Authors - This is another collection of Early Readers. Same reason as above for buying it. 
Pixie Hollow Reading Adventures by Various Authors - My daughter currently LOVES Tinkerbell, so I had to snatch up this collection of Early Readers for her. 
Pinkalicious Fairy House by Victoria Kann - My daughter's favorite color is pink. This could be the most boring book in the world and she would still love it because there is so much pink in it. This Early Reader just made so much sense to buy.
Pinkalicious Pinkie Promise by Victoria Kann - You guys aren't stupid. You can surely make an educated guess as to why I bought this.
Pinkalicious Pink Around the Rink by Victoria Kann - Another Early Reader for my mini-me.
Pinkalicious Soccer Star by Victoria Kann - Nothing to see here. Move along. 
Pinkalicious School Rules  by Victoria Kann - A Llama once bit my sister.
Pinkalicious and the Pinkatastic Zoo Day by Victoria Kann - A 5 ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.
Left Behind: The Kids: Collection #3: Books 13-18 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye - I got books 1-12 a LONG time ago at the thrift store, so finding collections now was a major score. 
Left Behind: The Kids: Collection #4: Books 19-24 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye - It could be carried by an African swallow.
Left Behind: The Kids: Collection #5: Books 25-30 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye - An African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's what I'm on about.
Left Behind: The Kids: Collection #6: Books 31-35 (-34) by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye - Tis just a flesh wound.
Left Behind: The Kids: Collection #7: Books 36-40 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye - A flesh wound? Your bloody arms off.

 This trip to the thrift store was a bit more expensive than last week. Only the kids books without stickers were $1 per bag, so this lot cost me a whopping $16.50. That's still a pretty good bargain for all these books since just one of the Left Behind Kids collections would cost me more than that on Amazon right now. Don't believe me, just check. - Katie 
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*Review* The Hideaway by Mary Reason Theriot


Genre: Psychological Suspense
Published: May 29, 2012
Pages: 348

Synopsis

Welcome to Hope, Louisiana. The cobblestone streets remind you of times past. With very little crime in this quaint town, everyone is going about their daily tasks with little disruption, but without warning ... things start to change. And not for the better. The best part of being a Hunter is watching as your prey scatter once they realize they are in your sights. Hope has turned into the perfect hunting grounds for me. But now, it's time to show everyone the masterpieces that I have created. It's time to step out of the shadows and into the light so that they can all realize, the town they thought was safe.....Isn't. My displays are doing what I want them to do, they are drawing attention and bringing me into the spotlight. Where I belong. But then I saw her, Detective Jordan Sanders, and I knew that she was going to be the ultimate masterpiece that I would ever create. The only hiccup in capturing her was her new-found boyfriend, FBI Special Agent Alex Hamilton. But everything will work out. It always does. Welcome to Hope, Louisiana. Where the reality of the shadows is brought right to your doorstep. Open your door and let me in, if you dare.

Review

I was hired to provide post publication proofreading for this book. The only aspects of the story that I had any influence on were the spelling and grammar. If you feel that my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

This story is told from multiple perspectives, but we spend most of our time in either the perpetrator's head or the investigator's head, so we get to know those two characters the best. One of the things that I really like about Theriot's villains is that we do get to see great depth in their characters because we tend to spend a lot of time in their head, so even if we can't really empathize with them, we can still sort of understand their motivations for being as evil as they are. But sometimes, like was the case with this book, spending so much time in their head just makes me hate them all the more. This perp's obsession was quite disturbing, and had me terrified for the women of Hope, Louisiana. 

One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was the budding relationship between Detective Sanders and Agent Hamilton. It made me care more about the characters and root for them to get a happily ever after. I did not want to see their relationship messed up in any way. 

I did find myself a little bit surprised by the ending of this book, partially because I feel like I know the author's format fairly well by now, and she deviated in a direction I did not expect. I also felt a little let down that a certain confrontation that I was expecting to happen never materialized. Don't get me wrong, the ending worked very well, it just wasn't where I expected this story to go. 

Overall I give The Hideaway 4 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

A Louisiana native and have had the wonderful opportunity of living in various states during my husband's 20-year career in the United States Coast Guard.

I have been happily married for over twenty years and am the proud mother of two wonderful children. My youngest encouraged me to begin writing this year.

Until my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2001, I worked in the Legal Field. Writing is great therapy for my own personal fight against MS.  

I truly hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
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*Review* Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral *Spoilers*


Genre: YA Graphic Novel
Published: February 2, 2012
Pages: 272

Synopsis

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song "Chopsticks."

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it's up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along....

The Following Review May Contain Spoilers
Read at Your Own Risk

Review

Sofia the Great from Platypire Reviews recommended this book to me for Hispanic Heritage Month, and even though this review is very, very late, I did read the book during Hispanic Heritage Month as suggested. 

When I finished reading this book, I felt largely confused still, and talking to Sofia about it made me feel like I really didn't understand the book at all. But then I read the book blurb again, and I think that we just understood the book differently, and that's actually perfectly okay. I completely understand how she reached the conclusion that she did, but I think I saw something in the pictures she didn't which led to my different interpretation. 

So basically, I think the whole love story was entirely a figment of Glory's imagination during a psychotic break. My evidence (because that's important for a claim of this magnitude), the facility Glory is admitted to has the same address and logo as her supposed boyfriend's school, and the chief administrator's name is the same as the founder of the school for boys (which her boyfriend is supposed to attend.) Additionally, pictures that are supposed to have come from Frank (her boyfriend), are shown with Glory's signature at the end of the book. 

So Sofia basically read a love story of a troubled piano prodigy, while I got to experience a psychotic break with Glory. I think I actually prefer to be on my end of that (which may be part of why it was my experience in the first place.)

I'm not really sure how to rate this book though, because for me it was neither good nor bad, and as it was mostly pictures, there isn't really a story arc to talk about (especially since I'm still not even sure if I understood what the pictures were supposed to be conveying. Seriously, even with my evidence, I'm not sure my reality is really real.) So I'm going to call this 3 out of 5 stars because it was just middle of the road, although I am still thinking about it over a month later, so I guess that should count for something, maybe. - Katie 

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Monday, January 23, 2017

*Deja Revu 1/23/17*

Picture
Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.
Picture
Original
Meme
Reading Challenge
Picture
Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic
Picture
Contemporary
Fantasy
Steampunk
Picture
Romance
Woman's Fiction
Picture
Contemporary
Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic
General Fiction
Non-Fiction
Paranormal
Romance
Woman's Fiction
Picture
Horror
Woman's Fiction
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Sunday, January 22, 2017

*Review* Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale


Genre: Mystery
Published: August 1, 2016
Pages: 306

Synopsis

A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keepexplores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

Review

I listened to the audiobook version of this because that was the only way I was going to be able to get it finished in time for my book club meeting (where we didn't even end up talking about the book because no one else in attendance had finished it, but we did drink Mai Tai's, so it was still a great meeting and book connected.) I really liked this narrator. While the male voices were fairly similar, the didn't sound like complete caricatures, which is a rather big deal to me. 

This story started off in the worst possible way, with a funeral on the day a wedding was supposed to be taking place all because the mega witch almost mother-in-law figured all the family was planning to be in town that day anyway. Seriously, she quickly demonstrated to me that she's basically heartless. I would have been perfectly happy to have not encountered her again for the rest of the story. Obviously I didn't get that wish as she's a somewhat major secondary character. 

This book is full of mystery (duh, it's a mystery) and it had me hooked wondering how things would play out. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what Thomas's role was in things. He definitely seemed to be a very shady character to me pretty much from the start. There were twists that threw me for a complete loop, things I never saw coming. And the ending freakin' broke my heart. It was a seriously not cool way to end the story (except it's also totally cool because the frustrated cries of "WHY!?!?!" are probably music to Ms. Lonsdale's ears.) 

Overall I give Everything We Keep 4 out of 5 stars. - Katie 


About the Author

Kerry Lonsdale is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Kindle bestselling author of EVERYTHING WE KEEP. She believes life is more exciting with twists and turns, which may be why she enjoys dropping her characters into unexpected scenarios and foreign settings. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is a founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, an online community of authors located across the globe. She resides in Northern California with her husband, two children, an aging golden retriever who’s convinced she’s still a puppy, and a tabby kitten quite adept at catching flies. Her second novel ALL THE BREAKING WAVES published December 6, 2016, and her third novel, EVERYTHING WE LEFT BEHIND publishes July 4, 2017. Connect with her at www.kerrylonsdale.com.
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