Thursday, October 6, 2016

*Deja Revu #20*

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Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.
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Contemporary
Fantasy
Historical
Mystery
Paranormal
Religious
Romance
Science Fiction
Suspense/Thriller
 
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Contemporary
Paranormal
Romance
 
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Contemporary
Dystopian
Fantasy
General Fiction
Historical
Horror
Non-Fiction
Paranormal
Romance
Suspense/Thriller
Woman's Fiction
OTHER
 
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Romance
 
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Saturday, October 1, 2016

*Review* The Velvet Hours by Alyson Richman


Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: September 6, 2016
Pages: 384

Synopsis

As Paris teeters on the edge of the German occupation, a young French woman closes the door to her late grandmother’s treasure-filled apartment, unsure if she’ll ever return. 

An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian cultivated a life of art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her impoverished childhood in the dark alleys of Montmartre. With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with her granddaughter Solange Beaugiron, using her prized possessions to reveal her innermost secrets. Most striking of all are a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent portrait of Marthe painted by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. As Marthe’s tale unfolds, like velvet itself, stitched with its own shadow and light, it helps to guide Solange on her own path. 

Inspired by the true account of an abandoned Parisian apartment, Alyson Richman brings to life Solange, the young woman forced to leave her fabled grandmother’s legacy behind to save all that she loved.


Review

I received a copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.

I'm finding myself at a loss for words with this book. The things I want to talk about, I can't because spoilers, and the things I can talk about are all jumbled up in my head in an incoherent tangle.

The Velvet Hours weaves together the tales of Solange and her paternal grandmother, Marthe, whom she didn't meet until she was 17 or 18. Solange dreams of being an author, and Marthe lived a very colorful life. The book switches between characters so that while Marthe is telling her story, it seems as if we're living it with her. It is very easy to tell the difference between the two characters POV's, even if you've forgotten who you were following for a moment.

There were times while Marthe was telling her story where I found myself on edge, worrying about what would happen to her (which is ridiculous because she was telling her story, so clearly things turned out alright.) I was just so caught up in the moment that it was easy to forget that those events had happened in the past.

There were also a couple times where this book made my eyes leak a strange, salty moisture, so you may want to have some tissues handy.

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

Buy the Book


About the Author

Alyson Richman is the #1 internationally bestselling author of the The Garden of Letters, The Lost Wife, The Last Van Gogh, The Rhythm of Memory (previously published as Swedish Tango) and The Mask Carver's Son. Her novels have been translated into eighteen languages and "The Lost Wife" is in development to be a major motion picture. "The Velvet Hours" which centers around the French courtesan Marthe de Florian and the mystery surrounding her shuttered Paris apartment will be published September 2016.
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*Review* Connelly's Horde by D.M. Earl


Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: July 1, 2014
Pages: 82

Synopsis

Welcome to Desmond Connelly's Horde or better known as his extended family at Wheels & Hogs Garage. For years these survivors have been dealing with what life throws them while trying to move forward from the atrocities in their lives. Some have secrets not shared while others are working through problems that are continually present in their lives. 

Follow Des as he introduces you to each one of his crew at Wheels & Hogs in this short Novella. Start to understand how a group of strangers become not only friends but family over the years. Get a snapshot of why when life pushes you down, in this garage, you push back until you are on your feet again.


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 story makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

This book didn't feel much like a story to me. It was more like a get to know the characters prequel novella. It did do an amazing job of delving into the characters and showing us their backgrounds, which is something I appreciated reading having previously  read Holiday's with the Horde. While there is a conflict, it's not really resolved, or even really approached, but this does lead up to the approach to the conflict (if that makes any sense.) 

So if you want a book with action, or suspense, or anything like that, this will probably not satisfy your desires. However, if you'd like to sit down to a leisurely dinner to get to know a group of character, this will absolutely hit the spot.

Overall, I give Connelly's Horde 4 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

D. M. Earl lives in Northwest Indiana. She is an avid reader and will devour a book usually in a day. She reads anything from romance, contemporary, erotica and dark reads. Loves to rider her Harley next to her hubby. Also D.M. likes being outdoors either working in her veggie or flower gardens or just hanging with her 10 four legged fur "kids."

Connelly's Horde is her first published work released July 3, 2014. This is a Novella in her series Wheels & Hogs. Cadence Reflection Book 2 released on November 21, 2014. Gabriel's Treasure Book 3 in the series released on July 6, 2015. A Holiday Horde book will be Book 4 releasing in Winter of 2016 setting up the next couple of Horde books in 2016. 

Also D.M. started a second series, The Journals Trilogy which is filled with suspense and is a much darker read. Anguish #One released on May 11, 2015. Vengeance # Two in The Journals Trilogy released on November 20, 2015. The Journals #Three will release Winter of 2016.. 

Please visit her: 
Author Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DM-Earl/685360821541217?fref=photo 
Twitter 
https://twitter.com/dmearl
Email 
dmearl14@gmail.com

Enjoy this Ride we call Life!!
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Thursday, September 29, 2016

*Review* Crushed by Ginna Moran


Genre: YA Paranormal
Published: September 29, 2016
Pages: 350

Synopsis

After discovering a life-altering secret that brings her closer to Hell than ever, seventeen-year-old Cami Anders must adjust to a new life full of possibilities she never imagined. 

Giving up a life on the run in exchange for protection from the Hunter’s Alliance was an easy decision for Cami to make. Training with the best hunters guarantees that she will soon have the strength to defeat the demon who killed her parents. The only problem? She might not have a chance to reach her full potential as more secrets come to light, threatening to unravel everything she’s fought for. 

Finding her life in more danger than ever, Cami makes an unthinkable deal that sends her life spiraling down a path straight toward evil. One wrong step means she could lose not only her life but also her soul. Is Cami strong enough to resist the darkness or is she destined for Hell?


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 book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

This book inspired some very strong emotions in me, mostly hate, and I don't use that word lightly. There was a lot of injustice for Cami, based purely on elements of herself from birth; things that are completely out of her control. In addition to that, The Hunter's Alliance seems to be a rather corrupt organization, and that angers me too. Honestly, I drew a few parallels between the story and actual real life current events, which just left me feeling more anger. 

This book added some more intrigue to Cami's life. We learn more about her family life that is kind of sad. That only contributed to my strong emotional response.

In the end, I feel like this book is leading to a major shift in the status quo. I'm sure there will be some big changes on the horizon.

Overall I give Crushed 4.5 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

Ginna Moran is a writer living in Austin, Texas but originally from Southern California. She started writing poetry as a teenager in a spiral notebook that she still has tucked away on her desk today. Her love of writing grew after she graduated high school and she completed her first unpublished manuscript at age eighteen.

When she realized her love of writing was her life's passion, she studied literature at Mira Costa College in Northern San Diego. Besides writing novels, she was senior editor, content manager, and image coordinator for Crescent House Publishing Inc. for four years.

Aside from Ginna's professional life, she enjoys binge watching television shows, playing pretend with her daughter, and cuddling with her dogs. Some of her favorite things include chocolate, anything that glitters, cheesy jokes, and organizing her bookshelf.

Ginna Moran loves to hear from readers so visit her online at www.GinnaMoran.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you loved her novels, leave a positive review online for fellow readers. 

Ginna Moran is currently hard at work on her next novel.
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Saturday, September 24, 2016

*Review* Californium by R. Dean Johnson


Genre: YA Fiction
Published: July 19, 2016
Pages: 352

Synopsis

A coming-of-age crossover novel about growing up, selling out, and fitting in.
     It's late summer 1982 when the Houghton family uproots from Paterson, New Jersey and moves to Yorba Linda, California—the self-anointed "Land of Gracious Living." Fourteen year-old Reece is trying his best to believe his family has come to California for the opportunities it affords and not to outrun a shared family secret, but he's beginning to realize that even his heroes have flaws, everybody lies, and starting a band may be his only chance at salvation.
      With a bullhorn, a borrowed guitar, and his new best friends—Keith, a know-it-all who knows very little; and Treat, a mohawked kid obsessed with obscure albums—Reece starts a punk group of his own.
      While Reece's relationship with his parents suffers under the strain of new jobs, new friends, new crushes, and old secrets, his confidence soars. Even without a gig or a song they can play the same way twice, the buzz about the band is swirling, and it's not until the night of the band's first gig that Reece will fully understand how much of his new home is authentic, how much is artificial, and how some things, like the chemical element Californium, can be both at the same time. 


Review

I received a copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason I had it in my head that this book was set 10-15 years before it is, so there was a bit of a social disconnect for me for a while, until I went and read the blurb again. Things started to make a little more sense then. It was a little surreal for me reading something that really qualifies as historical fiction (in my opinion) that is set at a time when I almost existed. Surely I can't be that old right?

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to be sucked into it and not let go. Neither of those things happened for me. I would have been fine letting my loan expire without finishing it, except that I don't like not finishing books. It wasn't bad, but it was just kind of meh for me. Almost like a boring Dazed and Confused.

There were some questions that I did kind of want to know the answers to, and I am glad I finished the book and got those answers, or at least started on the path towards them, but it wasn't anything that I wanted to know so badly that I stayed up all night just to keep reading.

Overall I give Californium 3 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

I haven't been R Dean Johnson my whole life. My parents named me Robert Dean Johnson, Jr. They called me Bobby. Everyone did until high school when I graduated to Bob. It felt mature, so I went with it. Who doesn't like a guy named Bob Johnson? It's a fine name up until the point you think you might want to be a writer.

I didn't know I'd want to become a writer. In fact, I started college at Cal Poly Pomona as an engineering major who wrote stories rather than doing his physics homework, graduated as a business major who wrote really plot-heavy stories about people who didn't like their jobs as business people, and left an ad agency job in Irvine, CA after four years to go back to school and learn more about writing stories. Good ones. 

It wasn't until a brief stint in the MFA program at the University of Alabama that I discovered my namesake, The Robert Johnson. The guy whose name is synonymous with the Delta Blues. The guy who may or may not have sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads and suddenly started doing things with a guitar unlike anyone else. The guy who died young and mysteriously. How can some kid from Anaheim (yes, home to Disneyland) compete with a guy that dangerous? A guy that cool? Well, I can't. And frankly. publishing anything as Bob Johnson sounds about as real to me as John Doe or Anonymous. So, I have two early publications as Robert Johnson, Jr., and the bulk of my work appears under the name, R. Dean Johnson. 

I hold an MA in English from Kansas State University (Wildcats, not Jayhawks). After that brief stint at Alabama, I went on to earn an MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University (Sun Devils, not Wildcats).  

After teaching stops at Prescott College (AZ), Yavapai College (AZ), Cameron University (OK), and Gotham Writers Workshop (NY), I am now an Associate Professor at Eastern Kentucky University where I teach fiction and creative nonfiction in our low res MFA program, Bluegrass Writers Studio. 

All that, but I'm still just Bob. The guys on my softball team call me Bob. My undergrad and graduate students call me Bob. My wife, the writer Julie Hensley, calls me Bob. Even my kids (7 and 3) sometimes call me Bob. Pleased to meet you, I'm Bob.
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*Review* Crossroads by Mary Ting


Genre: YA Paranormal
Published: April 6, 2011
Pages: 295

Synopsis

Can two worlds collide in dreams? 

Protecting her from the fallen was his duty.
Falling in love was never part of his plan.
Loving her was forbidden.
Being with her was all that mattered, even if it meant he would be exiled for all eternity. 

Claudia Emerson's life is about to change when her good friend, who coincidentally shares the same first and last name, dies in a tragic accident. Distraught at the loss of her friend, Claudia's dreams become tumultuous, and through them she mysteriously travels to another world called Crossroads. There, she unexpectedly meets Michael, a nephilim--half angel, half human. Now that she's been there, fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special, and it is up to Michael and the other nephilim to protect her. Her dream becomes a nightmare as more secrets are revealed about who she really is, and the true identities of the people she loves most.


Review

I was hired to proofread this book. The only aspects of the story that I influenced were 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 is the first book in the series and should have been the first one I read, but it wasn't. In spite of knowing ultimately how things would end, I was still intrigued by the story. It really helped to build the depth of character for many of the characters that I already feel intimately familiar with. And although future books in the series do a pretty good job of explaining the basic rules that apply to angels in this world, Crossroads does it in more depth so that it makes a little more sense. While I can say that it's not absolutely necessary to read the books in order, I would definitely recommend it.

This book had a little bit of everything; action, romance, mystery, but mostly action and romance. I did find myself sort of wishing that Claudia would consider another love interest (and that's with knowing how things turn out down the road!) 

Overall I give Crossroads 4 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Buy the Book


About the Author

International Bestselling 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: http://www.facebook.com/authormaryting
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsBook
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* Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon


Genre: Contemporary YA
Published: September 1, 2015
Pages: 310

Synopsis

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.


Review

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. Like most audiobooks I've listened to, I felt like the opposite gendered voices seemed like caricatures. They didn't see a lot of use though, so my annoyance was minimal. Additionally, about half the time Olly was "talking" it was through emails and voiced by a male narrator.

This story hooked me, but also made me feel a little bit like I was listening to Me Before You as told through the eyes of Will (if he had wanted to live). The stories are completely different, with completely different medical issues, but the feelings of the stories were similar to me.

I wanted to know what would happen between Madeline and Olly, or if anything would happen. While it's easy to accept her falling for him, it's not quite so easy to accept him falling for her. Under the circumstances in the story, I was able to accept it, but I had to do a fair bit of rationalizing in my head for it.

I was pretty surprised by the ending, although I probably should have seen it coming (and I think a small part of me did, maybe). It did piss me off though.

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

Buy the Book


About the Author

Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. You can find her at www.NicolaYoon.com and on twitter and tumblr @NicolaYoon
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