Review: Life or Death by Michael Robotham

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This crime thriller had me on the edge of my seat — and even though I saw through the bad-guy-posing-as-a-a-good-guy right from the beginning, the raveling of the tangled web was full of surprises. 

Audie Palmer is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But the story isn’t about the crime.  It’s about the guys who committed the crime, and the crimes they’re committing STILL. Life or Death is about being trapped, running for love, keeping promises, and the desire for freedom. It’s about trust, and the violence that begets violence when trust is breached. 

If you can withstand the dirty cops, even dirtier politicians, and plentiful murders in cold blood, don’t miss this excellent read. 

-calliope

Buy LIFE OR DEATH

Review: Behind the Falls by Brenda Z

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25400942This book starts out with Noah in a car traveling halfway across the country with his parents to go live in his grandmother’s house. Because I kinda know this author and because I did not ask what this book was about (remember I try not to know anything about the book I am about to read)….I half way expected old granny to be kept in the shed in the back garden feeding on live chickens. Yes….a zombie book wouldn’t have surprised me at all…..however, once Noah gets to school and sees all the *pretty* people in the lunch room, I thought I might be wrong and it would have been some posh vampires that were feeding on grandma….

However, I couldn’t have been farther from the truth….

Although…..this book is full of *real-life* monsters….

I must admit, at times I did feel that the author was long-winded. That the stuff going on inside Noah’s mind was just so bogged down with details….however, after reading it….well I have to wonder….If I felt overwhelmed at times and over sensitized….well just imagine how Noah felt….

This book brings more than a few very important issues to light….and it’s a hard read….not because it’s hard to understand….it’s just a tough subject….and the ripples this book leaves you with….well they are far reaching…it’s blatantly obvious after reading a book like this that we are all so often look at just the one person in life. We often isolate them in our minds and we neglect to see the ripple effects that issues cause with not just one person, but all of those around them.

If someone has cancer….or is killed in an accident….or hurts another person…..well that doesn’t just effect them….Mrs. Z does an outstanding job displaying this throughout the entire novel (ALL 698 PAGES OF IT!!!)

Now there’s just no way for me to continue this review without providing spoilers….so I am asking you now…if you haven’t read this book, please stop reading now and go try to find a copy….This book isn’t a subject matter I would ever imagine myself reading….let alone giving top ratings to. I almost hesitated to give 5 stars because I almost feel guilty….I don’t want anyone to think I did so because I know the author….I do so because this novel deserves it….although as I said, I felt it was too many words at sometimes….however the subject matter and the way it was handled, the way I felt at the end….the way I stayed up late and woke early to finish it….well, I would be dishonest if I gave it anything less….

But again….spoilers now! so if you haven’t read it….piss off and go do so….please don’t let my need to voice all of my feelings ruin this great book for you!!!

First the ending…..uffda….again….ripples….this book is full of them, innit? I realise some people will hate the ending….fuck it…..I hate the ending…..but I would have hated an ending that wrapped it all up and created a stopping point even more…..again…..ripples! Key word here…..RIPPLES…..I just can’t stop thinking about all the ripples that closing scene is going to make in the hours after the reader finishes….

How can you not love a book that the characters feel so real that you finish the last page and you still are concerned for ALL of those involved. How can you not love a book where you physically hurt for what they have to go through?

Another thing I want to point out to anyone that has read the book….I am sure many think of the father behind the closed-door at the end….and they are disappointed perhaps….Me? I know 100% that he has closed that door because he is disappointed in himself….that he is blaming himself for not being there as he thinks he should have been….even though I know 100% that Noah feels it is shut because of his father’s disappointment in Noah…..

Again, this whole book….just wow….it’s so complex…and the more you think about it….well the more confused you become….

Mental illness….sexual identity….these are such tough issues….why do we feel such a need to label everything in life? Perhaps not the labels themselves, but the stigma that goes with them…I’ve always been a strong proponent of letting people live their lives as they see the need to. I try very hard to not pass judgement….

This novel points out that not only is it very important to not put stigmas on labels….but it’s also now blatantly obvious that the stigma we put on our own labels used to define us….well they can be the most cutting of all..I’ve always tried to remember that we never know what people are going through in their daily lives…so we should never judge…..this novel pushes me belief system even further….I now realise that it’s not just what’s going on in their lives…it’s also sometimes more important about what is going on in their heads….and those are things that sometimes we are *never* made aware of….

At times this novel is so tough to read….the implications of what mental illness does to a person….well when you pile it on top of the worries of the mental illness…and how you will be perceived by others….well at some point you have to stop and ask….which is which….which one does the most damage…and which one causes which….are they all interchangeable? Can you have one without the other? If one did not exist would the other cease as well?

The second major issue of the novel….sexual identification…..that is all so….well…..it does come down to labels here….and this is the thing I struggle with the most….I always have….but now it makes me angry….it seems that more society opens up….the more it shuts down….if Noah wants to kiss boys or girls…why should he have to announce it? Why should it matter? I realise that identity is very important to teenagers…however….I really wish society would change how we define ourselves….it’s tough I know….but I just wish in my heart that Noah had given a few less fucks how people defined him….the only opinions that should guide and define us are those of people who truly love and know us….but most importantly…our own….we should all be allowed to be happy with whom we are….

again…ripples….the beautiful person that Noah is….it’s so easy to see and define the ripples that brings to others around him….even if he is, sadly, unable to see those ripples himself….however, the lack of Noah sharing what’s really going on in his life? Those ripples? They are far more outreaching and long-lasting then he will ever realise….

Those ripples will be residing in me for a very long time to come….x

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by the author for an honest review

Buy it now Behind the Falls by Brenda Zalegowski

Cover reveal and giveaway: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

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For those who know me, know I love Amy Harmon. She is the one author that I cried over, when I met her. Yep, I hugged her and burst into tears. Real mature, I know. But this lady is the sweetest person and she write books that seep into my soul. Her words are magical. If you haven’t read one, you should. With that being said, here is the cover for her newest book The Song of David. I am so excited to read Tag’s story!! We meet Tag in The Law of Moses and he was a fabulous character! I know that is going to be another winner.

TSOD KINDLE

The Song of David
5/18/15

By: Amy Harmon
Available: June 15, 2015
Cover by: Hang Le

Synopsis:
She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood. 

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

OH MY GOSH!!!! I can’t wait!!!!

~Melpomene

Be sure to enter the giveaway HERE

Pre order The Song of David
AMAZON
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Add The Song of David to your Goodreads.

Review: From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion

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24036088On one hand, this latest book from Karen McQuestion is your typical young adult-love found-love lost-love found again story. But on the other hand, it’s just a little bit different…

Young Emma has found the love of her life in Lucas. They’re meant for each other, and she just knows they’re destined to spend the rest of their lives together. There’s just one problem, however. Lucas has cancer, and it’s not the kind of illness he’s expected to rebound from. Everyone, even his family, has given up on him. They’re resigned to the fact that he only has a short time left. But Emma isn’t having any of this. She’s certain that he’s going to survive.

And sure enough, he does make a seemingly miraculous recovery. It’s a miracle, everyone says. He’s come back to us, everyone proclaims. Emma couldn’t be happier to have her soulmate back from the brink of death.

But is it really Lucas? Little pieces of a puzzle begin to add up, and Emma has her doubts. Who is actually residing in Lucas’ newly healed body? And what has happened to Lucas? And why are mysterious federal agents tracking their every move?

I admit, I’m not a huge fan of spacey, alienish science fiction. While I’ve read a few keepers from the genre, it’s not my go-to choice of reading material. And this book is a little bit of that. But it’s not the biggest part of the story. It’s more of an afterthought, a supporting character even. This is a love story, sure. But it’s more of a friendship story, a story with a little bit of suspense and a lot of hope.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: From a Distant Star

Review: The Case of the Sin City Sister by Lynne Hinton

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 This second-in-a-series mystery is ostensibly about the case of a miner’s letter written by an ancestor… But really it’s all about Eve finding her missing sister. And finding out more about her, too. 

Eve works with her former law enforcement officer dad, who is in failing health, to investigate an old letter… And some old bones. But Eve hasn’t heard from her irresponsible, trouble-laden sister in a while, and she’s getting worried. 

A friend of the family makes the trip with Eve to sin city. That’s where Eve puts herself in danger in order to save her sister from herself… And some very bad guys.

A subplot from book one continues, as Eve contemplates her future – will she remain a part of the convent, or shed her sisterhood for life as a private detective? 

I always love a good mystery, and Hinton’s flair for family connections makes this series stand out from others. Eve’s relationship with her dad is endearing. I also like how Hinton’s secondary characters stay in the background to let the Divine family shine. 

-calliope

Buy THE CASE OF THE SIN CITY SISTER

Review: Deacon by Kristen Ashley

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01 a0 How does Kristen Ashley manage to write about the most sexy men on the planet?? They may not be perfect men, but they are perfect to the women that claim them. And Deacon is most definitely that man. He hasn’t made the best choices in his life, but when he meets Cassie, he realizes that he can’t keep doing what he’s doing if he wants a girl like her.

SYNOPSIS
Deacon has an ugly history, a history that broke him, leaving him a ghost of a man. Out of necessity, he left the normal world to descend into the criminal world and found he fit. So he stayed. Cold as ice and living off the grid, Deacon has no intention to connect, not with anyone.

Then he returns to some remote cabins in the Colorado Mountains and finds they have new owners. One of them is Cassidy Swallow, a young woman willing to work hard to live her quiet dream in a house by a river surrounded by aspen and pine.

Suddenly, Deacon finds he’s at war. Cassidy’s pull for him to connect is strong. He fights it, but he loses, always coming back for more. But when he does, he gives her nothing.

From the first time she sees him, Cassidy knows Deacon is dead inside. She knows he’s the kind of man who could destroy a woman. But one night when Deacon’s control slips, Cassidy takes a chance.

He might break her. He also might be her dream come true.

Cassie knows he’s dangerous. She knows she should stay away. But there’s this pull that can’t be explained, and all it takes is one little slip and she’ll be lost in him forever.

I loved Deacon’s mysterious side. He kept coming back year after year. He barely ever spoke to her, but that didn’t change the fact that they were drawn to each other.

This book was so hot. I mean, whoa. I was rereading and taking notes. Their connection was off the charts. One minute they were sweet, and the next there was no stopping them. The was Deacon spoke to Cassie was so sweet and saucy, I was swooning.

Another 5 star K.A. book. In all reality, you can’t go wrong with a K.A. book. She write about real women and real situations. No cookie cutter books. Perfection.

~Melpomene

Buy Deacon (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 4)

Review: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

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  I have no idea how this book got on my kindle, but I’m glad it did. If you gifted it to me, or anyone, THANK YOU, because it’s truly wonderful. 

The Shell Seekers is a family saga, replete with cultural, historical and generational contrast. You’ve got love, war, births, deaths, eating, laughing, painting, celebrating, mourning, and the satisfaction of unvarnished truth. 

In the countryside and beside the sea, through the world of art and artists, and across five decades including wartime in England, the novel illustrates how love carries people through pain and disappointment. 

Olivia and Penelope seemed to me to be the central characters, though you might have your own ideas. They were full of matriarch Sophie’s love, and spread it around the best they could despite their own wounded hearts. 

Pilcher amused me with military characters, wartime rations, long walks home, and the laughter of love. I could feel the bit of ease in an otherwise structured general’s day, the cool juice of canned peaches, the tired thighs covered by a thin dress. And I could very well see the sparkle in the eyes of Sophie, Penelope and Antonia… and the men they loved. 

The Shell Seekers also comments on family – disloyalty through selfishness, the effects of nurture vs. nature, and the rewards given to those who make life a little lighter for another. Do we all give ourselves to the people who need and appreciate it most? 

At first it was difficult for my linear self to get into Pilcher’s rhythm of occasional flashbacks, but once I fell in love with the characters, I also fell into the rhythm.  The novel was also on the long side as far as pleasure reading goes (can’t give five stars because some pages were pure skippable description without moving the plot forward). However, I was glad for every character, every kiss, every seaside gaze. I relished the daydreaminess of Sophia and Penelope… and then occasional bouts by Olivia.  And despite deaths and some residual bitterness, the family pretty much lives happily ever after, leaving me with a satisfied smile and a full heart. 

If you’re looking for a substantial, long, hearty, uplifting read, look no further. It may be available at your library, or click the title here to find it on Amazon: The Shell Seekers.

-calliope

Review (Revisited): Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

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IMG_3330Okay….so now I need to figure out how to review a book that I didn’t even read….

So yes, this isn’t really a review, but it does contain some of my thoughts about this book….

I was very excited to start this book….I’ve recently moved from the only country I’ve ever known to another country to be with my (now) husband. So I thought in many ways that this book would speak to me. That there would be parts that I could relate to. Also it’s has such a beautiful cover. I try not to judge a book based upon it’s cover, but I admit to being a sucker for one that is as beautiful as this one. Plus, when I glanced over the description (I try not to read full descriptions) it looked like exactly the type of book I enjoy….

So I started it….I will say I finally gave up at 25%…I did scan a few later chapters and I did read the last chapter….with the ending, it’s really a shame that I couldn’t get into this novel…because endings like this book don’t put me off….they don’t make me angry….they enrich my enjoyment of a novel because they are more real to life than some neatly wrapped up pretty package of an ending….

But back to why I just couldn’t read more of this novel…I just couldn’t relate to Anna at all. It’s not that I didn’t like her….or couldn’t understand her….she was just….errrr…lifeless….perhaps that was intentional, I don’t know…I’ve met people who were lifeless I suppose….I guess it would even make sense if it was intentional…as if Anna was only existing, and not actually living….hell, I said I looked forward to this book because I could relate….it wasn’t just moving to another country I spoke of….I’ve merely existed as well….but….I don’t know….Anna just felt flat to me….

I will say that from what I read this wasn’t a marriage/family thing…this is how Anna was long before she moved to another country….before she got married…and before she had children….and I understand to some extent what the author was trying to do here….Perhaps she is trying to paint the world that I was reading to mimic the world that Anna was actually in….

But on a personal level…I’ve been there…..and I have no desire to revisit that bleakness again….so maybe I am wrong in saying that I could not connect with Anna…perhaps I did…and wanted no part of it….

The way that the book was written was very confusing to me as well….I’ve read a few books that jumped from current time, to future conversations, to past conversations without warning and not had issues with it. It suited the book….I didn’t feel it suited this novel though..the more the jumps happened…well the more and more I felt that it was just another factor that was determined to prevent me from relating to Anna and her story….It was just another barrier that I couldn’t overcome….let’s be clear….It’s not that I didn’t like Anna….or that I hated Anna….heck, I confess to loving some books that I absolutely hated ALL the characters. I will even admit that some books have annoyed me to no end by the behaviours of the main character….but the writing and all the *stuff* going on in the novel….well….there was nothing to do but to read on and marvel at the writing…the feelings this novel inspired (which were few) did not inspire me to read on…I wanted to give up much earlier than I did, but I hate to give up on a book!

Again….this novel…it just fell flat for me 😦 I hate that it did. I really wanted to fall in love….but sometimes we just have to make due with the fact that not every book speaks to us…and we can’t love every one we read…..

Until next time…

Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review

and please….don’t bother committing on this review and telling me I shouldn’t rate it if I didn’t finish it…I can take a bite from a sandwich and know it’s not for me…I shouldn’t be forced to eat the whole thing before I’m allowed my opinion….I know after 25% that this writing style would never be for me….and I’m entitled to my opinion and yes, I’m allowed to rate it based on my feelings…don’t like it? Well…..get over it….oh….and have a nice day….x

Buy it now Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

Review: The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

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luckiest-girl-alive-9781476789637Most of the time, when I finish a book I’m able to talk about it right away. But every now and then a book comes along that makes me hesitate, sit back and think about it a bit. This debut novel by Jessica Knoll is one of those books.

Meet Ani. She’s a young women living in New York, not yet thirty and already an established contributor to The Women’s Magazine. She’s the epitome of success. Ani knows how to dress, how to walk and talk, how to order at a restaurant. And she’s engaged. Not just any average Joe will do. Luke comes from old money, a well-to-do and highly respected family. He’s her ticket to security. Does she love him? Does it even matter?

But Ani is hiding a secret from most of the world. Something from her past has come back to tarnish the image she’s worked so hard to cultivate. Everyone thinks they know what happened when she was a student at the prestigious Bradley School, but now it’s time for Ani to tell her side of the story.

I’m the first to admit, it took me more than my typical 10% to get into this story. Even after 20%, I was still skeptical. But I knew, just felt even, that something was going to happen to make it worth my while. So I stuck with it. And I’m glad I did. Because it paid off.

This is a dark, sarcastic, humorous, witty story. There’s a depressing sadness that comes from finally hearing what happened to Ani. But at the same time, she’s not always a very likable character. She’s kind of mean, biting, cruel even. Once you hear her story, however, you understand. And you find yourself pulling for her, even cheering her on as the story reaches its ending. It’s a story that I think will leave people pondering for a bit, wondering about what they just read. And it’s a book that I believe people will recommend to others, just like I’m now recommending it to you!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel

Review: Fury by Fisher Amelie

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01 a1 WOW!!! I am speechless and crying. This book….How does Fisher do this to me in every book she writes?! This book will make you feel. This book will change your life. This book will bring to light, that the world has some very bad and scary parts to it. And the further you get sucked in, the more fury will take hold and pull you in deeper.

SYNOPSIS
Revenge is an euphoric thing. Trust me on this. Nothing compares to the release you get when you ruin someone’s life. When they’ve stolen important things. Things that didn’t belong to them. Things I revel in making them pay for.

What? Have I offended you? I’m not here to appeal to your delicate senses. I have no intention of placating your wishes or living within your personal belief system nor do I care if you hate me. And you will hate me. Because I’m a brutal, savage, cold-blooded murderer and I’m here for my revenge.

I’m Ethan Moonsong…And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most sacrificing man to the most feared and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Ethan is angry. After all we went through for his ex girlfriend. He wanted to be forever with her, but she changed and now he can’t stand these feelings anymore. Until one day, he stumbles upon and old friend from high school, and his life slowly turns around.

She made me forget my night. Just like that. Finley was the calm after the storm.

Finley doesn’t realize that she may just save Ethan from making a decision that would change his life. And in doing so, Ethan turns around and chances her life.

Their story is very sad, but it’s also very beautiful. It brings to light a very sad and scary part of this world, that many turn a blind eye to. I was moved to tears many times. My heart was breaking. I was a wreck.

If you can find your way to push anger out of your heart, you can find a way to be happy. But no one said it would be easy.

~Melpomene

Buy FURY: The Seven Deadly Series Standalone #3 during release week, for only $1.99!!

While Fury can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the Seven Deadly Series.
VAIN: Series Standalone 1
GREED: Series Standalone 2