The Review Chain: The Deepest Black by Rainy Kaye

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Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Score: ❤❤❤

Page Count: 208

Stand Alone

Publisher: Kindle

Published: May 27th, 2016

Ember has a little problem...Fairies want her dead. 

Ember spends her Friday nights lurking in the bad parts of town, killing fairies. It’s either that, or become a victim of their flesh-eating hunger. 

Then she meets Remy, a fae who, despite getting on her nerves, isn’t evil. He tells her that a shadow has been consuming his world, changing its inhabitants and letting destructive beasts into his city. He is searching for his brother who went missing during the catastrophe. 

When mercenaries come for Ember, she has little choice but to join Remy in his quest. Together, they decide to bait a trap. What they find reveals the destruction of the fae world means the end of the human world, too–and it’s Ember’s fault.

Rating:

PROS:

1. When I first heard of this book through The Review Chain, I was actually really interested in reading it even though I'm not a fan of urban fantasy and I try my hardest to avoid the genre since I haven't had good experiences with it in the past. It's always good to get out of your comfort zone, however, and since this book had me feeling curious about the story, I decided to give it a go and was surprised to find I liked the book more than a lot of urban fantasy books I've read in the past. Here's the review:

2. I liked our main character Ember since she was a bit of a hard head and didn't like answering to people. She was very much her own person as well and while that can come across as an annoying character trait, it made me interested in her character from the get-go. She was a tough cookie who was ready for any fight that came her way and throughout the book, we follow her as she tries to unravel the mystery of why she has the ability to see Fae, only knowing that it is killed or be killed. She runs into a character named Remy who only reveals enough of himself to get Ember to trust him but not much more than that. He has an air of mystery surrounding him and they team up to figure out what's really going on with the world of the Fae, uncover and stop a curse from destroying all the Fae and the human world, and find an elixir to keep the dark Fae at bay while also trying to find Remy's brother whom he believes was kidnapped by the evil Fae. They interacted well together even though sometimes they didn't see eye to eye but overall, they knew their goals and were willing to help each other out.

Source

3. The book has a few different fantasy elements that mix well together as the story progresses and I loved the aspect of two worlds colliding. The book had witches, Fae, beasties, magic, a mysterious darkness taking over the world, changelings, curses and a few more things that were fun to read about and kept me interested. While the mystery wasn't amazing and the pace a bit awkward, the action scenes were intense and there were plenty of twists and turns in the story. The writing was great as well and I think Rainy Kaye is definitely a great writer in the words she uses and the descriptions that came across nicely which made the world easy for me to imagine as a reader. 

CONS:

1. While I liked the book and it was a great way to get out of my comfort zone, I did have a few problems with the storyline. For one, it was a little hard to follow and had me scratching my head a few times as I tried to figure out how certain events fit in with the rest of the story. It felt a little awkward and sometimes felt like it came out of left field, leaving me confused and the book scattered. It seemed like the story was wanting to go in different directions and it had a hard time choosing which path to take. 

2. I also felt like the 'hook' at the beginning of the book was great but it kind of lost that energy as the story played out. Not only because the storyline felt scattered but also because there was a constant trust/distrust of Remy that really distracted me from the story, not to mention the romance between Ember and Remy felt like more of an afterthought and wasn't built upon the initial first meeting of the characters. The mystery also wasn't engaging enough and felt too jarring and moved too fast for me to keep up with. By the end of the book, I had way too many questions about things that happened in the book and caught a few plot holes, loose ends that were left dangling, and overall felt unsatisfied with how the book wrapped up. By the end, I was confused about a lot of things and I really think this book could have used at least a hundred more pages to really flesh everything out and bring it all together. 

You Can Purchase The Book Here: 

Amazon

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About The Author:

Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona.

She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Someone told her she's a USA Today Bestselling author. She thought there would be cake. 

Author Links:

Goodreads

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Google +

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Song Of The Week #2

Howdy, everyone! I hope you've all been having a great week so far and had a fun weekend. As promised, today I bring you guys the second installment of Song Of The Week which is a new segment that I've decided to add to this little blog of mine. Not going to lie, it was a bit of a struggle to come up with just one song to feature this week since recently I've come across some awesome songs that make me want to dance.

BUT, I was able to pull myself together and buckle down with just one song to share with you all. I would try to explain how much I love this song that I've chosen for the week but that would take forever so I'll just let you listen to the track if you're curious. Enjoy my lovely bookworms! 

Last Week's "Song Of The Week"

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Do you have any song suggestions? Please leave any suggestions at all in the comments down below because I LOVE discovering new songs and have PLENTY to share with you all in the future. Rock on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Review: My Friends Are All Strange by M.C. Lesh + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

Hello, everyone! Today, I have another review for all of you that I'm really, super excited about. Today, I'll be reviewing My Friends Are All Strange by M.C. Lesh hosted by Xpresso Book Tours so a special thanks to them!

I was sent an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of this book tour.

Down below, you'll find my review for the book, as well as links to where you can buy a copy for yourself and the author's links. Also, don't forget to check out the rest of the book tour and the GIVEAWAY! Now, onto the review, shall we?

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Add It To Goodreads!

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Contemporary

Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

Page Count: 230

Stand Alone

Publisher: StoryRhyme.com Publishing

Published: October 18th, 2016

My friends are all strange.

Right now I'm living at Brookside, a place for people like me. I've met a kitty girl, a brooding beautiful boy, one who can't be touched, and others. My new friends. Strange people. People like me.

I've always been different, but lately, more so. My hands sometimes don't seem to be attached to the rest of me. I cut up all of my clothes. I'm hot, so hot, all of the time. If I sleep, a wizard haunts every dream. I don't sleep. Sometimes I want to run, but where do you run to when you're trying to escape your own mind? I don't know if I'll ever be the same. I'm smart. I'm nice, sometimes. I just want to be normal(ish). But, right now, my friends are all strange... Like me.

Dark, funny, snarky, seventeen-year-old Becca struggles to cope with mental illness in My Friends Are All Strange, the gripping contemporary young adult companion novel to Normalish.

Rating:

PROS:

1. The title of this book really reeled me in when I first saw it because I thought to myself "My friends are all strange, as well" but in the most awesome of ways. None of us really have 'normal' friends because no one is without little quirks which make us all so different yet pretty neat. I find myself to be a strange person for many reasons so I thought why not take a look at this novel? When i read the synopsis, I quickly realized that I needed to read it because it sounded like it was right up my alley. I'm so excited to be reviewing this book for you guys so here goes nothing!

2. I really, really liked all of the characters in this book! I thought Becca was a strange, complex yet relatable girl trying to live as normal a life as possible but because of her mental illness, she finds it difficult and it hasn't at all been smooth sailing for her or her family. Becca has a very supportive family and they try their hardest to make sure Becca gets the help she needs from everyone around her. I also loved Becca's friends because they had their own mental illnesses and other obstacles they had to overcome that kept them from living 'normal' lives. This book really highlighted the fact that almost none of the characters were perfectly fine and happy. I loved getting to see all the characters in this novel deal with their emotions and hard times, battle their demons if you will, and watch them ask questions, struggle, overcome, get broken down, feel angry, sad, happy, regretful, and deal with such raw struggles that we don't see very often in YA literature.

3. This book is totally not your run-of-the-mill YA novel. It isn't about a girl with some form of mental illness who meets a cute boy, they fall in love, and they end up helping each other overcome their greatest struggles and then live happily ever after with cake, rainbows, and puppies. While Becca does have a very supportive and loyal boyfriend in the book, the book doesn't focus on their relationship. I loved watching Becca and her friends talk to each other about the things they're battling, their home life, how they really feel when there's no one watching them or asking if they're fine or okay, really getting to know each other and trying to understand themselves in a place where being strange to the outside world is understood by the patients and nurses and doctors that surround them.

4. This book is very poignant and realistic yet heartbreaking and pulls at the heart strings. Even though the characters were quirky and different, they were still so relatable and as the story progressed, I found myself getting very attached to all of them and not just one or two. I loved the pacing of the story and enjoyed those heartbreaking scenes that reminded me of the fact that just because someone looks fine on the outside, it doesn't at all mean they haven't been through something hard and that they're perfectly happy. It also reminded me that it's never good to get so caught up in your own worries and struggles because you're not the only one dealing with hard times. Basically, this book was a bit of an eye-opener and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a real story about real struggles and the real emotions that come with them. 

You Can Purchase The Book Here:

Amazon

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About The Author:

California native Margaret Lesh lives in a narrow canyon populated by herds of wild burro and packs of coyote. The canyon is also populated with her creative, handsome husband, her feisty mother-in-law, her not-brave-at-all Border Collie, Echo, and sometimes her son (who is away at college. And she is not quite sure how that all happened so fast).

She writes books to entertain young and not-so-young readers as well as herself. She believes tacos are magic. 

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

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Gilmore Girls Book Tag!

Hello, everybody! So, first off, I'm going to be totally honest with all you out there who probably love Gilmore Girls to the moon and back: I'm not that crazy about the show. Don't get me wrong, I was really into it when it first came to Netflix and I was quick to binge watch it like the rest of the world. However, my tastes in movies and shows change more often that I change my clothes and now that the hype has been non-stop for this revival, I've just been kind of ignoring it. Now, at this moment that I'm writing this post, I'm currently watching the second episode and halfway paying attention.

I'M NOT GOOD WITH TV SHOWS. I find one, watch all the episodes, then move on only to never return. It's just how it works for me unless it's Avatar: The Last Airbender or Drake & Josh. Literally only those two. I don't know what's wrong with me, I just don't like many TV shows. Anyhoo, since I'm still kind of into Gilmore Girls and I've had good memories with the show, I thought it only fitting to do this book tag created by Pucksandpaperbacks on YouTube since, well, it's still cool and I'm not late to the party for once. YAY ME!! Now onto the tag!

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1. Lorelai: A character with a witty or sarcastic sense of humor.

Since I'm a sucker for a sarcastic character (HOORAY FOR SARCASM!!!) I have quite a few options here and it's a bit of a challenge to just choose one. But, alas, I have decided to go with the obvious character that we all know and love for the sarcasm this character is capable of: Percy Jackson. Can any character really be more sarcastic than Percy? He gives me a challenge, that's for sure. Can anyone out-sarcast (YES, THAT'S MY NEW WORD FOR THE DAY) Mr. Percy Jackson? No? Well, he hasn't met me. BRING IT.

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2. Rory: Favorite classic.

I'm not that into classic books either only because there are so many in the world that I'm a little overwhelmed by all the options. I have read a few in the past and I do have a couple of favorites that are actually some of the first books I read as a kid and still am a fan of to this day. I use to LOVE the Walt Disney's CINDERELLA illustrated edition. It's old, falling apart at the spine but I still love it and enjoy flipping through it every now and then. 

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3. Luke: A book you secretly love, but are afraid to admit.

Can we just take a minute to appreciate Luke? He's only, like, the most loved character of the show even though he's a bit of a grump. But hey, he's honest, a little too forward with his opinions but you always know he'll speak his mind, right? Anyhoo, I'm usually not at all ashamed to admit I like certain books, especially if they're ones I just really, really loved and don't care what other people might think about me liking such a book. However, there is one book that I never admit to reading, let alone liking, and that book is VAMPIRE ACADEMY.

Before you all come at me with torches and pitchforks, let me explain. Vampire Academy falls under the category of urban fantasy which is a genre I avoid like the plague. I just CAN'T STAND books with vampires or werewolves or anything in that realm because urban fantasy books ALWAYS annoy the heck out of me! It never fails. I'm not even joking. But then Vampire Academy finds me, I read it, end up loving it, and then I shove it into the darkest corners of my brain and deny it ever happened. My brother will not let me live it down to this day. Now that that's out of the way, let's move on.

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4. Lane: A musical character.

I've actually been labeled as the Lane of my friend group which I take as the biggest compliment EVER. My CD collection could probably give Lane a run for her money and I fully believe we are the same person in hindsight. Just saying. Anyhoo, I'm going to go with CRESS for this one. She loves singing, opera, and would probably be on Broadway is she had it her way and if Broadway was actually a thing in the world of The Lunar Chronicles. 

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5. Dean: Your first book love (character or book you first loved).

Choosing between a character and a book is seriously so hard for me. Which one do I go with? The very first character I first loved or the first book I loved? THIS IS TOO MUCH PRESSURE!! I guess I'll go with the very first book I remember falling in love with. My favorite children's book is by far STONE SOUP because I loved the illustrations, the storyline, the quirky characters, everything about it. I must have read it about a thousand times as a kid. Oh, the memories.

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6. Sookie: A book you’ve devoured.

Sookie is the most adorable character of ever. Sorry, just had to say that. Anyway, there have been plenty of books in the past that I just couldn't put down to save my life. A few actually caused me to go to bed at ungodly hours of the late night or early morning. For this one, I'm just going to go with the most recent one that had me flipping the pages like crazy because I was so excited to see how the story wrapped up. THE READER was by far one of the best books I read this year and I NEED the sequel right now!!

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7. Jess: A book you love, that gets the most hate.

TEAM JESS FOR LIFE. Ahem. Moving on. I'm not really a stranger when it comes to loving books that I later find out everyone hates or vice versa. I don't like a book that literally everyone and their mothers are crazy about. I'm not ashamed to love books that everyone seems to hate because we're all different and have different tastes in books and it's going to happen whether you like it or not. I honestly really love ALLEGIANT which is the final book in the Divergent series. I don't care what anyone says, IT'S MY BABY. Yes, it tore me into about a bazillion pieces, but I've read it three times and I always enjoy it more and more with every single time I read it. 

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8. Miss Patty: A book that was ruined by the hype.

There's really no easy way to put this so I'll just come right out with it. That would be A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES. I actually bought the book the week it was first released and I never ended up reading it. In fact, I gave it away to one of my friends who's a HUGE Beauty and The Beast fan and when I told her it was a retelling and asked if she wanted my copy, she was more than happy to steal it away from me. She gave it a good home, so don't worry! I was honestly so terrified to read the thing because EVERYONE was going crazy over it, saying how amazing it was, how fantastic, it's the best book ever written, yadda yadda yadda. Basically, I was scared I wouldn't like it at all especially since I'm not attached to Sarah J. Maas's books yet, and I'm not a fan of Beauty and The Beast at all. I gave up on the book as a sacrifice for all the book nerds out there in the world. YOU'RE WELCOME.  

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9. Emily Gilmore: An expensive book.

I usually don't spend more than twenty dollars on a single book unless I'm desperate or something. I love a good bargain so I usually hunt for those deals like there's no tomorrow. However, I have been gifted a few books in the past few years and one of which looks kind of expensive. I bought a copy of a Jane Austen bind-up of four of her novels in a leather bound copy for about three dollars at the library. I don't doubt that someone out there paid at least thirty dollars for the book or more but I was shocked to find a copy on Amazon starting at $1600!!!!! LIKE WHAT?! I don't know if that's a legit offer but still! Yikes. 

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10. Paris: An uptight character.

Personally, Paris is probably my favorite character from the show. She gives it to you straight and doesn't have time for nonsense. You go, girl. I think uptight characters are the most fun to read about since they're more serious and have the most entertaining reactions to things when they get frazzled or overwhelmed. For me, a favorite uptight character of mine is totally Enoch from MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. He was just a tad bit uptight and a little snobby but I LOVED him because of that! He's just a little doom and gloom cutie pie! 

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So that's it for the book tag! Let me know if any of my choices were similar to yours and if you want to do this tag, THEN PLEASE DO IT!! And if you're a Gilmore Girls fan, who's your favorite character? See you guys, in the next chapter!

Book Blitz: His Wicked Lady by Sharon Drane (Touch The Sky #3)

Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a lovely week so far especially since Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I swear I can smell the turkey cooking already! Anyhoo, I hope you all have a lovely day and please enjoy another book blitz I have for you all today hosted by Sage over at Sage's Blog Tours! Love you all!

I promise to be back with more fun content for you all that I've been working on so stay tuned! 

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Genre: Romance

“I say, where did you find such a dress? Or should I say 'mess'?” Baron William Hargreaves, arbiter of all things fashionable, loves nothing more than firing his derisive salvos at his favorite target—Caroline Burgess, newly come to London society and the fading glory of the Ton.

Caroline will never admit she enjoys their skirmishes. Nor will she admit to the dreams he inspires, or the sensations he stirs deep inside her.

William tries to hide his growing attraction to Caroline, but as their relationship warms, Caroline outrageously accepts a role in a play—an unforgiveable profession for a lady of the Ton. Nonetheless, William cannot ignore her.

When Caroline is forced to shoot a man to death on a London street, she initiates a scandal far worse than her calling as an actress. Brokenhearted, she returns home to Philadelphia determined to leave England and her pain behind.

A blow to his own reputation overshadows William's judgment when he becomes trapped in a mockery of a marriage because of a product of a youthful indiscretion.

But where there is love, there is hope. His Wicked Lady, Book #3 in the Touch the Sky series

You Can Purchase The Book Here:

Amazon

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About The Author:

Sharon Drane first set foot on a stage at the age of six. For the next fifty-four years she acted in productions. In her early 20s she began directing, a second career which lasted over forty years. Employed by various agencies with the State of Texas, she worked for over thirty-five years as a social worker in the field, and then as a manager of contracts. She worked first at the regional level and then was promoted to Austin and management of statewide contracts.

She began writing short stories and poetry in high school, later moving on to science fiction fanfic. During her tenure in the field of social work Sharon began writing love stories, completing two novels in spite of her hectic schedule. She retired in 2009 and moved to Florida on family business. It was here she rediscovered her love of writing. During her time in the Sunshine State, she has completed a novella and two published novels, with the third in the series due to release on December 1. Her fourth novel is currently in progress and slated to be published in 2017. 

Author Links:

Twitter

Facebook

Website

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Song Of The Week: NEW SEGMENT!

Hello, everyone! So in my last post, I mentioned that I've been working on some new ideas for this little blog of mine and I really hope you guys will enjoy this one in particular. I am absolutely OBSESSED with music and everything it has to offer. I love pretty much all genres of music, and most of my favorite songs are just random ones I find on Spotify which I seriously LOVE since I'm able to find so many amazing songs that I don't think I'd ever find because of all the "mainstream" songs taking all the attention. Sorry, radio airways. Just being honest here. 

Anyhoo, if you've been following my blog or even my Instagram, you might know that I use to pair songs with certain books that I thought went along with the lyrics of that specific song, kind of like my own personal theme song for certain books. I also have a few playlists that I've made for certain series if you guys want to check those out as well. I use to do that weekly but ever since my schedule has gotten a little busier in recent months, I haven't been able to read a ton to be able to pair books with songs on a weekly basis. It was hard for me to keep up with Music Matching Monday so I kind of had to step away from that segment. 

However, I really want to continue to incorporate more music into this blog since it's another one of my passions and I'm literally ALWAYS listening to music all day, every day. I fully believe I'm made up of nothing but coffee and music. I think it can be medically proven at this point. So, I decided that instead of pairing a book with a song, I would just share with you all my favorite song of the week! I'll be posting these every single Tuesday since it will be easier for me to keep up with seeing as I won't have to think long and hard about what book to pair the song with. It will just be the song itself.

Please, let me know what you guys think about this idea and if you have any other song suggestions, please leave them in the comments because I'm ALWAYS looking for new tunes to blast through my headphones! Now, I'll leave you guys with this week's song of the week and I really hope you guys enjoy!

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Book Blitz: Schizo: Hidden In Plain Sight by Ilene B. Benator

Hello, everyone! So, since I've been pretty busy with a few different things in my life, I've been coming up with some new blog posts to entertain you guys and to help me be more active on here since this blog is in need of more of my attention. I'm excited to show you guys what I've been planning but until then, please enjoy this next book blitz hosted by Sage over at Sage's Blog Tours! 

Hope all of my fellow readers who love a good thriller will be interested in this book! Love you guys!

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Add It To Goodreads!

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

An ambitious future surgeon on his psychiatry rotation is assigned a patient who reveals to him information about an organized plot to control the population. His pursuit of the truth leads him to become a psychiatric patient in the same facility.

Dan Greenberg was a promising medical student who was derailed by Catherine—a bizarre schizophrenic patient whose delusions about patients in danger at hospitals all around Chicago were startlingly specific.

Drawn by both curiosity and compassion, Dan investigates, discovering that they were exactly where Catherine said they would be. Who are these people? Why are they in danger? Are they connected with each other? 

While incarcerated, he joins forces with an unlikely ally Jake—who murdered his family during a drug-induced psychotic break, but is also a charming hacker with street smarts who creates a plan to get Dan’s life back. In his attempts to do so, he threatens to uncover a conspiracy to track and manipulate the population by a cabal of influential people who will do anything to keep their plot secret. He will learn just how far powerful people will go to stay in control, and the high price of the truth.

Schizo takes readers on a wildly unexpected journey into the what-ifs of medical science. Written by an Emergency Physician, Ilene B. Benator crafts situations that are terrifying, yet all too believable.

You Can Purchase The Book Here:

Amazon

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About The Author:

A board-certified Emergency Physician, Ilene B. Benator practices in the southeast and also wrote the screenplay adaptation for Schizo, which won a Certificate of Merit in the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood Screenwriting Competition, and was finalist in two other screenwriting contests. Also, she is Associate Producer, "Flesh" (2016) Cruell World Productions; Morningstar Productions. After growing up in New York and leaving to attend Emory University for undergrad with a degree in psychology, she then went to medical school in Chicago, and returned to Atlanta to do her training; where she now resides. After her training ended, her writing career began, publishing a non-fiction book for doctors prior to this debut novel. When not working or being soccer mom to her two wonderful kids, plus two cats and one dog, she enjoys architectural photography, camping, skiing, and takes hikes in the mountains with her husband and black fluffy dog Daisy. 

Author Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

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Book Blitz: Seeing Evil by M.C Domivitch + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

Hello, everybody! Today, I have another cool book to let you guys know all about in case there are any readers out there looking for an interesting and mysterious read that might just keep you on the edge of your seat. Down below are all the details you'll need to know about Seeing Evil by M.C. Domivitch hosted by Sage over at Sage's Blog Tours. 

There are also the author links as well as links to where you can buy this book and find out more about the series and last but not least, a GIVEAWAY hosted by the author! Be sure to enter and I hope this book intrigues some of you guys. Enjoy!

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Add It To Goodreads!

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Ciara Kelly returns in M.C. Domovitch's latest must-read thriller. When teenage girls start disappearing in one of Manhattan's most affluent neighborhood, Ciara cannot help but feel drawn to the case, especially that the details are so similar to those of her own kidnapping of a few years earlier. When Detective Nanos asks her to see the body of the latest victim and give her impressions, word gets out that Ciara is cooperating with the police. Suddenly, the killer's focus is on her.

You Can Purchase The Book Here:

Amazon

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About The Author:

M.C. Domovitch is a best-selling author. Seeing Evil, featuring Ciara Kelly, the only surviving victim of the Cutter is her tenth novel. She is presently hard at work on her eleventh. 

M.C. writes cozy mysteries as Carol Ann Martin, humorous murder mysteries as Monique Domovitch, and romantic suspense as M.C. Domovitch. The one thing all of her novels have in common is that they are page-turners. Start reading a Domovitch novel in the evening at your own risk.

Asked if there is any truth to the rumor that she is the love child of Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins, she insists that she was born in Ontario Canada, the daughter of school teachers who taught her the joy of reading at a young age.

Domovitch lives with her physician husband and their two Yorkies. They divide their time between homes in Toronto Canada and Key Largo Florida. 

Author Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

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Review: A Fantastic Mess Of Everything by Beck Medina

Hello, everyone! I hope you've all had an awesome weekend so far! I'm here today with another review and I'm excited to bring it out for you guys. Today, I'll be reviewing A Fantastic Mess Of Everything by Beck Medina for the blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours so a huge thanks to the both of them! 

I was sent an e-copy of this book in exhcnage for an honest review as part of this blog tour.

Down below, you'll find my review, the links to purchase a copy of the book for yourself, and don't forget the author's links and a link to follow the rest of the blog tour. Without further ado, let's get on with it!

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Add It To Goodreads!

Rating: PG

Genre: NA Contemporary

Score: 3.5 stars

Page Count: 183

Stand Alone

Publisher: First

Published: August 13th, 2016

Millie Alvarez is a college senior with dreams of being a best selling science fiction writer like her favorite author, sci-fi mastermind Luke Danielson. She fantasizes about dating Rod, her handsome, young writing professor, who has a fan base of his own.

Of course no one knows this but her two best friends, Fran and Mike. In the real world, Millie is anything but a success. She always gets casted in the worst roles in her college's musical productions, has a single subscriber to her writing blog, and struggles to be with anyone but Fran and Mike. She even avoids meeting Trent, an exchange student from London who matches with her on the dating app Charmed. Sam always wants to hang out with Millie, but he isn't her type; he's too skinny and happy and won't stop asking Millie about all her favorite things.

But things spiral out of Millie's control when Fran moves out of their dorm room to live with her sister and her estranged dad won't stop calling her to make amends. To top it all off, the pain inside of Millie's chest is worsening. Millie must decide if she's ready to face everything head on. Can she do it? Is she stronger than she thinks she is? All Millie knows is that her life is one big mess that she cannot seem to escape. 

Rating:

PROS:

1. I thought this book sounded like it was going to be a good one when I first read the synopsis because it sounded like a nice contemporary read that would potentially be a little more mature character wise and less juvenile. I was really excited to read this book and I'm happy to say that it was better than I was expecting, especially since there are such good reviews of this book on Goodreads and I was afraid I might not like it as much as everyone else seemed to. Here's the review:

2. I really liked our main character, Millie, because she was very relatable and a Hispanic female lead. She was introverted, grew up in a single parent home with her mom after her dad left her when she was a kid and she harbored anger towards him ever since then. Throughout the book, she struggles to trust people again, specifically guys whenever they showed any interest in Millie because she was hurt by her dad. Millie thought people only came into her life to leave a second later so she held most people at a distance to avoid getting hurt by them. 

She also lived with anxiety which I thought was a nice character trait since a lot of people suffer from anxiety and I'm also a huge supporter for mental illnesses being in more YA or NA literature, it's a topic I find is ignored in most books and I appreciate that this book had that element. It doesn't dive into the very depths of Millie's anxiety, however, but it does make it known that she has anxiety and takes medication for it. I also really loved Millie's friends as they were really fun and very supportive of each other in all aspects of life. I also loved the love interest, Sam, though I would have liked to get to him a little more since I didn't get to know much about him really but what I got was satisfying enough.

3. This book has a nice pace, it's not too slow but not too fast and it plays out quite nicely as the book progresses. It was also quick and easy to read that had a sweet and slow-burning romance, little to no drama as well as some humor added into the mix. It wasn't very descriptive which I liked but more straight to the point which I also really enjoyed especially since it's a contemporary novel that didn't have a ton of drama and the writing style kept the story moving without rushing through it. I would recommend this book to someone who just wants a nice and realistic read such as FANGIRL was that also has themes of writing books and aspiring authors which I think is fitting since it's currently NaNoWriMo. 

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because the second love interest, Rod, really didn't have a strong enough presence in the story. It seemed like he was just kind of there, popping up every now and then and then disappearing and being forgotten for a majority of the book. He seemed to be more like a backup plan to add interest to the book when I honestly think the story was strong enough to carry itself without Rod. It also irked me that he was Millie's professor and I don't care how young he was, it was gross. A teacher and a student? Nonono. I also didn't care for how some of the dialogue was laid out. It felt like I was reading text messages instead of reading an actual conversation the characters were having:

Millie: “Upstairs.”

Sam: “What's upstairs?”

Millie: “Nothing interesting.”

Sam: “You seemed upset.”

Millie: “I wasn't.” 

Overall, I did enjoy this book and though it wasn't perfect, I still liked it and give it a thumbs-up for being a very well-written book that I was able to really like for what it was, what it had to offer, and I'm glad I was able to read it when I did. I think this book is very fitting for fans of FANGIRL as previously mentioned but also fitting for fans of ELEANOR & PARK. 

You Can Purchase The Book Here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Story Cartel

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About The Author:

Beck Medina is a writer and comedy performer residing in Los Angeles. She can be seen performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater with Geraldo, her all-Latino comedy group. 

Author Links

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