Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication: June 23rd 2015 by HarperTeen

Terri's Thoughts

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 23rd 2015**

The synopsis for this story captured my attention and I was not disappointed.  I am not sure if I am feeling nostalgic for stories about young love and such but this was exactly what the doctor ordered.

The concept behind the story is simple.  A boy is kidnapped and separated from his best friend, fast forward ten years and he returns.  His best friend is still there waiting for him and now that they are older there are additional feelings leading to romance.  Then there is the emotional issues of trying to heal and move on from what happened.  Do I really need to say more?

In many stories there are characters that stand out on my all time favorite list.  More often than not they are the male characters as they (in my historical reading experience) are usually more dynamic and charismatic.  This book is an exception.  The stand out character to me was Emmy hands down.  I just loved her sense of humor and dry/quick wit.  She reminded me of myself when I am on my A game (which isn't a lot).  She was the glue that formed the foundations of this story.

Another interesting aspect to this story was the occasional exerts of the younger Emmy & Oliver.  It was adorable  as we caught a glimpse of the younger versions of them and the more innocent dynamic to their friendship.  This to me added a crucial element to the story as I felt it told the story of the innocence lost due to the situation and aging.

Anyone who can remember that best friend from their youth that may or may not be still in their life will really appreciate this story.  I recommend this story to those who can look back fondly on the crazy things they did as a child with their equally crazy BFF's.  Oh yes....and fans of romance will also appreciate this story.  And people with extremely strict parents....the list goes on.  I just simply recommend it!

About the Author

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Review: Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams

A night they will always remember…a connection neither can deny…a secret that could destroy it all…

When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor—the intriguing man who has haunted her thoughts for a year. A man who led her to breaking every one of her rules for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to help socialize his boss’s nieces. But what he thinks sounds more like a babysitting job ends up leading him to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning—a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

But when a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Expected publication: June 9th 2015 by William Morrow Paperbacks 

Series: Taking Chances #2

Genre: New Adult/Romance

Kristine's Thoughts:

**I received an advanced readers copy from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

There was a note to readers at the beginning of the book that stated...

"While you can read this novel without ever having read anything of mine, it is a continuation of stories and a combination of series. Some things will make much more sense if you've read Taking Chances and Stealing Harper, as wll as Forgiving Lies and Deceiving Lies."

I have to agree with the above statement. This was the first McAdams book for me and although I could follow along with Kennedy and Liam's story, it was the secondary characters particularly the parents, that had me confused. There was quite a bit of detailed bits about both of their parents which leads me to believe that previous books told their very confusing and crazy stories. I have to admit that from the details of their pasts that were given in this book it sounded way too busy and confusing to interest me in picking them up.

This book was just OK for me. There were a couple of things that held me back from liking it as much as I wanted to. The first thing was the build up of Kennedy and Liam's relationship. I didn't feel the emotion, turmoil and chemistry as much as I had hoped to. Without feeling the strong connection between the two I found myself not liking Kennedy very much. She came across too whiny, mean and self serving. Now I did eventually warm up to her but by then it was too late for me to really care about the outcome.

What I struggled most with though, was the relationship between Kennedy and Kira and pretty much everything revolving around the two of them. I am a twin so you would think that I would relate to the two of them. I did not. My sister and I are close and I would say that we have a typical "twin" relationship and I can tell you that we would never talk to each other and treat each other the way Kennedy and Kira did. They were quite mean to each other at times and hurtful. Also, within the pages they never really had their own identity. They lived together, worked together (on the same shift) and played together. They were always grouped together. As a twin I can say that I understand that in younger years. You never really have your own identity but by your early twenties you definitely carve out a life of your own. These two did not and it was creepy and a little annoying. Without giving anything away there was also a part near the end that made me want to vomit. Maybe with other twins it could possibly happen but I know for certain that from my twin perspective that there wouldn't even be a remote possibility of something like that happening. It is like an unwritten code. I just found it gross!

I kind of feel like I might have connected more with the story if I had read some of the authors other books first and that it may have affected my thoughts on the book. I don't know??

About the Author

Molly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband and furry four-legged daughters. When she's not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach … which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies, fried pickles and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm ... or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.

Connect with Molly

Wesite/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads 

 

Review: Whisper Beach by Shelley Noble

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Colors and Breakwater Bay comes this unforgettable story—reminiscent of Kristin Hannah’s beloved novels—of friends, loyalty, and love as three women who are reunited in the idyllic beach town where they grew up are forced to re-evaluate their bonds

Fifteen years ago, seventeen-year-old Vanessa Moran fell in love and lost her virginity but not to the same boy. Pregnant, desperate, and humiliated, she fled friends and family and Whisper Beach, New Jersey, never breathing a word about her secret to anyone. She hasn’t been back since. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she returns to the funeral of her best friend’s husband. She intends on just paying her respects and leaving—though she can’t deny she also wants the town to see how far she’s come as a successful business woman. But her plans to make this a short visit fall by the wayside when her girlfriends have other ideas.

Dorie, the owner of the pier’s Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, needs help. Dorie’s roving husband spends every penny they make and now their restaurant is failing.

Joe, the boy Van left behind without an explanation, has never stopped loving her. While he’s wary of getting hurt again, he also can’t help wondering what would happen if they took up where they left off.

As the summer progresses and the restaurant takes on a new look, trouble comes from unexpected sources. For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.

Paperback, 416 pages

Expected publication: June 16th 2015 by William Morrow & Company

Terri's Thoughts

** I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher William Morrow & Company via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 16th 2015**

I write my thoughts with mixed emotions.  On the one hand I love a story about estranged friends with secrets coming together to share and heal the past.  On the other hand I had a difficult time with Vanessa through the majority of the book.

I will start with the positive.  I loved the setting of the story.  The town of Whisper Beach New Jersey seemed like a quaint small town where due to its size everybody knew everyone.  I can identify coming from a small town myself.  The unfortunate part for me is that my small town did not reside on the ocean as this one did.

I also enjoyed the cast of characters.  Dorie was the typical "Godmother" to the girls who provided shelter and advise to all of the wayward girls, both in their youth and now as adults.  I am not really sure how her husband was too relevant to the plot however Dorie was a Gem.  Then there was Suze who was so intelligently sloppy it was funny.  I even appreciate Dana with her sharp tongue.  Lastly we have Gigi.  Well, read to make your own opinion.

Were the story fell a little short for me is with the character of Van.  She came from a rough childhood and escaped her past to make something of her life.  This in itself is an amazing feat.  My issue is that for the most part she seemed selfish and entitled because of her horrible past.  This is a pet peeve for me in life as I have encountered similar people.  They overcome a hardship to be become successful and they get so full of themselves and their success that they don't remember where they came from.  It is a fine line between being proud of your success and accomplishments and judging others who have not been as successful.  Throughout the story I felt Van was judging some of the others and using her past as an excuse for pretty much everything.  It made it difficult to be in her corner at every moment of the story.  I found myself going back and forth with her.

That aside it was a story about friendship, acknowledging the past and moving forward from it.  With an eclectic cast of characters it provided an entertaining read.  I enjoy these types of stories and even though I struggled with the main character I found myself entertained and curious to find out how it would end.  Without providing any spoilers I will say that I am glad for the way it ended as I felt it appropriate to the plot.

About the Author

Shelley Noble is a multi published fiction author whose books have been translated into seven languages. She writes women’s fiction as Shelley Noble and is also the author of several amateur sleuth mystery series, written as Shelley Freydont.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. She also consults on various dance and theatre projects, most recently the world premiere of a full length Tom Sawyer ballet commissioned by Kansas City Ballet.

Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.

She lives near the New Jersey shore. In her spare time she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and boardwalks with vintage carousels.

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Review: The Canary Room by Edwin F. Casebeer & Linda Casebeer

In the spring of 1945, a young boy in the Pacific Northwest will make a life-or-death decision. Every morning, Herman "Hermy" Auerbach awakens to the pre-dawn song of canaries. The porch where he sleeps contains dozens of the songbirds. Outside, in the wider world, the Second World War enters its final, bloody months. Hermy comes to the Williams' house under protest after his parents' divorce, a result of his father leaving home initially to pursue his impossible dream of becoming an intelligence officer. Herman's mother, remarried to a sailor, abandons her son to move across the country and start another family with her new husband. By the time he takes up residency in the canary room, Hermy has already suffered both from abandonment and bullying. Life with the large, messy Williams clan offers Hermy little relief, although he bonds with the other boys in the family. When the boys hatch a wild escape plan, Hermy finds himself facing death, and deciding if his life is worth the struggle to survive after losing everything. A compelling story of one boy's struggle to survive the uncertainties of foster care and the war, The Canary Room brings to life the daily challenges of life on the US home front in vivid, historically accurate detail.

Paperback, 280 pages

Published July 28th 2014 by Createspace 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts: 

**I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.**

There could have been a beautiful story here but it got totally lost in the style and writing. First off, it was completely over written and complicated. The way in which it was delivered was a mess. I had to double check because I thought maybe I had an ARC with the different sized fonts, bold type and italic. It went back and forth between stories, characters and situations without any warning so much that I couldn't keep track of everything. It felt a little like an English assignment in school that was almost impossible to get a good mark on because it was so much work. A good book shouldn't require so much work. I felt like the author was trying too hard to prove his talent but in the effort alienated the audience.

I feel bad because the actual story had great potential. It was the way that it was delivered that basically ruined it for me. If it was just told in a straight forward, less messy way it might have stood a chance. Reading a book shouldn't feel like an assignment and this one did. It took the pleasure right out of it.

I am giving it 2 stars based on the story that I did find hidden in it.

About the Authors

Edwin Casebeer was born in Boise, Idaho in 1933. He earned graduate degrees at the University of Montana and the University of Washington. He is currently Professor Emeritus, following his career as Professor and English Department Chair at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). He specialized in popular culture studies. He has published Herman Hesse, a definitive work on this author, as well as short stories in Evergreen Review. He currently serves as Editor in Chief for Serealities.com, an online new fiction site.

Linda Casebeer was born in 1947 in Boone, Iowa. She and her husband, Edwin, have five children. She earned graduate degrees at The Citadel and Indiana University, and was Associate Prefessor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. She is the cofounder of Serealities.com. She has written The Last Eclipsed Moon, poems pulished by Cherry Grove Collections, and Love Spells, published as a serial story on serealities.com, and as a novella by Seralities Press.

Review: The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life.

But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.

And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future.

In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.

Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 16th 2015 by Harper Teen

Terri's Thoughts

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Harper Teen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 16th 2015**

Hands down the best part about this story was the format in which it was written.  I simply loved how the story alternated between "then" and "now".  Anyone who has followed my reviews knows that regardless of the genre of the book I am reading that this is my favorite way for a story to unfold.  I find that there is more depth to the story this way and you get to feel more of the emotions.

This story is definitely aimed for the YA audience, although I am not of that age and still appreciated it.  Both a story of first love and lost love, forgiveness and moving on, I think it will resonate with the YA female population.  Much of what took place throughout the book could have been scenes from my high school days.....well except maybe the pool but that is only because my school didn't have one.  Oh, and not the high five for friendship part, I had a good laugh over this one

Overall a good story about youth and love and doing things outside of your comfort zone.  I would recommend this to the YA audience.

About the Author

Public librarian and author of THE NIGHT WE SAID YES (HarperCollins / HarperTeen, June 16, 2015) and MATT'S STORY (a The Night We Said Yes Novella, out August 2015). Fan of dinosaurs and cheesy jokes. And you.

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Review: Dancing With Molly by Lena Horowitz

Before, I was never the life of the party. I was the reliable one. The one no one had to worry about. The one no one had to think about. I was the one that everyone could ignore.

Until that night, when everything changed and I finally became someone.

Someone special.

Someone noticeable.

Someone Carson might actually care about, as much as I cared about him.

But the cost of being someone is more than anyone can imagine. For every moment, there’s a price to pay. For every party. For every choice made. For every kiss.

Ultimately, living a life of PURE ECSTASY might be no different from not living at all.

Kindle Edition, 208 pages

Expected publication: June 2nd 2015 by Simon Pulse 

Genre: Young Adult

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

When I began reading this book I wasn't sure what to think. It is written in the form of a journal which I am sometimes a fan of but I found it to be a little choppy. The writing was average and could be annoying at times. I think this was in an effort to make it seem like an authentic journal written by a teenage girl. The other thing that I worried about was that it was glorifying drug use. Everything was rainbows and unicorns and I couldn't help thinking about what it would look like to a young and naive reader. I really didn't need to worry so much about that because as the story unfolded things began to fall apart and the terrible, scary and unforgiving side of drug use came to the forefront.

I think that a lot of teens will be able to relate to the main character in this book. Feeling like you are average or invisible in a setting where popularity is everything or lying in the shadows of a sibling. Most teenagers want to be accepted and fight within themselves to find that place where they belong. This is where there can be an appeal to using drugs for some people as they lose their self consciousness and find courage to do things they normally wouldn't. This was the case with the main character in this book. It didn't take long though for the experiences she had on ecstasy or "molly" to go from what she considered positive to some pretty terrible experiences. From socially inappropriate behaviour to risky sexual experiences, she went through them all.

There are lessons within this story and content that is worthy of conversation as well. I found a terrible sadness for the characters and events towards the end of the book but it was a necessary sadness. The book needed to go in the direction that it did to drive home the terrible impact of drug use on everyone it surrounds. I thought it was very effective.

Although the voice of the main character was sometimes annoying to read I think the message cut through it and I think it delivered a fairly realistic story about teenage drug use.

 

About the Author

Lena Horowitz was born and raised in New York City, where she became familiar with the party scene at a young age. Now she lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two young daughters, and a playful cat named Hope. She’s no longer in the party scene (unless you count princess tea parties), but she still enjoys the occasional EDM dance session.  

Review: Gambling on a Dream by Sara Walter Ellwood

With Everything At Stake…

It’s been years since Sheriff Dawn Madison said goodbye to Texas Ranger Wyatt McPherson. She’s closed the door on the heartache of her past. But when the sleepy town of Colton, Texas, is rocked by a series of shocking murders, Dawn has no choice but to trust the man who broke her heart if she wants to protect the ones she loves...

All Bets Are Off

Four years have passed. But Wyatt hasn’t forgotten the bold, Native American beauty who stole his heart . . . and broke it. Losing her and the life they had hoped to share left him an empty shell of himself. But if he wants to stop the deranged killer terrorizing the innocent kids of Colton, he’ll have to let Dawn back into his life. It’s a risk he’s willing to take, even if heartache is all he takes home…

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: June 9th 2015 by Lyrical Press

 

Terri's Thoughts

** I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 9th 2015**

This story seems to be the third in a series of which I have not read the previous editions.  Although this can be read as a stand alone story I will admit that I think I would have been better equipped if I had read the first two.  There seemed to be a lot of characters that I had a hard time keeping track of and the storyline alluded to some things that may have occurred in the first two books.

That being said, when it came to Dawn and Wyatt's story it was easy to follow along.  As I had expected the drama and attraction between the two was off the charts.  It leads me to question, why in these stories do the characters never talk things out, they are built on assumptions and misunderstandings.  I guess if I were to narrow it down there wouldn't be a story to read if everyone talked their issues out.

There was the drama of the murders added to the drama of Wyatt and Dawn's relationship.  This gave the story a little bit of a different flavor although I will say that the murder investigation did seem a little glossed over to me.

Without divulging any more of the plot I will say that I enjoyed this read.  I would advise others to read the whole series in order so that there is not as much confusion about the characters as I had however either way the story can be enjoyed.

 

 

About the Author

 

Sara Walter Ellwood is an award winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret was named by bestselling author Carolyn Brown in the Happy Ever After Blog on USA Today as one of her favorite romances of 2012. Although Sara has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her stories. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for nearly 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia.

She also writes paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name of Cera duBois.


Website:  http://www.sarawalterellwood.com
Twitter:  sara_w_ellwood