Review: Then, Now, Always

Then, Now, Always by Mona Shroff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't read many adult titles but when I saw this one I fell in love with the cover and just had to read it. Once I started the story I was drawn in and became addicted to the story and fell in love with the characters. This one is told in alternating time lines as well as a dual POV and it worked wonderfully!! I don't think this story could have been told any other way. It was one of those stories that is a slow burn and so worth the ride. You find out tidbits about what in the world happened tear this family apart as they found each other again. I will seriously be adding this to this years awards because it was just that good. The author has so much culture in this story that I would love to know more about it. She added two of the recipes in the back of the book that I can not wait to try out. And an epilogue that made me cry happy tears as I was finishing up the story that has touched my heart so much!

Don't miss this debut!!


Go Into This One Knowing: Dual POV, Dual Time Lines, Indian Culture, Blended Culture

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Review: When Stars Are Bright

When Stars Are Bright by Amber R. Duell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such an amazing story!! The ending will having you grabbing for the tissues and the story will have you reading until you are finished. I am so happy that I was given the chance to read this amazing retelling of Thumbelina and I really hope we get another story set in this same world. The cast of characters and the use of magic was wonderful. My only issue with this one was the pacing. It was a little slower in places than I would have liked but other than that it was a stellar story that I will read again in the future.


Go Into This One Knowing: Light Love Triangle, Magic, Left Open

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Review: Tweet Cute

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story was so ADORABLE!! It really reminded me of You've Got Mail for a new generation. The story flowed wonderfully and the ending was perfect! I loved how the romance was a slow burn and the story had so much yummy food. I'm still holding out hope that they add all the recipes to the end of the finished copy as my eARC didn't have any of them (I totally cried).

The story itself was pretty easy to follow and I can't wait for another one by this author. It was full of sassy comebacks and so much humor that I just couldn't put it down!! So just know that once you start this one you won't be stopping until the last page.

The rival of the Grilled Cheese was perfect it really showed you how fast a spat on Twitter or really any social media could get out of hand very quickly. I felt so sorry for these kids or at least for Pepper because he mom just couldn't hire someone who knew how to use social media correctly and was totally relying on her teenage daughter to deal with a corporate account. Although it did feel very believable.

Overall, I would love a movie out of this one. I really do think that those who loved You've Got Mail would die hard love this one!! It was cute, sweet, and so funny! Just make sure to have some sweets around because your gonna need them!


Go Into This One Knowing: No Love Triangle, No Cliffhanger, Slow Burn Romance

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Review: Jane Anonymous

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book grabbed me from the very first page!! That prologue was a hit and I could not put this one down at all!! I loved that it was told from Then and Now chapters and these chapters didn't follow a pattern it was a few Then chapters than a few Now chapters. It helped weave this story about a girl who was kidnapped and then broke free from her captor.


So to start off let's unpack some of the issues I had with this one. There are really only three that I had. One was word choices it made me feel that this book was from the 50s but of course we didn't have cell phones then. And the other was that when Jane was kidnapped she talks about having a flashlight app. Which yes those do exist but phones past 2007 all had flashlights in them already. At least as far as I have searched and found. So it made no sense. The last issue I had was that towards the end of the title when Jane is finally coming to terms with what happened to her it felt very rushed. One second she's still having panic attacks then the next chapter she's coming to terms with the twist in this title and moving on with her life. PTSD doesn't work that fast. I would have liked to see this happen gradually throughout the Now chapters and you just don't really see that. The ending of the title felt like a light switched on and off and all of a sudden a wonderful therapist shows up and fixes everything. It felt very convenient.


Other than those three issues this was an amazing story. I think that the only thing that would have made this one even better would have had one page chapters from Mason's POV. It was very interesting in reading about Jane's spiral into madness and insanity. I think that it really very real and showed us how easy it really is to loose yourself. I don't really agree that this was a thriller it was more a psychological stalker story. I felt this way because although Jane was kidnapped she was never in any real danger. . The emotional turmoil that Jane and her family and friends go through felt very real and I really liked that we saw the turmoil that her family and friends went through as well as just Jane.

The twist in the book wasn't so much as obvious but it had that feeling that nothing was what it seemed to be. When the twist was revealed I wasn't so much as shocked that I was right about the twist, but one other twist I didn't see coming.

Overall, this book will not be for everyone. If you have trauma with this topics that this book covers. Then you might want to skip this one. However, if this is a book for you, what you will find is a fabulous story about a girl that never gave up. Even after she got away from her captor her thoughts were on finding help for the other two people that were taken.


Go Into This One Knowing: Kidnapping, Being Held Captive, No Rape, Dual Chapters of Now and Then, Emotional Manipulation, Self Harm (Not Suicide)

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Review: Sisters of Shadow and Light

Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well me and this book had a time. I started out wanting to DNF it and I am so glad that I didn't. By 80 pages I was hooked and I couldn't put it down!! This book is told by one POV then splits to both sisters which was a wonderful way to tell the tale. I loved knowing what was going on in both worlds and I wouldn't change it for the world. It was like at the end of each split chapter something would happen or be revealed and I just could not stop reading.

I would love to have another title about the other world where the Paladins come from etc. I think that would be an epic tale to read about. This one gave me the feelings of Tower of Dawn by Maas and I loved every page. (that is after those 80). The sisters were glorious and their bond was one I won't soon forget. It reminded me when twins feel each other's pain.

The worlds that the author created I loved and I still hope that we get to learn more about the other world though the door. I need a movie of this one my goodness I loved it.

Overall, this one might have a slow start but by 100 pages if you aren't hooked then man I don't know what to tell you. Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo will fall for this one hard.

Go Into This One Knowing: Family, Cliffhanger (light)

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Review: Shades of Human

Shades of Human by J.L. Myers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such an amazing story!! I chose it totally because of the cover for this years reading challenge to get at least 8 book off my shelf. 4 print books and 4 ebooks. So this one I started on the first and finished it three hours later and now I am totally sad because book two doesn't come out until Feb. this is one of those tittles that you finish it and you just want to read book two right then and there.

I thought that this was a young adult title but as it turns out its a new adult title and that worked out even better!! I loved all the tension that built during the story and the romance. The humor that Calli has was great and I loved all the inner banter that she did with herself. I must have wrote down so many quotes. Which are below.

The story itself had a mystery to it that I loved. It was nice not figuring something out before the story told you. And then even when I thought I knew what Calli was going to be I was wrong. That was an amazing feat with me since I always seem to figure it all out.

I just really don't know what to really say about this amazing story other than it was funny, sexy, and its one of those gems in the world of Indies.


Go Into This One Knowing: Sexy, Funny, Twists and Turns, Cliffhanger

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Review: The Hunted

The Hunted by Bethany-Kris
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Unfortunately this one just was not for me. It felt dialogue heavy which really bogged the story down. And I felt that the descriptions were confusing. Overall I think this one was just not my cup of tea.

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