Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

January 23, 2018

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author & Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp was a different book compared to books that I have been reading lately. I did read another book by this author last year you can click here to check out that review and book if you missed it. This book was different from the other one, and I think I liked this book even more than the first one I read by her. This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of it because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or where this book was going to end up. I spent most of the book wanting to know that why everyone in the town of “Lost” was acting so strange. There were quite a few spots in this book that made me take a step back and wonder what was really going on. Like when Corey was looking at a painting that Kyra had done before she died and in the painting, she (Kyra) was under the ice and come to find out that is how she actually died, so it took me by surprise. If you like YA fiction than I would for sure read this book because I am sure you will enjoy it.

About The Book

Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.

Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated―and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town’s lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she’s a stranger.

Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets―chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter…

About The Author

Marieke Nijkamp a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek. She’s the author of THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS and the forthcoming BEFORE I LET GO.

Her short stories can be found in: PILGRIM PLAYWRIGHT GENIE GUARD, FERAL YOUTH, and THE RADICAL ELEMENT.

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Please note I don’t respond to friend requests or messages on GR, but you’re always welcome to tweet or email me. 🙂

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The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

January 19, 2018

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel was a good book. I really enjoyed the authors writing and the characters in this book, but there was one thing that really bugged me about this book. Throughout the book, it went back and forth between now and the past. So one chapter would be talking about the history, and the next chapter would be taking place at the present time. This bugged me because I wished that the book would have gone in order, so it wasn’t jumping back and forth between current time and the past. I wished that I would know everything in order so that I wasn’t left wondering what the entire backstory was. I understand why the author wrote it like she did but it wasn’t something that I enjoyed reading. Like I said before I really enjoyed the authors writing and the characters in this book. I do think I will check out other books by this author in the future as well. I really enjoyed this book other than that one issue I told you about earlier. This book didn’t keep me on my end of my seat, but I wasn’t bored while reading it so if you enjoy thriller books than I would give this one a shot. If you do pick it up, let me know what you think about it.

About The Book

“Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.”

After her mother’s suicide, fifteen year-old Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin, Allegra, on their vast estate in rural Kansas. Lane knew little of her mother’s mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. But when she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran…fast and far away.

Eleven years later, Lane is adrift in Los Angeles when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Did she run too? Or something worse? Unable to resist his pleas, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind. Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long ago summer. But it also means facing the devastating secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again.

As it weaves between Lane’s first Roanoke summer and her return, The Roanoke Girls shocks and tantalizes, twisting its way through revelation after mesmerizing revelation, exploring the secrets families keep and the fierce and terrible love that both binds them together and rips them apart.

About The Author

Amy Engel is the author of THE BOOK OF IVY young adult series. A former criminal defense attorney, she lives in Missouri with her family. THE ROANOKE GIRLS (March 7, 2017), is her first novel for adults.

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The Breathless by Tara Goedjen

December 20, 2017

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Breathless by Tara Goedjen was a book I picked up on a whim because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. That being said I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book and I am glad to say that in the end, I did enjoy the book. There were times that I was bored with what was going on in the book but those times passed quickly, and I wanted to keep reading so I could figure out what was going to happen next. I know that one of the main reasons I like this book so much is because I wasn’t able to figure out how it was going to end and what was going to happen next. This book did make me want to read other books in the genre because I really enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a book in the horror genre that would be appropriate for teenagers, I would pick this one up and give it to them for Christmas.

About The Book

No one knows what really happened on the beach where Roxanne Cole’s body was found, but her boyfriend, Cage, took off that night and hasn’t been seen since. Until now. One year—almost to the day—from Ro’s death, when he knocks on the door of Blue Gate Manor and asks where she is.

Cage has no memory of the past twelve months. According to him, Ro was alive only the day before. Ro’s sister Mae wouldn’t believe him, except that something’s not right. Nothing’s been right in the house since Ro died.

And then Mae finds the little green book. The one hidden in Ro’s room. It’s filled with secrets—dangerous secrets—about her family, and about Ro. And if what it says is true, then maybe, just maybe, Ro isn’t lost forever.

And maybe there are secrets better left to the dead.

About The Author

Tara Goedjen has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Alabama and grew up in the South. The Breathless is her debut novel. She lives and writes in Monterey, California. To find out more about Tara and her novel, follow @TaraGoedjen on Twitter.

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Abuse of Discretion by Pamela Samuels Young

December 12, 2017

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Abuse of Discretion by Pamela Samuels Young was a fascinating book. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but overall I did like the book. I didn’t feel like I could connect with the characters, so I had a rough time reading it, but I did get through it. It did have spots where I didn’t want to put the book down but those times always passed after a few chapters. I did love getting a look at what the juvenile justice system might be like in the United States. I felt terrible for Graylin throughout most of the book because he got caught up in something that I am sure most teenagers in this country do and deal with on a regular basis. If you are looking for a book that takes place in current times than I think this book is the one for you. I tend not to like books that take place in the world we are currently living in because I am so tired of always hearing about things like this happening.

About The Book

Title: ABUSE OF DISCRETION
Author: Pamela Samuels Young
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery

A Kid’s Curiosity … A Parent’s Nightmare

The award-winning author of “Anybody’s Daughter” is back with an addictive courtroom drama that gives readers a shocking look inside the juvenile criminal justice system.

Graylin Alexander is a model fourteen-year-old. When his adolescent curiosity gets the best of him, Graylin finds himself embroiled in a sexting scandal that threatens to ruin his life. Jenny Ungerman, the attorney hired to defend Graylin, is smart, confident and committed. She isn’t thrilled, however, when ex-prosecutor Angela Evans joins Graylin’s defense team. The two women instantly butt heads. Can they put aside their differences long enough to ensure Graylin gets justice?

Unbeknownst to Angela, her boyfriend Dre is wrestling with his own drama. Someone from his past wants him dead. For Dre, his response is simple—kill or be killed.

About The Author

Pamela Samuels Young has always abided by the philosophy that you create the change you want to see. She set giant-sized goals and used her talent, tenacity and positive outlook to accomplish them. Pamela consequently achieved success in both the corporate arena and literary world simultaneously.

An author, attorney and motivational speaker, Pamela spent fifteen years as Managing Counsel for Toyota, specializing in labor and employment law. While still practicing law, Pamela began moonlighting as a mystery writer because of the absence of women and people of color depicted in the legal thrillers she read. She is now an award-winning author of multiple legal thrillers, including Anybody’s Daughter, which won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction, and her new release, Abuse of Discretion, a shocking look at the juvenile justice system in the context of a troubling teen sexting case.

Prior to her legal career, spent several years as a television news writer and associate producer. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from USC and earned a master’s degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University and a law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law. She is a frequent speaker on the topics of teen sexting, child sex trafficking, self-empowerment and fiction writing.

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The Solicitor by Sean Keefer

December 8, 2017

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Solicitor by Sean Keefer had me hooked right from the prologue, and I didn’t want to stop reading it until I was done with the book. I can’t really pinpoint what I loved so much about this book, but I didn’t want to put it down while I was at work or when it was time to go to bed. This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. I really liked the characters in this book because I felt like they could have been real people. I was kind of sad when the book was over because I feel like I was saying goodbye to friends. I don’t know that there is anything wrong that I can say about this book. This author has written one other book that I am hoping I will be able to read later. If you like to read mystery books, I know you will enjoy this book as much as I do.

About The Book

Title: THE SOLICITOR
Author: Sean Keefer
Publisher: Four Hounds Creative
Pages: 386
Genre: Mystery

When you make your living fighting for justice, the last place you expect to wake up is behind bars.

Attorney Noah Parks has spent his life keeping people out of jail. When he’s charged with the murder of a candidate for Charleston County Solicitor he finds himself on the wrong side of the law for a crime he says he didn’t commit.

No longer fighting for others and now relying on the help of the few people he does trust, Noah must fight to clear his name and find the real killer before it’s too late.

His search will lead him through a maze of deceptions, lies, family turmoil and treachery that spans generations.

The Solicitor is set in historic Charleston and the surrounding South Carolina Lowcountry where under the surface things are not always as genteel as they appear.

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About The Author

While growing up in South Carolina, Sean didn’t realize it, but he was absorbing the styles, mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, dialects and the culture of his home. Add to this the time he spent traveling the other Carolina for school and then North America for work, he collected a vast array of experiences and observations from which to draw upon and bring together in his writing.

After studying law in North Carolina, Sean settled in Charleston, South Carolina and instantly became enamored with the people as well as the city.

One day he started writing and the words, generally, kept flowing. A page became a chapter which ultimately became a book known as The Trust. After this the process started again and The Solicitor was the end result. Hopefully, if you are reading this you either have, or soon will have, your very own copy of one or both.

The experience of taking two novels from conceptualization to print has been one of frustration peppered with increasing amounts of reward. Each step from the first words hitting the page to ultimately holding a book in hand has been a personal reward.

When Sean is not writing he practices Family Law and works as a Domestic Mediator and lives with his Wife and an ever-expanding pack of rescue canines – the current count is 4. As well, Sean can frequently be found wandering the lowcountry of South Carolina with his camera, playing guitar in assorted venues around Charleston or exploring the underwater world of the southeast.

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Deadly Proof by Rachel Dylan

November 17, 2017

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Deadly Proof by Rachel Dylan was an exciting book. This book is one that I knew I was going to like just from reading what the book was about. This book is a genre that I love, and I find that judge books like this one harder than other books because I have read so many. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I can’t wait to read more books by her in the future. I also loved all of these characters right from the start. This book didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat, but it did keep me interested in most of the book. There were a few spots where I was bored with what was going on but those past pretty quickly and in the end, I really did like this book. This book also didn’t have anything that might offend people because it is a Christian fiction book. I do like to read books like this one because you don’t have to worry about what is going to happen in the book. If you love mystery books, I am sure you will like this book just as much as I did.

About The Book

In the biggest case of her career, attorney Kate Sullivan is tapped as lead counsel to take on Mason Pharmaceutical because of a corporate cover-up related to its newest drug. After a whistleblower dies, Kate knows the stakes are much higher than her other lawsuits.

Former Army Ranger turned private investigator Landon James is still haunted by mistakes made while serving overseas. Trying to forget the past, he is hired by Kate to look into the whistleblower’s allegation and soon suspects that the company may be engaging in a dangerous game for profit. He also soon finds himself falling for this passionate and earnest young lawyer.

Determined not to make the same mistakes, he’s intent on keeping Kate safe, but as the case deepens, it appears someone is willing to risk everything–even murder–to keep the case from going to trial.

About The Author

Rachel Dylan writes Christian fiction including inspirational romantic suspense for Love Inspired Suspense and the Windy Ridge Legal Thriller series. Rachel has practiced law for almost a decade and enjoys weaving together legal and suspenseful stories. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids–two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find Rachel at http://www.racheldylan.com.