danimae1981

This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy

By Liz Kelly, LICSW

Released today!

(4 / 5)

I’m not a big nonfiction reader, but I was drawn to the cheeky title and potential for a more lighthearted take on self-help. This book isn’t necessarily comedic, but it feels less clinical than a lot of self-help books out there and managed to get me to chuckle a few times. To me, this book felt like a toolbox filled with a variety of methods and suggestions one could pick and choose from, based on preference. A lot of the information wasn’t necessarily new to me, but this book puts it all in one place and describes things in a way that’s easy to understand. I especially liked the numerous real-world examples given throughout the book, helping me understand the concepts the author was trying to convey. There’s a lot of great information here, and I made lot of bookmarks and highlights throughout so I could refer back to those sections. It’s obvious that this book isn’t meant to completely replace therapy, but it provides a great reference to the types of skills one would work on in a therapy environment.

Thank you to PESI Publishing, Bridge City Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy! All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Last Bloodcarver

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 19th!

After reading a 2nd time, I’ve decided to up my rating to (5 / 5).

In the city of Theumas, 18-year-old Nhika has been completely on her own for the past 6 years. She must hide the fact that she’s a heartsooth, with the ability to heal by direct touch, but also feared because the ability can be used to hurt or kill. Her people have essentially been wiped out, and she may just be the last of her kind. When she is captured and sold by black market “butchers,” she is introduced into a different part of society with its own dark secrets.

I really enjoyed reading The Last Bloodcarver, which is the first book in a duology. This book was written so well, it’s hard to believe that it’s the author’s debut novel! Nhika, the main character, was interesting and felt relatable. Her abilities as a heartsooth/bloodcarver were unique yet explained in a way that felt intuitive and understandable. I was easily pulled into this world, which has both a fantasy and technological feel to it. Bonus points for the map included at the beginning at the book, which helped visualize the city and how it was laid out. I really enjoyed the various side characters with their own stories and quirks. With a possible murder to solve, it gives this book a bit of a whodunit feel, and while some things were easy enough to guess, others came as a surprise. This is a book I would read again, and I definitely plan to read the 2nd book when it becomes available!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and BookishFirst for the free copy of The Last Bloodcarver! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 18, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0

Falling for Fury

By Brittany Rianne

Released today!

(4 / 5)

Addison: 25-year-old law student who struggles with mental health and the expectations set by her dad. Noah: 29-year-old businessman who is determined to succeed to support his family but has sworn off love after the grief of losing his father. The two meet by chance and sparks fly, but is a relationship possible?

This book begins with a trigger warning, which I appreciated since I have had my own struggles with mental health. I’ll admit, in the beginning I had a hard time completely understanding the two main characters, but as I got to know them better, they both grew on me. On the surface, this is a romance story with good amount of spice, but it digs so much deeper with topics about mental health, family issues and personal growth. I liked the relationship between Addison and Noah, especially with how Noah embraced Addison as she was, instead of walking on eggshells like everyone else around her. I thought the book playlist (a song for each chapter) was a nice touch, even if I didn’t always listen to it while reading the book. This book is impressive for a self-published debut author – I would have never suspected this just from reading the book.

Thank you to Brittany Rianne for the free review copy of Falling for Fury! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 10, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Ex in the City

By Portia MacIntosh

Coming February 27, 2024

(3 / 5)

Nicole once lived an exciting life, touring with bands as a magazine journalist. But these days, she’s living the suburban mom life, in a relationship that is essentially over. Then rockstar Dylan, Nicole’s former best friend, shows up, and her past and present lives come crashing together.

This was one of those books that I wished I loved, but in the end I just didn’t feel the connection to the characters and story that I was hoping to. Don’t get me wrong, the story is written well, flowed well, had character growth, and was a quick read. I think I was partially put off by Nicole sticking around with Rowan (her ex) even though the relationship was over, and it took a bit to learn exactly where things went wrong with them. Plus I think I would’ve liked to see Dylan arrive in the story sooner and more of a relationship with him and Nicole. While this wasn’t quite the right book for me, it’s something I think other readers may enjoy, so definitely don’t write it off just based on my feelings about it.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Ex in the City! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 16, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Your Blood, My Bones

By Kelly Andrew

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

It’s been 5 years since Wyatt left Willow Heath, her father’s homestead farm, and her childhood friends, James and Peter. Now Wyatt is 18, her father has passed, and she has inherited the farm. She returns with only the intention to burn it to the ground, until she finds Peter, imprisoned in the cellar. Now she must face her past and present, as the farm holds far more sinister secrets than she ever imagined.

This book was one that I have very mixed feelings about. On one hand, there were parts that felt drawn out or more confusing than they needed to be. We have the present-day timeline, along with memories from the past, and sometimes it was hard to tell when something was happening or exactly how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. On the other hand, this book kept me wanting to read it, sitting for hours at a time. I really liked the writing, with fantastic descriptions and an overall unique feel to it. It was a blend of many genres – young adult, romance, fantasy, horror. At times I felt the vocabulary was a bit advanced for young adult, but again, this generally didn’t feel like a typical YA story. While not necessarily packed with action, the story held an eerie and mysterious feel throughout.

Thank you to Scholastic, Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of Your Blood, My Bones. Opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

February 12, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Horror Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

It’s Complicated

By Camilla Isley

Coming soon on February 23, 2024

(4 / 5)

Jace, Aiden and Lori have been best friends for the past 15 years… they even share a doctor practice together. But it’s a little complicated – Jace secretly loves Lori, Lori secretly has a crush on Aiden, and Aiden is about to get married to Kirsten. Trying to make Aiden jealous, Lori convinces Jace to pretend they are in a relationship, making things even more complicated.

It’s Complicated was a very quick read for me. It held my interest, flowed well, and kept me wanting to read right until the end. I enjoyed the characters (quirks and all) and relationships between them. The story pretty much went how I expected in most parts, but this lighthearted read was just what I was looking for. I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Camilla Isley, and this book was no exception.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the free review copy of It’s Complicated! All opinions in my review are exclusively my own.

February 7, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Switched

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster and James Anderson Foster

Coming soon on February 20, 2024

(4 / 5)

Serena is a scientist who likes her life the way it is, convinced that having a relationship with a man would mean giving up her own identity. Then she meets Henry, and they have a one-night stand. He’s convinced it’s love at first sight, but Serena is not falling for that, especially when she finds out he’s going to be her new boss. For well over a year they suppress the feelings, nothing but coworkers… until one day a storm at the Large Hadron Collider leads to them switching bodies, and now they have to stick together until they figure out how to undo it.

Switched is the second book in the Ghosted series, though I think it can easily be read as a standalone. Personally, I liked Ghosted better, but Switched was still an enjoyable read. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version, which I thought was well-done, especially with portraying the various accents of different characters.

I liked the portrayal of Serena being a woman working in science, though sometimes I felt like the science references were a little bit lost on me. That said, you could feel her passion for the field. The body switch give the book a little bit of a paranormal feel, but this was something I expected. There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments along the way, but also a lot of soul searching as Serena and Henry learn about each other during their predicament. There was a lot of character growth, especially for Serena, as she came to better understand herself, Henry, and the reasons she didn’t want to have a relationship. Switched kept me wanting to read more, and I was able to finish the whole book within a 24-hour timespan.

Thank you to Sarah Ready, W. W. Crown, and imprint of Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Audiobooks, and NetGalley for the free audiobook of Switched. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 6, 2024 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

Check & Mate

By Ali Hazelwood

(5 / 5)

Mallory just recently graduated from high school but has a lot more responsibilities than most 18-year-olds. With a sick mom and two younger sisters, Mallory acts as a parent and breadwinner for the family. Formerly a chess player, Mallory gave up the sport 4 years ago after a fallout with her dad. But a favor for a friend leads to her winning a chess game against the world’s #1 player, leading to opportunities she might not be able to turn down.

Check & Mate was my first read by Ali Hazelwood, and now I can see why she’s such a popular author! I really loved reading this book – it was one of those books that had me reading well into the night because I didn’t want to put it down. Mallory was a great character and felt relatable. I really enjoyed her interactions with Nolan and the relationship that develops between them. I think I especially liked how Nolan respected Mallory’s boundaries and didn’t actively pursue her until she was ready. There are plenty of side characters who are quirky and interesting that I enjoyed. While I went into the book knowing it would be a love story, I was happy to see that there was a lot of depth to the story beyond that. Obviously, chess is a major topic in this book, but not knowing a lot about the game didn’t take away from the story at all. What was very eye-opening was the struggle faced by women who play chess, and it was nice to see Mallory’s character grow into a strong representative of a female chess player. Overall, this was just a great read, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

February 3, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

Past Crimes

By Jason Pinter

Coming soon on February 6, 2024

(4 / 5)

Past Crimes takes us into a not-so-distant future where peoples’ lives now revolve around a virtual world known as Earth+, and one of the favorite pastimes is participating in simulations of famous murders and crimes. Here we meet Cassie, who works for a company that looks to sell victims’ stories to the highest bidder.

This story had an unsettling feel to it, I think because the future it presented felt dystopian but believable. There’s a lot of action, and it was a bit of an adrenaline rush as a “rush against the clock” scenario plays out. There are some twists along the way, some that I saw coming for a while and some that I didn’t expect at all. I liked the main character, Cassie, and that she was a representative of a fairly “normal” person in this future world until she becomes a victim herself. Overall, I found this to be an interesting book to read, and it kept my interest.

Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for the free review copy of Past Crimes. The opinions in my review are solely my own.

January 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Thriller 0

When You Fall for a Prince

By Lia Huni

Released today!

(5 / 5)

Eva is a college student studying abroad in the tiny country of Freiburg, which happens to be the home country of her longtime friend from home, Teo. What she doesn’t know is that he’s had a crush on her for years AND is a prince of Freiburg. If you have KindleUnlimited, you can even check out this book for free!

When You Fall for a Prince is the 5th book in a series of books, but I had no issues reading this one without reading the other books first. That said, I devoured this book, so I’d love to read the other books as well. The story flowed beautifully and pulled me in easily. I really enjoyed both of the main characters as well as the interesting side characters. There’s some scenes that are quite comical and give the story a lighthearted feel. The romance is a bit of a slow-burn, but I enjoyed both main characters growing and finding themselves along the way. I’m really impressed that this is an indie book, since it felt just as polished as books I’ve read from large publishers and well-known authors.

Thank you to the author for the free review copy of When You Fall for a Prince! All opinions in my review are completely my own and voluntary.

January 24, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0