grief

A Pretty Implausible Premise

By Karen Rivers

(4 / 5)

On the surface this looks like just a YA romance, but it really takes an emotional journey through guilt, loss, and forgiveness. Both of the main characters are going through their own versions of this. Hattie’s mom left when she was just a child, and now she has given up on competitive swimming after a little boy drowned during her lifeguard watch. Presley’s twin brother was killed in a car accident that left him with injuries that ended his figure skating career and put their father in prison. There’s also parallels between Hattie and Presley’s stories and a book that Hattie is obsessed with, which we are able to read excerpts of throughout the book – a story within the story. I really liked both of the main characters. I think they felt realistic and relatable.

The book did feel a bit slow, especially at the beginning. About the first 3rd of the book is just the first day of school, and while it was setting up the backstories and framework, I could see some readers losing interest in this part. The ending of the book is much faster paced. For me personally, the book kept my attention, and I was able to read almost the entire book in a day. The romance wasn’t quite as “insta-love” as the description made it sound, which I was actually glad about.

I received a free copy of A Pretty Implausible Premise through the Amazon Vine program, but all opinions in my review are uninfluenced and my own.

Snow Days With You

By Leonie Mack

Coming soon on October 20, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

Snow Days With You is a sweet, slow-burn romance that left me with a cozy feeling. It takes place in Chamonix amidst the snow-covered mountains of France, which was an amazing, beautiful setting. There’s a lot of French dialog throughout the book, but it’s done in a way that makes the setting feel more authentic. I don’t know French and didn’t have any issues since most of it was translated or could be figured out from context.

The story’s main characters are Luna and Yannick. Most of the book follows Luna’s point of view but some parts follow Yannick, which I liked so I could see his perspective as well. On the surface, these characters seem completely different from each other: Luna has lived a very sheltered, safe life, while Yannick works as part of a rescue team for the mountains, traversing dangerous terrain that they must access by helicopter. But the characters are also both dealing with a lot of grief from losing loved ones and the ending of serious relationships. Luna travels to Chamonix after she receives a large insurance payout from a man she didn’t know, and it’s almost like fate with how Luna and Yannick’s paths keep crossing with each other. I liked these characters, and I thought they really brought something good out of each other.

The story has a sense of mystery to it, as Luna is trying to figure out why she was the benefactor of the money and also discovering things about her late mother that she never knew. That part of the story took some turns I wasn’t expecting, so it kept things interesting. There was also an “air of excitement” with mountain rescues and mountain climbing being a major theme.

Character development over the course of the story was huge. It was almost like the Luna at the end was a different person from the Luna at the beginning. And Yannick grew over the course of the story as well. The book kept me immersed and interested. I would love to read more books by Leonie Mack now that I’ve had a chance to read one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Snow Days With You! My review is my own honest opinion of the book.

October 3, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Ghosted

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Sarah Naughton and Rob Brinkman

Coming soon on September 26, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

TW: suicide

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Sarah Ready’s upcoming book, Ghosted. The narrators did a great job reading the book. A special thanks to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the free advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in my review are solely my own.

I went into Ghosted knowing it was a paranormal romance, but it ended up being so much more than I was expecting. It made me feel such a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. At times it did feel a little long, but then the story took a big turn in a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting.

The author has a very descriptive style of writing, thoroughly painting the scenes throughout the book. Characters were complex and interesting, with side characters that had big personalities and their own character developments. All of this really brought the story to life.

I will note that Jillian, the main character, is a huge Star Trek fan, so many references to the show are made. I’m familiar enough with the various series to be able to appreciate the references, but readers not familiar with Star Trek might find themselves a little lost at times.

I don’t want to give away any of the plot here, so I’ll just say that I ended up enjoying this book so much more than I expected. It was hard to tear myself away from the story, and I finished the whole thing in just over a day. I would love to read more books by Sarah Ready!

I received a free review copy of this book, but all opinions are completely my own.

September 19, 2023 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

Sneak Peek: I Loved You in Another Life

By David Arnold

Coming soon on October 10, 2023

First Impression: (3 / 5)

Another sneak peek, this time of I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold. I was able to read the first several chapters. Unfortunately it turned out not being my cup of tea.

The writing in this book has a poetic feel to it, though the indirectness makes it feel a bit confusing. Evan’s chapters are in first person while Shosh’s are in third person which was a bit too jarring for my taste. Then there was a chapter about a couple in the past that appears to parallel the main story, but after several chapters the main characters haven’t even met yet. Overall it just had a depressing feel to it. I could see this book being one that some people might love, but it’s just not for me.

July 13, 2023 by danimae1981 eBook Fiction First Impression Young Adult 0