ARC Review: What Comes After by Steve Watkins

Title: What Comes After
Author: Steve Watkins | Author Website
Available: Now
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Contemporary












Description via Goodreads:


After her veterinarian dad dies, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight must leave her beloved Maine to live on a North Carolina farm with her hardbitten aunt and a cousin she barely knows. Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, immediately clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats the livestock, spends Iris’s small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense. Things come to a head when Iris sets two young goats free to save them from slaughter, and an enraged Aunt Sue orders her brutish son, Book, to beat Iris senseless - a horrific act that lands Book and his mother in jail. Sent to live with an offbeat foster family and their "dooking" ferrets, Iris must find a way to take care of the animals back at the farm, even if it means confronting Aunt Sue. Powerful and deeply moving, this compelling novel affirms the redemptive power of animals and the resilience of the human spirit.


My thoughts:


Iris’s mother split years ago and now that her father has passed away she finds herself stuck living with an aunt she doesn’t even know. She has to move from her home state of Maine to small town North Carolina. From the moment she meets Aunt Sue at the airport Iris seems to realize life is not going to be the same. To say Aunt Sue is tough would be an understatement. She is cruel and seems to turn to violent forms of discipline with ease. 


Iris quickly develops an attachment to the goats Aunt Sue raises. When the two male goats are sentenced for slaughter Iris reacts quickly to save their lives. She seriously ticks off her aunt in the process and finds herself beaten senseless by her aunt and cousin. This lands them in jail, Iris in foster care, and the goats left to fend for themselves. Iris quickly realizes desperate times call for desperate measures.


What Comes After contains two elements that I typically shy away from when it comes to choosing books to read. Child abuse and animal abuse. I was hesitant, but with all the glowing reviews I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. While it was without a doubt a heartbreaking story of loss, it is also an empowering tale of survival. 


Iris is a wonderful protagonist who was very easy to connect with. I absolutely adored watching her growing bond with the animals on her aunt’s farm. The progression of her relationship with her aunt and cousin was much harder to experience. I’m still amazed I read it so quickly with the amount of heavy topics it contains. Iris’s voice flowed so smoothly while she told her story. I found I couldn’t put this book down once I started reading. 


The moments when she remembered the times she helped her veterinarian father care for animals were some of my favorites. Being a huge animal lover it definitely helped me to connect with Iris almost immediately. The animals in this book were also utterly endearing. If I had to pick a favorite animal, goats would be high on the list. They are packed full of so much personality and love to play. We had the chance to visit a goat farm a few years ago and my entire family had a blast. I found playing with the goats didn’t differ much from playing with a dog. I loved how easily the author captured their playful nature on the pages of What Comes After.


Some of the events that occurred over the course of What Comes After were gruesome. I admit to skimming a certain scene because emotionally I just couldn’t handle it. If you read this there will be tears. It is one of those books that just wreaks havoc on your heart and emotions. I’m so glad I didn’t pass this one by. I highly recommend it to fans of YA contemporaries.

My Rating:

Source:

Review: The Blood of Cain by T. L. Gray

Title: The Blood of Cain
Series: ?
Author: T. L Gray | Author Website
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult












Description via Goodreads:


Teagan Dacre loves fast cars, loud music and beautiful women, however he carries a secret that keeps him isolated from the general population; he has strange silver eyes, heals really fast and hasn't aged in over a hundred years.

The darkest secret of all - he has a blood thirst that must be satisfied by each new moon.

Believing himself unique, Teagan's world gets turned upside down when he meets an unruly family of immortals seeking their father and maker, none other than the world's first murderer, Cain.

Everything Teagan thought he knew about himself is transformed when he learns how vampires came to be and for what purpose he was made.

For everything, there's a price to be paid, Teagan wonders if he'll be strong enough to pay it.

My thoughts:

What a wonderful book! Author T.L Gray took the biblical story of Cain and turned it into a story of fantasy and suspense. Using a combination of present day events and flashbacks spanning thousands of years to tell this fascinating story. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard stories of Cain being the first vampire, but I truly loved her unique take.

The pacing of The Blood of Cain was ideal, and the characters were engaging and well developed. I also loved the many different settings where the characters could be found while telling their story. It was the perfect mix of historical and modern day fantasy. I am thoroughly impressed that she packed such a stellar novel into just under 200 pages. With the shifting point of view I was concerned the storyline would become confusing but it all flowed wonderfully. She was able to give both Teagan and Cain their own unique voice. As a reader I very much appreciated this little detail. The ending clearly stated To Be Continued and I for one can’t wait to see where this author takes us next. 

My Rating:

Buy from Amazon:

Source: Author

Review: To Kill A Warlock by H.P Mallory

Title: To Kill A Warlock
Series: Dulcie O’Neil #1
Author: H.P Mallory | Author Website
Available: Now
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult












Description via Goodreads:


The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch. 


My thoughts:


Dulcie O’Neil is a Regulator working for the A.N.C (Association for Netherworld Creatures). This is a law enforcement agency that makes sure Netherworld creatures, which are living openly among the human race, are abiding by the laws in place. She also happens to be a fairy and a pretty badass one at that. When she isn’t working as a Regulator she spends time writing romance novels with the hopes of one day being able to retire from the A.N.C and write full time. In this series debut we follow Dulcie as she tries to track down a murderer that did an awful good job of making Dulcie look guilty of the crime he/she committed.

My favorite part of this book was the wide variety of supernatural characters thrown into the mix. If you’re into hot supernatural guys you want to give this series a try. I’ve read the first two books in this series and still can’t pick a favorite. Dulcie is also such a fabulous main character and I adore her best friend Sam. The moments witnessed between the two of them were some of my favorites. It seems the female protags in UF books are usually seriously lacking in the BFF department. I was so happy this wasn’t the case with Dulcie.

The plot and pacing of To Kill a Warlock was very impressive. Sometimes smaller novels can feel rushed and the characters will lack the development I need to connect. This didn’t feel like an issue to me while reading. The dialogue was fun and I enjoyed Dulcie’s wit. She is a really fun character to spend time with. All in all H.P Mallory offers readers a wonderful and engaging Urban Fantasy debut. At just 99 cents for the e-book version this is a steal!

My Rating:

Books in this series:

Buy To Kill A Warlock:

Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Source: Bookish Snob Promotions

Winner of I’m Not Her goodies!

The winner of a finished copy of I’m Not Her & an I’m Not her chocolate bar is......

#7 Ing C.

Congratulations & check your email :)

Thanks to all who entered. 

Don’t forget to check out the other giveaways going on right now!

ARC Review: Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Title: Plain Kate
Author: Erin Bow | Author’s Website
Available: Now
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Fantasy












Description via Goodreads:


Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden talismans are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade”: a dangerous nickname in a country where witches are hunted and burned in the square. 

For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate’s father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate. 

Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he’ll give Kate the means to escape the angry town, and what’s more, he’ll grant her heart’s wish. It’s a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes she can't live shadowless forever -- and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.


My thoughts:


Katerina Svetlana is known to most as Plain Kate. Raised by her father after her mother passed away. She has a gift with woodworking and hopes to become a master carver just like her father. When he dies from the witch's fever Kate is left alone. Too young and poor to become an apprentice to the carver taking her father's place in town, she finds herself living in her father's vacant booth in the town square with only a kitten for company. When strange things happen the townsfolk begin to suspect Plain Kate of witchcraft. This sets in motion Kate deciding to trade her shadow for the tools necessary to flee the small town she called home. Kate sets off on an adventure full of both excitement and grief. As her shadow slowly disappears she realizes her secrets won't stay hidden for long. When Kate agreed to the trade she didn't realize how difficult a shadowless life would be.

I'm not sure why I was under the impression Plain Kate was a middle grade novel. It turned out to be much darker than I had anticipated which was actually a good thing. I love books reminiscent of fairy tales, but laced with darker themes. It took me much longer than I would have liked to finish reading, but it wasn't because of the book itself. It was more life getting in the way. I found myself constantly thinking of what trials Kate would face next and eager to slack on responsibilities in order to spend more time reading. All signs of a really good read.

Kate is your classic outcast. Orphaned with an appearance that leads people to make incorrect assumptions. The town seemed to tolerate her until her father's death. After that poor Kate was on her own and struggling for survival. When the unexplainable occurs people search for someone to blame. Kate's "witch eyes" made her an easy target. Kate is the ideal heroine for this genre and fits her role in the story to perfection. There is also a great deal of wonderful secondary characters that Kate meets over the course of her journey. The characters in Plain Kate are exactly what characters in all books should hope to be. Well developed instead of just "filler characters". They felt just as familiar as main character and narrator, Kate. This isn't something that can be said of all books especially fantasy. With so much happening sometimes the secondary characters don't get the attention they deserve. This is not the case with the cast of Plain Kate. There is also a talking cat! As far as I'm concerned cats and fantasy go together like peanut butter and jelly. Give the cat the ability to speak, and I'm one happy reader.

The ending was executed perfectly. I loved that while the conflict was resolved it stayed true to the novels darker tones. I do love a happily ever after, but I also appreciate it when an author doesn't feel the need to insert rainbows and sunshine just to appease readers. Combine all of these elements with an amazing setting and you have a fantasy novel done right! This isn't a book everyone will love, but I think fans of darker fantasy will truly appreciate what Plain Kate has to offer.

My Rating:

Source: Amazon Vine

ARC Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon | Blog
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy












Description from Goodreads:


Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

My thoughts:

When Azalea’s mother dies the castle goes into mourning. Everyone has to wear black, the windows are covered and dancing is strictly prohibited. Desperate to dance, the girls discover a secret passage that leads them to an enchanted forest. It is here they meet The Keeper. The girls are so desperate to escape the depressing castle they are blinded to The Keeper’s motives, and the dangers closing in on them. 


Entwined is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I adore fairy tales and never hesitate to snatch up a new retelling when it hits the shelves. I thought Entwined was perfectly executed. It had all the elements I desire in a fairy tale. Azalea was a wonderful narrator and main character. Her sisters were well developed even though they were more like secondary characters to the plot. The Keeper was a despicably perfect villain. There were also a few romantic interests for the girls that added a nice romantic element to the plot. I also like that the boys didn’t have to be the heroes in this one. Azalea and her sisters are strong and smart girls who could kick butt when necessary. 


Entwined summoned a continuous sense of nostalgia for this long time lover of fairy tales and princesses. It was a book that just made me feel good. It isn’t a book I devoured in one sitting, but one I looked forward to cuddling up with while drinking a cup of tea each evening before bed.  This is a very big book, but it doesn’t seem that way when you’re reading. I was completely and totally enchanted by the author’s writing and the story she told. I couldn’t believe how quickly the pages flew by. I can see myself reading this with my daughters when they are a little older. I will most definitely add a finished copy of Entwined to my shelf of favorites very soon.


Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous and a perfect fit for the story on the pages!

My Rating:

Source:

Around the World Tours

ARC Review: Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

Title: Back When You Were Easier to Love
Author: Emily Wing Smith
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary












Description from Goodreads:


What's worse than getting dumped? Not even knowing if you've been dumped. Joy got no goodbye, and certainly no explanation when Zan—the love of her life and the only good thing about stifling, backward Haven, Utah—unceremoniously and unexpectedly left for college a year early. Joy needs closure almost as much as she needs Zan, so she heads for California, and Zan, riding shotgun beside Zan's former-best-friend Noah.

Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy's story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent.

My thoughts:

Back When You Were Easier to Love follows Joy's quest for closure. Her boyfriend Zan has left their small Mormon community to attend college in California. Joy places blame on the lame kids in her school because Zahn was so different. More mature, intelligent, good looking. You name it Zahn was better. Of course he’d have no choice but to leave for bigger and better things. This has her heading out on a road trip with Zahn's best friend with the hope she can find the closure she so desperately needs.

This is the story of a girl in love with a boy who might not be as perfect as she thinks. Unfortunately, main character Joy's whining and woe is me attitude took up a huge chunk of the book. While I enjoyed the premise and the look at the life of a Mormon teen, I couldn't bring myself to care about Joy or her cause. By the time Joy had started to look at life in a different light there wasn't enough book left for my opinion of her to change. Her love for Zan was borderline obsessive and caused her to treat many of her classmates like they were second rate. Sure didn’t win her any cool points with me. There were also several interesting secondary characters I didn't get to know as well as I would have liked. Joy seemed to have a great group of friends who stuck with her even when she wasn’t being such a great friend.

The book did contain solid writing and I love when a story takes readers on a road trip. I would have given it a 4 star rating if the characters had just contained more depth and developed more as the plot progressed. Even an extra 20 pages might have given Joy time to get on my good side. While I didn’t feel the love for Joy this is still a cute read with a pretty good ending.

Also wanted to note this is a pretty clean read. Some references to co-ed dorm’s and possible shenanigans resulting from the living arrangement. Also an innocent smooch or two. I’d consider this safe for even younger teens.

My Rating:

Cover thoughts: Cute, cute, cute! It is what made me want to read this book.

Source:

Around the World Tours

Author Guest Post: Barbara Quick

Barbara Quick, author of A Golden Web, is here to tell us a little about herself in 250 words or less.

 

J.M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan, claims that babies all remember once having been

fairies. They’ re still trying to fly, waving their little arms. But life teaches them soon

enough how silly they’ re being—and they stop trying to fly.

Writers are often, I think, babies who never learn that they can’ t fly anymore.

From a very young age, I knew I needed wings of some kind if I was going to survive the

journey to adulthood. I kept my wings hidden. But I flew nonetheless. I found safe and

beautiful places. And when I couldn’ t find them, I created them.

Of course I could say: Los Angeles; a dysfunctional family; a little sister I adored. Lots

and lots of reading. Very dark poems. (When I was eight, I wrote, “ Far into the night, I

see myself. I am alone.” )

Learning to bake bread and make gardens. Learning to follow very complicated recipes—and then learning to improvise. Wanting to be an actress on the stage. Singing. Dancing.Crying for the slightest reason. (“ The tulips are—so red!” )

The thrill of getting out—growing up. And then realizing that I hadn’ t left any of the pain behind. It took me years and years to learn to live with it. To make a little room for it,deep inside myself, where I almost never go anymore.

The hooray of it all is that the life I’ ve made for myself is one I wouldn’ t trade for any

other.

Full bio found here.

Thanks for stopping by, Barbara! To follow the blog tour for A Golden Web click here.

Source:

Lots of Winners!

So I’m seriously behind on choosing/announcing winners of giveaways that have ended over the last few weeks. I have had some stuff going on offline that has kept me busy and seriously stressed. When I’m stressed I can’t sit still and do things like blog and read. Side-note: my house is SPOTLESS ;) Good news is some issues are resolved. As for those still lingering, I have made peace with the fact I can’t change what has happened, and plan to use this summer to ponder and pray about the path my family needs to take. It is so nice to feel like I can actually breathe again :)

Big thanks to all who have commented recently! I’m hoping to make it around to visit all my bloggy friends soon. 

Now lets get those winners announced. There are quite a few :)

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione:

Barbara *Confirmed*

Jane *Confirmed*

Crystal *Confirmed*

Shiver of Fear & Face of Danger by Roxanne St. Clair:

Tore923  *Confirmed*

Vivien *Confirmed*

Ann *no reply*

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis:

Kristi *confirmed*

donnas *passed*

Alyssa *Confirmed*

Never a Gentleman by Eileen Dreyer:

Throuthehaze *Confirmed*

Alexa *passed*

Vivien *confirmed*

ChrisS *passed*

Leanna *no reply*

A Tale of Two Goblins by HP Mallory:

Chantel

Congratulations! 

Keep an eye out for an email from me (some were emailed last week) or you can email me at TheFictionEnthusiast@live.com. Winners have 48 hours to respond before I pick a new winner. Don’t forget to check your spam folders! Thanks again for entering and don’t forget to check out the giveaways I’m currently hosting by clicking here :)

Kindle Deals

I don’t usually post deals, but Amazon has some great titles for under 3 bucks. Double check the prices before purchase because they can change.

Feed

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Once Dead, Twice Shy with Bonus Material

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance

Glimmerglass

Under Her Skin

Countess of Scandal

The Glassblower of Murano

Barely a Lady

The Girls: A Novel

Sworn to Silence

In the Shadow of Gotham

Live to Tell

Promise Not to Tell

Mrs. Perfect

Odd Mom Out

The Breakdown Lane

Dating Mr. December

Starting Out in the Evening

Everywhere That Mary Went

Miranda's Big Mistake

Disclaimer: I share these for fun, but as an Amazon Associate I receive a small percentage if you purchase books using the provided links. All monies earned are used for blog maintenance, to cover shipping costs, and/or giveaways.