"Oregon Destiny"--Trails of the Heart Book 3 by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Destiny—Trails of the Heart Book 3 by Rachel Wesson continues with focus on Indians, the Captain’s revenge, and the romance between feisty Becky and the Captain. They finally reach Oregon but are disappointed in the town so continue farther.

There is a nice balance between adventure and relationship building in this one. Again, another fast, entertaining and interesting read about families on a wagon train going to Oregon.  I am enjoying this light series very much.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 673-77: “He asked why pretty lady made herself look like ugly boy.” David and Johanna laughed but Becky didn’t find his comments amusing. She glared at the Indian.


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"Eleanor" by Rachel Wesson - Book 10 in Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Series

Eleanor by Rachel Wesson is another good 1800 historical fiction story about how the ex-slaves longed to find their family members that they got separated from as slaves.  Eleanor is the new school teacher in Clover Springs who came from England.  This is a beautiful story of true friendships between blacks and whites as well as how racism still existed after the slaves were freed. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 207-8:  Seems I was an embarrassment to my family.  Despite my pale skin, I am the daughter of an ex-slave.

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"Nyxia" by Scott Reintgen is First in this Sci-Fi Series

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen reminded me a lot of Ender's Game which I loved!  A group of teens are chosen by Babel Communications to train to travel to Eden, an inhabited planet, to mine an amazing new mineral called Nyxia.  If they are chosen, they will be paid lots more money in addition to what they got just for signing the contract.  Out of ten trying out from around the world, only the top eight will be able to actually go on the mission.  All have hard luck stories and are from poor families so the money is a great incentive.  Emmett, the narrator of the story and one of the recruits, is from Detroit and really wants to go bad to help his parents.  Can he make it without sacrificing his morals?

This book had my interest right from page one and kept it all the way through.  I loved the adventure, the competition, getting to know all the contestants and the drama of the dynamics among the characters.  Emmett is a good guy but wasn't the best at challenges.  I liked the twists throughout the book and the surprises Babel created.  The only thing I didn't care for was when the one character who I liked very much got killed.  I thought the challenges were fun and interesting!  If you like competition, lots of interaction among competitors and science fiction, I would highly recommend this book!  I can't wait to read book 2 in this series!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


Teaser from page 51:  "I know you'd be a good person to team up with, Kaya, but why would you want to team up with me?  I'm in ninth place."
 
Gerard's review:
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is told by Emmett.  He is one of ten young people picked for a very special assignment!  He has a chance to go on a hidden planet.  Besides that, a huge money payout will be rewarded also!  But only eight will get to go.  Let the games begin!

This book is sort of a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent minus all the killing.  I thought it was interesting how the ten players interacted with each other.  Emmett is a good guy and I was rooting for him.  Could have used more action in my opinion; however, it picked up in that at the end.  I enjoyed it enough to read book 2 in this series.
(4 stars)



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"Everfound" by Neal Shusterman (Fantastic Book 3 of the Skinjacker Series)

Everfound by Neal Shusterman is the amazing third book in the Skinjacker trilogy. Will Allie, Mikey, Nick, Jix and Jill be able to stop Mary, Milos, Rotsie and Speedo from destroying the real world? Will Nick and Mikey get out of the Wraith’s trap? Will Jix bring Mary back to the City of Souls? Will Johnnie O and Choo Choo Charlie ever be able to get off the Heidenberg? Will Allie every get back to her parents? Teaser from page 41: Allie didn’t want to believe it. “No! Milos didn’t! He couldn’t have . . he wouldn’t dare!”

Everfound is fantastic! What a great finish to a great series! I LOVED IT! This had lots of adventure as well as relationship building, humor, supernatural abilities and lots of plot twists. Certain parts were so captivating that I couldn’t turn pages fast enough and other parts were so funny, I laughed out loud! I was always eager to see what would happen next and really came to care about certain characters. At some points, I felt so bad that I had to put it down for what happened to sink in, I couldn’t believe it! This series was wild and quite a ride! Unlike Scythe and Unwind, this series mostly takes place in Everlost, a ghost world between the real world and the light at the end of the tunnel into eternity. The ending was perfect! I highly recommend this series if you want an entertaining fantasy read! Neal Shusterman is becoming my favorite YA fantasy author very quickly with his well-developed characters and extremely original plot lines.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Links to my reviews of previous books in this series:  Everlost and Everwild

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"Everlost" by Neal Shusterman (Book 1 of the Skinjacker Trilogy)

Everlost by Neal Shusterman is the entertaining first book of the Skinjacker trilogy. Nick and Allie both die in a head on collision and wind up in Everlost, a limbo between the real world and the final afterlife destination where they become ghosts called “afterlights.” They first wake up 9 months after the crash and see a kid who doesn’t know his name and is also an afterlife living in a forest. Nick and Allie name him Lief. Allie is determined to get back home and soon take the lead. Nick is just baffled and follows Allie. Lief feels protective of them and so follows after them even though he is content to stay living in the forest. He tried talking them into staying with him, but they didn’t want to. Everlost is a weird place—Afterlights who live there do not need to sleep, can’t feel pain, and are invisible to those in the real world. There are “dead spots” that are safe for them to sit or stand still on but if they get off, the must keep moving or they will sink into the ground towards the center of the earth! There is much to learn about Everlost!

Teaser from page 18:  Nick kept rubbing his face.  "This chocolate--I can't get it off my face.  It's kind of tattooed there."  "It is," Lief said.  "It's how you died."

This got my attention right from the start and kept my interest with lots of surprises along the way. The world building is very well done. This was a very unique read for me, haven’t read anything like this before so I enjoyed it very much. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next! I liked the action, adventure, humor and learning about the world of Everlost. I liked how the relationship between Mary, the Queen of Snots, and Nick developed into something unexpected. This has lots of interesting characters: the McGill, the Haunted, the bullies, Vari, and Pinhead. There actually were four main characters in this book: Allie, Nick, Mary and The McGill. This is a good read for fantasy lovers!
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 4 stars:
Nick and Allie are in a limbo land called Everlost in this Neal Shusterman YA fantasy.  Their souls are there but with bodies of a sort too.  Everlost is run by a woman named Mary who takes care of children who wind up at her home.  There is a monster called "the McGill" who you do not want to mess with!  Allie wants no part of this and comes up with a plan to get out, but can she?  

This book was pretty good.  It started off slow for me, but I enjoyed the last part of the book much better.  Book 2 should be good!


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"Her Last Breath" by Linda Castillo (Updated)

Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo is gripping from the start, beginning with an Amish buggy hit-and- run accident that is fatal for the father and two of his three small children. Kate Burkholder, Chief of police, discovers that the hit-and-run “accident” was not an accident after all, but intentional! The widow was her best childhood friend. This is such a sad story with a surprise ending.

This book had my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. Kate Burkholder really needs to work on her hand-to-hand combat though! Anyhow, this is a good mystery and also had a bit of romance as well as some suspense. It had three storylines: the main murder mystery, Kate’s past catching up to her and the romance between Kate and Tomasetti with action near the end with a surprise twist.
(Karen's review 1/13/18, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 4:  Around him, the buggy exploded into a hundred pieces.  Paul thought he heard a child's cry and then the ground rushed up and slammed into him.

Gerard's review 1/23/18:
Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo starts off with a hit and run buggy accident in Amish country.  However, when the police investigate, there is more to it than it looks.  There is good stuff here.  I never knew how this was going to turn out!  The pace of the book is quick and the characters true to life.  (5 stars)


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"Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide" by Prem Carnot

Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide by Prem Carnot is a very helpful book for improving your Pickleball game.  It contains instructions for executing different shots, drills to practice to improve, and strategies to implement in your game.  All this in a very conversational writing style where he basically takes the reader into one of his clinics and even shares tips from some of his private lessons.  This book is excellent and was not at all boring to me.  He has a good sense of humor as well that makes for a very enjoyable read.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn to play Pickleball well and who is willing to practice.

Teaser from page 22:  Smart PickleballTM  is about strategically setting yourself up to win a point by biding your time, using your energy efficiently, playing the percentages and anticipating several shots ahead.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Pretending to Dance" by Diane Chamberlain

Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain is the story of Molly, a woman who after a miscarriage, cannot have children and seeks to adopt with her husband, Aiden. They live in San Diego and are looking into an open adoption so the birth mother can still be involved with the child. Molly, having been adopted herself in an open adoption, keeps that from her husband. Molly grew up in North Carolina on a family mountain. Her birth mother lives on the mountain with the rest of Molly’s family and gives Molly dance lessons. Nora, Molly’s adoptive mother, actually has a civil relationship with her husband’s former lover and Molly’s birth mother. Talk about a dysfunctional family, this was it. Molly’s father had MS and Molly was only 14 when he died. Molly is haunted by her past and needs to forgive so she can move on with her life. This book is filled with emotion and is all about relationships and family secrets.

I enjoyed this book very much because it felt so real. The story line about Molly’s childhood is heartbreaking as her father’s illness gets worse and Molly begins rebelling against her parents, going through a coming of age period. There are funny parts that balance out the sad things and touching moments throughout the book. This was a bit of a tear-jerker for me. I think this would make a good book club read and highly recommend it. The part with the father and Molly reminded me a bit of The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I would love to see a sequel to this with Molly’s own family and how that would play out. (Karen's review, 5 stars)


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Loved "The One" (Book 3 of The Selection Series) by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass is the third book in The Selection series and my favorite so far!  In this the action really picks up, Maxon and Aspen form a bond, America's father dies, Maxon finally chooses his princess and it has some surprises and several die.  This is like a roller coaster with happy moments and very sad moments.  My emotions were all over the place.  The relationship developments, the danger at the palace, the plot with the rebels and Maxon's father continuing to knock America out of the competition made this book hard for me to put down.

I am loving this series and so glad I gave it a chance despite the boring covers.  I like both Maxon and America and loved the ending of this one even though it was not what I expected!  I am flying through these books because I am enjoying the characters so much.   What a great book, loving this series!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas is FANTASTIC!

Wow!  A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is so good! This is the second book in A Court of Thorns and Roses series and is even better than the first! This review has some spoilers so read the book first and then come see what I thought of it. Definitely must read the first book before this one.  If you like fantasy and magical kingdoms, this is a "must read."  (This would be R rated for sexual content.)

SPOILER ALERT: Feyre pretty much tells Tamlin to “jump in the lake” and chooses to stay with Rys who is her mate and challenges Feyre to use her skills. This book is full of new adventures with lots of wit and packed with both heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes and lots of good dialogue. I like all the characters in Rys’ inner circle and loved their trip to the Summer Court and how the wraiths came to save Feyre and Amren from drowning. I cheered when Feyre served Rys the food in the cabin, accepting the bond as mates.   The ending is Great and I can't wait for the next book!

I was having a hard time deciding on my favorite read for December until I read this one which is the winner! (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard read this first, 6-15-16:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is the follow-up book to A Court of Thorns and Roses and is like ten times better than the first one!  Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to spring court, but at a high cost.  She still has the bargain with Rhysard.

Wow, oh Wow!  I really liked the characters, the writing and the action which all work together to make the story flow well.  The ending is probably the best I have ever read!  I want book 3 NOW!
(5++ stars)


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"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is simply all about a 59-yr-old man called Ove who is brokenhearted because his wife died and he feels useless since he retired.  He is quite a character and is actually a lovable, crotchety old man who lives in a little community that he sort of takes responsibility for.  He desperately wants to join his wife so tries committing suicide, but it seems something always comes up that spoils his plans--life happens in spite of himself.  The more I read, the better I liked Ove.

This book is really good!  I liked Ove so much, partly because he reminded me of my dad and husband in some ways.  The chapters are short and give pictures of different moments in Ove's life jumping back and forth from the present to the past.   There are many tender moments and some funny things as well which makes this book very real to life.  I loved how gradually Ove formed relationships with those around him, even the stray cat who was practically starving and almost died.  This was a tear jerker for me because the ending was so sweet.  I'm sure this is one that I will not soon forget!  I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Beauty of Darkness" by Mary E. Pearson (Book 3 of Remnant Chronicles) UPDATED

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson is the third and final book of the Remnant Chronicles series, and in my opinion, the best!  Lia survived Venda and is now headed home to save her people because an army is coming to her land.  I thought this book was very good.  At close to 700 pages, it is a big one!  Lia was so good!  Even better in this one than the first two.  Rafe and Kaden were good as well and I enjoyed them too.  I LOVED the ending!  This is my book of the month for December!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)


Karen read this one first:
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson is the third book of the Remnant Chronicles series and finishes strong.  Princess Lia continues to be awesome and an amazing peacemaker!  In this book, traitors are caught and alliances are made with love taking a back seat as Rafe, Lia and Kaden work together to bring down the cruel Komizar of Venda.  All through, I kept hoping that Lia and Rafe would eventually marry.  Do they?  You'll have to read the book to find out!

Wow!  This book drew me in and I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it.  I loved this series and really cared about the complex characters as they developed.  Every book in this series is great!  I liked this series even more than THE THRONE OF GLASS series by Sarah J. Maas because it was much easier to follow and wasn't so much magic which made it more believable and realistic. 
(Karen's review, 12/2/16, 5 stars)  

The first book of this series is Kiss of Deception and the second is Heart of Betrayal. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire" by J. K. Rowling is Fantastic!

This is the fourth book in the Harry Potter series.  The main story is the Triwizard tournament in this one.  This book started out kind of slow for me--I did not really get into it until after the first 100 pages.  It is a long book though (734 pages) so with my wife's encouragement, I kept reading and am glad I did.  I did not think there was much interaction between the kids as I would have liked.  I was hoping for more Quidditch games.  However, the tournament was good, especially the last challenge!  What I really enjoyed was when HArry and Voldemort had a battle.  That was like "WOW"!  I could hardly turn the pages fast enough!  That more than saved the book for me--on to Number 5!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)  

Karen's review 10/14/15, 5 stars:
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in this series which kept me turning pages. It is full of mystery, excitement, adventure, humor and suspense! The beginning is kind of light with Harry getting to attend the World Quidditch match with the Weasleys and Fred and George Weasley have a bigger role in this book. They add a bit of fun to the story! Hermione was even getting on my nerves with her campaign to free the house elves. I really was surprised Ron took so long to ask her to the dance. Harry is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to enter the champion inter-school competition in spite of his age. Someone secretly entered his name but why? Talk about unexpected twists and turns? This book has them! How is that reporter getting her information and how is Hermione going to get her revenge? When Harry is entered into the interschool Triwizard Tournament, his friends help him prepare for the tasks. I did not guess who entered Harry’s name even after I learned why someone did it. Near the end when Harry was in major danger fighting for his life, I felt so sorry for him.

I loved this book and especially enjoyed the dog visit at the end! I was sad when Ron and Harry weren’t speaking but loved how the friendship between them and Hermione further developed in this book. Goblet of Fire made me laugh but also kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I highly recommend this series, the creativity and writing is amazing! It is very entertaining.


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Karen's Favorite Reads for 2015

I read 83 books in 2015 and this video shows my top 20 favorites which includes the Harry Potter Series of 7 by J. K. Rowling and the Katie Productions series of 3 by Jenny B. Jones.  The "Books & Cats, Life is Good" t-shirt was a Christmas present from my cats, Manny Boy and Spunky Doodle.  My dog, Abby, got me the whole set of Harry Potter books which by the way, if you haven't yet read, you should!

If you made a favorite book post or video for books you read in 2015, feel free to share the link in the comments.  My husband's favorite book post will be up soon--he's still deciding.

Happy Reading!

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling is a Great Ending to a Fantastic Series!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J, K. Rowling is the last book of the series and is phenomenal! It is very exciting, suspenseful, emotional, touching and is full of unexpected twists and turns. It’s hard to review it without giving away major things, so I’m just going to say that if you started this series, you really need to finish it! In this book, Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione are out of Hogwarts and on the mission that Dumbledore gave to Harry. The plot is complex and full of adventure. Loved the Epilogue! Great ending to a fantastic series!  WOW!

This series is a must read with lots of twists and turns! I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry to see it end, even though there were seven books in the series! I fell in love with the main characters and the action scenes were so well written that I felt I was right there.  This one even made me cry, parts were so sad. J.K. Rowling is the best story teller I ever read and certainly entertained me with this amusing and interesting series.   Harry is such a cool character who shows that love is the strongest power and that we can learn much about leadership from Harry Potter.  This series is amazing! 

No wonder these books were such a hit and well-loved worldwide. I had to give every book in this series 5 stars but here is the way I would rank them:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this series? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"On the Loose--A Katie Parker Production" by Jenny B. Jones is Heartwarming, Funny

On the Loose by Jenny B. Jones is the second book in the Katie Parker Production series that is as good as the first, In Between. Katie, a foster teen, continues to experience teen drama, lives through a tornado, forms more friendships and deepens her relationship with her hilarious foster grandmother. When her foster mom, Millie, is diagnosed with Cancer, Katie worries about what will happen to her. As Katie continues attending church with the Scotts and getting more involved with the youth group, she continues to struggle with her own faith.

I am enjoying this YA inspirational Christian fiction series very much and look forward to reading the final book in this series, The Big Picture. The author is a high school teacher who spends a lot of time with teens and her writing certainly reflects that. This is a fun read as well as a touching one and I love her writing style! I highly recommend this light, fun read to anyone who enjoys books about teens and family.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline is GREAT--We Both Liked It!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is an amazing YA book set in 2044.  The world has so many problems that people spend most of their time online in a virtual world called OASIS.  The main character is a high school boy named Wade who participates in a contest in OASIS that its originator made up before he died.  The winner gets his wealth because he has no family to leave it to.  Wade lives with his aunt who doesn’t really care about him  in her trailer but has a secret hiding place in an abandoned van buried under a heap of cars not too far away.  He lives like a hermit, attending school online and his only friend is in the virtual world.  The story is told by him.  The book would have been good with just the online contest, but when a huge corporation plays too in the hopes of gaining control of the OASIS to use for their own profit, the stakes go up and so does the suspense.  Wade and his online friends become targets!

I am late to the party on this one, but so glad I finally read it!  I was totally immersed in this amazing book!  It flips back and forth between the virtual world and the adventure of trying to win the contest by being the first to find the hidden egg and the real world where Wade goes on a real life adventure in order to win the game.  There is the mystery surrounding the clues on the hunt as well as the mystery of who the people are behind the avatars.  It was great to see how Wade changed throughout the book and became a caring person with real friends!  This is a fun read and I can only imagine how much fun the author had writing it!  The themes in this book are honor, friendship, working together, and making the world a better place.  Anyone who appreciates video games and 1980 pop culture would enjoy this book too as it is masterfully woven into the plot.  This is a page turner for me—LOVED IT!      
(Karen's review, 5 stars) I even did a video review of this one!  https://youtu.be/YX1TCnurYgU

Gerard's review posted 8/30/2011, 5 stars:
WOW! Ready Player One is about a young man named Wade who spends all of his time in OASIS, a site on a computer that lets you escape from your real life. He wants to win the ultimate prize, a massive fortune and power to the person who can find the egg by solving the puzzles along the way. To do this, he will have to leave OASIS for a time and enter the real world. Can he do it? Can he win the ultimate prize? I liked this book a lot—not one of my favorites though. Don't know why it was classed as a “sizzler” at the library, but it was. I think it would appeal more to guys than women.

Joining Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week for the book review topic.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We Both Liked "The Silent Sister" by Diane Chamberlain (Updated)

In The Silent Sister, Riley believes her older sister killed herself as a teenager.  Twenty years later she finds evidence that this is not true.  As Riley seeks the truth, she will be hit with some things that will shake all the truths she did believe.  

This book rocks!  It's all good but as slowly the secrets and lies come out into the open you as a reader are wowed.  LOVED IT A LOT!
(Gerard's review 3/26/15 5++ stars)

The Silent Sister starts out a bit slow with Riley getting her father's house ready to sell after his death.  Boy, did this bring back memories for me though having gone through this process with my dad.  I could certainly identify with her through this process.  The story picks up when Riley believes her older sister may not have committed suicide many years ago but may actually be alive somewhere and begins her search.

During this time, the author gives us a look at what's been happening with Lisa, Riley's older sister, who is a fugitive because she was charged with murder and faked her death to avoid prison when she was 17.  I couldn't help pulling for Lisa even though her younger brother, Danny, thought she should pay for what she did--not only for committing murder but also for ruining their family.
 
I realize you may think I've given spoilers here, but I haven't.  There are lots of surprises in this book and I loved how the author developed them gradually.  This book is not only about family secrets, but about the extent parents go to protect their children and how one event can tear a family apart.  I really liked this book which was no surprise to me because I also liked The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes and Necessary Lies, and The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain.  If you like stories about family drama and lots of twists and turns, you'll enjoy this one, I'm sure!  I'd certainly recommend this one for a book club read. 
(Karen's review 3/23/15, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard is an Exciting, Fun Read! (UPDATED)

We both Loved this one!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a YA novel about a young girl named Mare.  She is a "Red" who lives in a world that is controlled by the "Silvers."  One day Mare is captured and it turns out that she has powers that a Red is not supposed to have.  The Silvers quickly take her under their wing so that this is not discovered by the world. Mare wants to help her people, the Reds, even though it puts her in danger. 

 WOW!  This book has tons of action with lots of twists that I did not see coming.  LOVED it a lot!  Will read book 2 for sure.  This is my new book of the month!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

 Karen's review:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is an interesting cloak and dagger fantasy about humans with silver blood and super powers (Silvers) ruling over poor, down-trodden humans with red blood and no super powers (Reds).  Some Reds band together, calling themselves “The Red Guard” to try to change things for the better.  Mara is a Red, but is different.  She is an excellent pick pocket who discovers, by accident, that she has a super power in spite of her red blood. 

It’s not often I hate to see a book end, but with this one, I did!  I enjoyed this book with action, brother rivalry, lying and betrayal very much.  I liked the main character and couldn’t help pulling for her despite all odds.  I was disappointed to see this is just the first book of a series.  Now I have to wait for the next book to come out.  This book is similar to Cinderella and Divergent is some ways.  If you like adventure, fantasy and interesting relationships, I highly recommend Red Queen.  

(Karen's review 3-18-15, 5 stars)

 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Hush" by Karen Robards has Action, Suspense and Romance--We Both Loved It!

Hush by Karen Robards is an exciting read that I didn't want to put down.  George, Riley's ex-father-in-law, scammed lots of people, including some very dangerous men, out of a lot of money.  George is arrested but the money is missing.  He says it's all gone but the FBI, CIA and the other people he scammed do not believe him.  Also, the guys who worked with George want to get it too.  Riley has four near-death experiences because she knows where the money is but Finn manages to protect her.

This is an excellent novel filled with suspense, action, lies and a developing hot romance.  I really enjoyed the cat and mouse game Riley and Finn played with each other throughout the book.  The author did a great job mixing suspense and romance for a great read!  I'll be looking up more of her books for sure.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5++ stars):
This novel tells the story of Riley.  Her ex-husband is dead by what looks like a suicide, but Riley believes he was murdered.  His billionaire father concocted a financial fraud and is in jail, but the money he was able to get is out there somewhere and everyone wants it!  Riley is in great danger and the CIA has assigned agent Finn to recover the money.  Can Riley trust Finn and what secret is Riley keeping?  This is a really great book with good action which kept me turning pages.  I LOVED IT!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!