Sarah's Review of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Wow! I don't know why I hadn't read this book before now, but I sure am glad I did! I was hooked right from the start! Gillian Flynn has just the right amount of suspense and intrigue to keep you turning page after page, wondering if your instincts are right.

Gone Girl is a page turning masterpiece! It takes place in a small town in Missouri, North Carthage. We first meet Nick on the morning of his and his wife's five year wedding anniversary. Nick and Amy Dunne are preparing for their celebrations when Nick finds out that Amy has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. From Nick's inner ramblings and daydreams we learn he isn't always the picture perfect husband. And then we are shown Amy's own musing from her diary where we learn how she is a perfectionistic alpha-girl. Nick quickly finds himself under intense pressure from the townspeople, Amy's parents, and the police, and with suspicion mounting against him, he finds himself drawn into his own set of lies and deceit. We find Nick behaving rather inappropriately for a husband who's wife is currently missing, which leads to him being the prime suspect. But even though he is acting weird and is definitely bitter at his wife, Amy, we are left wondering if he really could be a killer.

Flynn takes us on a ride through varying viewpoints, looking through the eyes of Amy's diary, and then back and forth through the eyes of Nick. I love having varying viewpoints on one story. And as you go on through the book you also find it broken into three parts. All with a drastic twist to the story. Gone Girl really makes you look at the minute details in our everyday lives and behaviours. It makes us question our own basic instincts and what drives different people to behave in such drastic ways.

There isn't a whole lot I can say about the book without giving away some of the major twists and turns it takes, but it definitely captures the intrigue and suspense. Gillian Flynn has so many layers twisted throughout her very believable characters. Things are written in such a precise way that it all unravels dramatically. There are so many clues that I'm left wondering, after reading it, what I could pick up on if I were to read it again.

I have never read a book like this before. Flynn has such an original and suspense thrilled storyline that is utterly flawless. Flynn explores such dark depths found in psychology and explores the inner makings of a sociopath. It makes you wonder if you can ever truly know somebody, inside and out.

If you haven't yet read this book or seen the movie, I'd suggest giving it a read first. I always find books more interesting than the movie and prefer to read before watching. As for me, now that I have read Gone Girl, I look forward to the movie and hope it lives up to the book.

Sarah's Review of The Crown by Kiera Cass

I just finished The Crown by Kiera Cass and once again I love it! The Crown is book #5 in The Selection Series and the writing was so exceptional. Not a single book let me down. Cass has such an exquisite way with words that simply draws you in and keeps you turning page after page.
In this last book, The Crown, we find Princess Eadlyn nearing the end of her very own Selection while also taking on so much more responsibility with being crowned Queen. Princess Eadlyn is realizing that even though initially she hated the idea of having a Selection and being forced to choose a partner, that maybe it won't be so bad after all. She is finding great friendships among the remaining boys and is realizing how wonderful having someone by her side could truly be. Having her whole life in the spotlight could be a little less invasive if she were not doing it alone. Even though Princess Eadlyn is still weary that she will find a true love like her parents, she is still hopeful. And as the Selection nears the end she finds herself falling more in love than she ever could have imagined but with these new feelings she must face one of her biggest and most challenging decisions she will ever have to make.

I am very happy with how Eadlyn has evolved and grown up over the short span of these novels. She is finally looking out of her people and the lives of those around her, instead of her own happiness. Her maturity at the end of the book is truly admirable considering where she was when she started the Selection. Sometimes being forced into something you are not quite sure you want can have very noteworthy opportunities and life changing experiences one could never have dreamed. Eadlyn's character development did happen quickly, but being in her situation sometimes you have to grow quickly in order to keep up and achieve what you are destined to do. The petty, egotistical, selfish Princess we met in The Heir has suddenly transformed to a selfless, caring, moral young woman who shows empathy, love, ambition and intelligence in her decision making. She is putting the lives of those around her first and is ruling the country, or trying to, like a real queen.

Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed were the blossoming friendships not only amongst the Princess and the boys, but amongst the boys themselves. I was glad to see Eadlyn finally opening up and allowing people to penetrate the walls she had built around herself. We also see how being open and honest is really the only way to be. I admire all of the qualities that the boys possess and how unique each of their relationships are with the Princess. The love that wins out in the end is somewhat predictable part way through but it did feel a little bit rushed. I wished we could have seen their interaction and relationship blossom a little bit slower and get more of a look into it before becoming an all encompassing love for each other. I am thrilled, however, that Princess Eadlyn truly got to follow her heart in the end even though it may have been an unconventional choice. I also admired the Princess's friendships with Neena. One can only hope and dream of having such a great friendship in our own lives. The utmost heartfelt respect and genuine affection they have for one another is inspiring.

The Crown is a perfect ending to a typical YA novel full of teen drama and romance. A very light read that will keep you engaged and it may even sweep you off your feet if you give it a chance.

Sarah's Review of The Heir by Kiera Cass

I love it when I pick up a book and can get lost in their world, and that is exactly what happens with these books. Kiera Cass does an excellent job of allowing you to escape into the world she has created. I originally had read the first three books in the Selection series one after another and I wasn't sure if I would pick up the other two, but I am so glad that I did. I loved reading about America Singer and Prince Maxon, so it only made sense to continue on with their story of their daughter, Princess Eadlyn, entering into her own Selection. I love how we now get to see the process from the perspective of the royal family, instead of from the outside.

The Heir is book four in The Selection Series and it is where we first meet Eadlyn Schreave, the first born child of Prince Maxon and America Singer, now King and Queen of Illea. Eadlyn is actually a twin, but since she was the first of the two she is next in line for the throne.
Princess Eadlyn always loved the story of how her parents met, fell in love and then lived happily ever after, but she didn't think she would want anything like that. She was content being by herself and felt she was more powerful that way. Unfortunately, as she sees it, she has to enter into her own Selection because some things you just can't escape. Eadlyn is very skeptical about love in general and even more so about the prospect of finding love in such a random way, but things begin to happen to change her opinion. Her Selection begins with thirty-five eligible bachelors and after meeting a few of them and getting to know them better she starts to wonder if her own happily ever after could be possible.

Cass does another magnificent job of describing just the right amount of detail to place you right into the palace walls. You can easily picture where they live and walk the halls along with Princess Eadlyn throughout the whole book. Her characters come alive from the pages, all of them revealing just enough as you go through the Selection with the Princess. In the beginning I found Eadlyn's characteristics to be rather predictable and stereotypical, but then she digs deeper and we get to know the real Princess. She has so many levels and is easily relatable to no matter where you come from. Eadlyn's emotional side begins to break through and we see behind the mask that she wears so well. We see beneath all of the walls she has placed around her, right into the heart of her soul and we realize that she too is vulnerable. 

I love how her friendships with the boys develop and how necessary they all are. Eadlyn had grown up believing she was so powerful and was hesitant to let anyone in. But upon opening up and getting to know a select few, she is realizing just how important friendships and relationships are to her existence. We all need a few close people in our lives to lean on and having a best friend is so important. Just one special person with whom we can open up and be ourselves with makes a world of difference and Eadlyn is quickly discovering that.

I just love these books and I can't wait to see how Eadlyn's Selection ends! What a fun, quick read.

Sarah's Review of Forest of the Fae: Devlin's Door by K. Kibbee

Forest of the Fae: Devlin's Door is about a young girl who is forced to spend the summer with relatives whom she does not enjoy being around. Upon Anne's arrival, her cousin Lexie makes her life there unpleasant. Anne is sure that nothing exciting will happen, until Lexie lures her to Devlin, a ghost town that has long been abandoned, and holds some kind of enchantment. Anne finds a diary written by a young girl named Grace, and as she begins reading, magic starts to happen and mysteries emerge. The town wasn't abandoned, but has been trapped, and the townspeople were trapped in a place hidden from humans.

It's a very unique storyline and the first half of the book I absolutely loved! Kibbee's characters are well developed and likeable, even the not so nice ones. And the world she creates is so unlike any other that I've encountered. It's fast paced and a quick read.

I did enjoy this book, although I'm not sure what to say about it. When I first received it from Free Book Friday, I was very excited! The whole fantasy world sounded amazing and I couldn't wait to dive in. Once I started reading, I immediately fell in love with her characters and the abandoned town known as Devlin. But halfway through the book we are thrown into a whole other world inhabited by faeries. I found certain parts hard to follow due to an overabundance of descriptions. Normally, using a lot of descriptives is great, but at some points I felt there was too much, especially when it was during a fast paced scene. I found myself re-reading certain paragraphs and pages. I was also hoping to understand the world of the faeries a bit more, but other than certain brief encounters, I'm still unsure of exactly what they are.

I definitely enjoyed the first half of the novel a lot more than the second. I connected a lot more with it and loved how the town was starting to come to life. But once Anne and Grace entered the Forests of the Fae, I found my excitement weaned and there was so much to follow even with only a few characters, that the flow was a bit off for me. I wish the author would have stayed with the story in the abandoned town, although I understand the storyline and appreciate the web it entails.

That being said, I did enjoy the majority of the book and I am glad I read it. If I really didn't like it then I wouldn't have finished it, but I did. And now the author has left us with a cliffhanger for another book, so I'm sure I will search it out once it is published.

New Release! City of Slaves by Stephen R. Burns

 

Title: City of Slaves

Series: The Desolate Kingdom Series

Author: Stephen R. Burns

 

City of Slaves is Book #2 in The Desolate Kingdom Series

 

Blurb

 

It had been a hundred years since the angels brought the Storms that nearly wiped out humanity. Only one great city on theWest Coast remained. As the decades passed, the people thought they were safe.
They were wrong. 
The angels returned, slaughtering a third of the city and enslaving the rest. Cale "Sendz" Edsen was one of the few soldiers who survived, but he could not escape the horror of what he had seen. Of what he had failed to do.  
For nine months he had lived out of a bottle,drifting into the alleys of the Empty Gate, the roughest and most vile part ofthe city, the only section yet to be swallowed by the angels.
He thought his life was over. Until he killed one of them with his bare hands. Hands that were stronger than they should have been. Hands that mirrored the creature he'd just killed.
But the angels know who he is. What he is. And they're coming for him.

 

 

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About the Author

Stephen R. Burns is the author of THE LAST ANGEL. He penned his first story when he was ten and has been writing ever since.
Despite his excitement over the release of CITY OF SLAVES, the second book in his Desolate Kingdom series, the most important event in his life happened in 2008 when he met his wife, Bethany, who for reasons beyond his understanding, fell in love with him. They have a couple of spoiled cats and between the two of them, live in a household overflowing with books.

Links for City of Slaves: Amazon.com ; Amazon.ca

Links for The Last Angel (Book #1): Amazon.ca ; Amazon.com

 

Check out what Stephen is up to on his webpage: www.stephenburns.ca

or connect with him on social media:

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Twitter

 



Sarah's Review of Shopaholic To The Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Bloomwood is at it again! This time she is bringing along her family, friends, and one, shall we say, enemy, on a trip to Las Vegas. This book picks up right where the last one, Shopaholic To The Stars, ends. In the newest installment, Shopaholic to the Rescue, Becky and her group rent an RV and head off on a search for Becky's father, Graham, and Tarquin, her best friend Suze's husband. Graham and Tarkie abruptly left Los Angeles to take care of "something". With no one knowing what the two are up to, Suze and Becky's mom are worried and are convinced they have to find them. So Luke becomes the driver and they set off from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in search of the two men, all while encountering many interesting events along the way. Becky feels as though it could be her fault as she ignored her father while he was in LA and is harbouring a lot of guilt. Also, her best friend Suze has suddenly taken up with Becky's enemy, Alicia, and Becky feels threatened.

Once again, Sophie Kinsella takes us on a wild ride with Becky and her family and friends. There is never a dull moment. And while I love Becky's normal wild demeanour, for the majority of the novel you realize that something is very much off. She is not her normal self and her quirkiness has gone astray. Between feeling guilty with her father and wondering if her friendship with Suze is over, Becky falls into a bit of a slump. But through it all we see her husband, Luke, standing by her and holding her up. But with the lack of Becky's wild ramblings and crazy schemes, I found that I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the others. That being said, I did enjoy it and it was a nice easy read and the themes I found running through the book are great.

The main themes I found important in this book were those of friendship, love, and right and wrong. We see the struggle between Becky and Suze with their friendship. They have been through everything together, but something is going on with Suze, and Becky isn't sure their friendship is strong enough. But Luke pushes her to see her true self and to overcome any obstacles. With this push Becky is able to confront her fears and realize that not everything is at is seems to be. True friendship can withstand any tests thrown at them. We need to consider ourselves lucky if we have even one friend in our life with whom we can confide anything in. And I can't help but feel grateful to have a true friendship that can stand the test of time and distance.

It's endearing to see the theme of love in this book. We see how true love can help you through some tough times and true love is forever. It's honest, forgiving, and strong. We see this theme between Becky and Luke, Suze and Tarquin, and also Becky's parents. They each have their own challenges to overcome, but the love they have for each other helps them through it.

The last theme I wanted to touch upon was the contrast between what's right and wrong. Of course there are quite a few instances in the book where the characters are faced with what to do, but ultimately the good always outweighs the bad and the truth always comes to surface.

I do love the way Kinsella weaves the tales of her characters throughout the story and how she hooks you and pushes you to read 'just one more page'. While this wasn't my favourite Shopaholic book, I did thoroughly enjoy it and really took the message to heart. We need to remember what's truly important in our lives and be grateful for what we have. We need to do what is right in our hearts and pursue what we consider to be righteous.

Kindred Salvation Cover Reveal!

Title: Kindred Salvation

Series: Divine Hunter #3

Author: L.J. Sealey

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release: TBC

 

Blurb

 

Hell wants an angel. . .

 

Against her better judgement, Lacy Holloway is getting used to her life with Michael, but falling deeper in love with him is only bringing more uncertainty about their future together. And then there's the other little problem: God only knows why her dead sister is still hanging around, but she is secretly glad. Living with the man she loves, and having Beth back in her life, Lacy is hiding her concerns behind the normal life she so desperately craves.

 

Things have been quiet in Oakland, but calm wasn't usually on Michael's radar, and for good reason. Now the dead are stirring and when Michael and Jaret discover a mass grave in Cincinnati they suspect Varesh has returned.

 

Their suspicions are heightened the moment Michael comes face to face with a past he knows very little about, and that past comes with some shocking news. Overwhelmed by what he's learned, and desperate to stop his evil enemy, Michael finds himself on the hunt for a woman who is closer to him than he could have ever imagined. But if Hell finds her first, the repercussions will be devastating, not just for Michael, but for the whole of mankind

 

Who will get to her first? Angel or demon?

 

Full Jacket for KINDRED SALVATION

 

 

Other books by L.J. Sealey:
• AWAKEN (Divine Hunter #1) is currently *FREE* on eBook.
• DARK DELIVERANCE (Divine Hunter #2) 

• EVO - A Divine Hunter World Novel (Divine Hunter #2.5) *Can also be read as a standalone*

 

 

 All books are available in eBook and Paperback

 

 

About The Author

 

 L.J. Sealey was born and raised in a little Welsh town by the sea. It rains a lot, so she often has a great excuse to sit at her writing desk and while away the hours at her laptop.

She still lives in N.Wales and when she’s not travelling around the country working with her husband – who is a professional singer – or singing backup vocals herself, she likes to read and watch her favourite TV shows which normally includes plenty of CSI, The Vampire Diaries and endless amounts of sitcoms. Being addicted to reading about vampires, demons, shifters and angels, she has always had a thing for all things paranormal and is a big sucker for impossible love stories. So it was inevitable that when she started writing herself she would mix the two together.

 

 

 

 

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