Mainstream Book Reviews

Reviews I’ve done of mainstream books

#Review – Blurred by Kim Karr @BerkleyRomance @authorkimkarr #4StarRead

Blurred by Kim Karr

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Synopsis:

A Connection Series Novella featuring Ben Covington

The story before the love story….

When he lost the only woman he’d ever loved, it seemed there was nothing left to live for.

Even as a boy, all Ben Covington ever wanted was to spend forever with Dahlia London, the beautiful girl next door…then one life-altering decision tore them apart and he was forced to leave her.

Now, despite having returned to win her back, he’s still alone. She’s with someone else—someone she’s never going to leave.

Resigned to a future without his former girlfriend, Ben numbs his broken heart in a haze of liquor and women. But then the only woman who ever even turned his head while he was with his girl reappears unexpectedly. And he’s never forgotten their one incredible night together. But will Ben’s destructive behavior destroy his future with her before it even begins?

 

““If there is a moment in time that comes to alter the course of your life forever- mine would be the day Caleb Holt told me I had to disappear. I don’t even know who I am anymore. I’m alone and left to pick up the pieces to a life I don’t have. Rock bottom. It’s a phrase I never thought I’d use to describe myself, but it’s the only one that fits.”

 

Review:

Grade: A (4 out of 5 stars)

Review by Kayla

When I first began reading this novella about Ben I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. But I gave it a chance and I really enjoyed it. It was nice to see things from Ben’s perspective and to find out why some of the things that happened in the other books happened the way they did. I liked reading about the things that Ben did to get through the things that had happened to him. It wasn’t easy but I think it will get better. I am ready to read Frayed.

All Ben ever wanted was to spend his life with Dahl. He never thought that he would have to leave her and when he came back he didn’t think she would have moved on. Ben is left without his former girlfriend and a broken heart. He uses woman and liquor to numb his feelings. But then he runs into the women who he didn’t think he would see again. Bell. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I won’t ruin it for anyone. I enjoyed seeing things from Ben’s point of view and a lot of things make more sense now.

**I was given a complimentary copy of Blurred by Sunshine & Mountains book blog for an honest review.

#Review of #BookofLife by Deborah Harkness – Finale to epic #supernatural series gives you all you want and more @VikingBooks @DebHarkness

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The day has finally come! I finished the book of life after work a few days ago, and I’ve been sitting on my hands, trying to keep from typing up my review entirely too early. I’m so beyond excited Viking gave me the chance to read this finale to my beloved series early, and even more so, giving me the chance to give YOU a copy of this amazing book! 🙂

Check it out on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon | Buy it on B&N

Synopsis:

The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

Review:

Grade: A++++ (Out of this world stars)

I am going to attempt to be spoiler free, because I’m not one to spoil books for anyone, but THIS BOOK IS AMAZING, from the first to the last page, I was hooked, I lived, I died, I cried. I was basically a mess for the whole time I read the book. I wanted to scream as random strangers on the bus when certain twists and turns come to light, when certain villains re-emerge, and certain unexpected heroes risk life and limb, without even knowing if their efforts are in vain. It’s brilliantly written, and it captures everything fans love about the series and amplifies it by about 100. Diana is brought into a whole new level with this book, leaving behind the history she came to know and love in the Elizabethan England, and brought into sharp, vivid, modern day magical world. Things have changed, rumors have surfaced, and lines are being drawn. I’m really trying hard to avoid any major spoilers, but as Deb said on Facebook, read with a friend! You’re going to want to call or text someone for each of these bumps, and share you’re excitement, astonishment, and general anger depending on the instance. Overall, this book was wonderful. History and Magic intertwine, and it’s beautiful. I think the weaving of this story was something I was just impressed by. Characters I didn’t think could grow anymore still did, and other characters I wanted more of came out and we really got to watch them grow and change. I don’t think I can allow myself to say anymore because I’ll spill all kinds of secrets, but I promise you, buy this book and read it quickly.

* I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

About The Author:

My life has been a series of left turns that nevertheless took me in the right direction (though it didn’t always seem so at the time). I went to college to be a theater major and ended up studying the Renaissance. I went to grad school to become a college administrator and loved to teach so much I became a college professor instead. I thought I wanted to be a Tudor-Stuart historian, and found myself a historian of science. I started blogging because a friend needed help on a project in 2006 and am still blogging about wine today. I started writing a novel in the fall of 2008, and it became a New York Times Bestseller in February 2011: A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. The second volume in the All Souls Trilogy, SHADOW OF NIGHT, came out in July 2012 and debuted at #1 on the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller’s List. What’s next? The final volume of the trilogy, of course: THE BOOK OF LIFE, coming July 15 2014 to the US, UK, Canada, and Republic of Ireland.

 

**Giveaway**

To enter to win a copy of The Book of Life, (US Only), comment on this post and let me know, if you’d rather be a witch or a vampire! 🙂 Simple & easy! Plus for a bonus, share this post somewhere and let me know where!

Giveaway ends 7/18! 🙂

Our Broken Sky by Sarah Harian – Perfect Novella to help the waiting, fantastic story! @BerkleyRomance @sarahharian @penguinusa

Our Broken Sky by Sarah Harian

 

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Available August 19th, 2014

Check it out on Goodreads!

 

Synopsis:

In The Wicked We Have Done, readers were introduced to Valerie Crane. But you don’t know her the way you think you do. This is her story…

Valerie has always been different from her identical twin Veda. Tattooed, fiery, and foul-mouthed, Valerie acts on instinct, getting even with anyone who wrongs her passive and sensitive sister.

At twenty-two, Veda doesn’t want to seek revenge against the three young men who raped her. As for Val…

Val never could manage her anger well.

As far as Val sees it, the Compass Room is simply a quicker way for her to die—payment for the crime she feels no guilt over. There isn’t a reason to fight, not until a girl as broken as she is reminds Val of what it’s like to hope…

 

Review:

Grade: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by Cianna for Sunshine & Mountains

When I reviewed “The Wicked We Have Done”, I loved it. Simply thought, wow, here’s a new idea. A fresh idea. The Compass Room, similar to the testing in Divergent, was such an in depth, immersive experience for the reader. When I saw a novella by the same author up for grabs on my review list, I grabbed it, and I read it right then. If you would’ve asked me a year ago, I would’ve told you I never read a book with same sex love interests. It wasn’t that I was against it, it just never came up. Well, my eyes have been opened, by this novella, and a few other novels before it, like The Red Sun Rises by Victoria Kinnaird! Authors who choose to stray from the beaten path for a novel that is not just straight sex, but provides depth, love, relationship issues, and struggles, it’s something to be impressed by. I’m glad for it, and I enjoy it, because the character dynamics aren’t exactly the same as we’d see with a male/female dynamic. There’s other layers to it, and it makes it beautiful. This novella grabbed me. It grabbed me from the first chapter, because I too would like nothing more than to sleep in, and it kept hold of me for the action, and even the jump to the next major time/scene change didn’t faze me, because the writing was fluid and allowed for time to slip. Val is a great character. She’s a fighter who doesn’t yet realize that all her fighting is born out of being a lover. She’s flawed but in a perfectly relatable, challenging way. I don’t think any of us know what we are capable if someone should hurt someone we love. The Compass Room is also so interesting because it really challenges each criminal to come forward and be honest with their reasoning. Was it borne out of duty, love, revenge, hate, anger? What drove them to do that? This novella, even being short, made me cry! I was touched by Val’s relationship with Jace, and it hurt! I need more of this story! I want to know about the trial, and what happens next! Great job on this story, it’s a nice filler in the world while we wait for the next book in the series!  🙂

*I was given a copy from the publisher, via NetGalley for an honest review.

 

About the Author:

7112593 (1)Sarah Harian grew up in the foothills of Yosemite and received her B.A. and M.F.A. from Fresno State University. When not writing, she is usually hiking some mountain or another in the Sierras, playing video games with her husband, or rough-housing with her dog.

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Review: Up in Flames by Lori Foster – Check out this steamy novel! @BerkleyRomance @lorilfoster

Up in Flames by Lori Foster

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Body Heat

The last person Melanie Tucker wants to find herself trapped with on a party boat is her nemesis, Adam Stone. As always, he’s too smooth…and a bit too sexy for comfort. But when they both fall overboard—and wind up stranded together—Melanie just can’t resist all the delicious body heat smoldering between them….

Caught in the Act

When a robbery goes bad, undercover cop Mick Dawson can’t believe Delilah Piper (aka mystery writer Lela DeBraye) was just in the wrong place at the wrong time—and neither do the perps. The only way to protect her while he investigates what really happened is to stick with her 24/7—and try not to fall for the object of his investigation!

 

Review:

by Catherine for Sunshine & Mountains

Grade: B+ (4-4.5 Stars)

*copy was received from publisher via NetGalley for review.

Up in Flames is two novellas put together.

Body Heat

Melanie Tucker grew up with money, her parents sheltered her and she always felt alone. Adam Stone was from the wrong side of the tracks. They’ve known each other for years, but they haven’t seen each other in seven years. They find themselves on the same boat and the passion they felt back then is still there. When they fall overboard and stranded on a deserted island all the old feelings come up. It was a wonderful short story, it left me wanting more.

Caught in the Act

Mick Dawson is an undercover cop and has fallen for a woman he has never met. He sees her jogging by and decides today is the day he will talk to her. He follows her into a jewelry store, before he gets the chance to speak to her the place gets robbed. While trying to protect her he is shot in the shoulder. Delilah Piper is so thankful she offers for him to stay with her while he recovers.  He agrees to stay with her so he can protect her because he has a feeling someone is out to get her. She has a very unique personality and Mick likes her just for who she is. Mick is a very honorable guy. It had just the right amount of suspense and romance. All the characters were very likeable and seemed so genuine.

Both novellas Wedgwood and very enjoyable for short reads. They were engaging and kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

Review: Backwoods by Jill Sorenson – #5Star Read! Come see why!

Backwoods by  Jill Sorenson

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The more you trust, the more you risk…

When plans for a wilderness retreat with her teenage daughter Brooke go awry, Abby Hammond reluctantly pairs up with Brooke’s stepbrother and his dad, Nathan Strom, for the weeklong trek. The only thing Abby has in common with the bad-boy former pro athlete is that their exes cheated with each other. That…and a visceral attraction that’s growing more complicated with every step through the picturesque woods.

Nathan’s wild-card reputation lost him his career and his family. After years of regret, he’s ready to fight for what truly matters—and that includes Abby’s hard-won trust. When Brooke goes missing, Nathan knows he’s her best and only hope of rescue. But the deeper into the rugged mountains they go, the more dangerous the territory will prove—for their safety and for their hearts.

Review:

by Catherine for Sunshine & Mountains

Grade: A

I was provided this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The characters and storyline was fantastic. This is definitely a romantic suspense novel, with more than two point of views but the dialogue was not confusing and I thought it flowed very well. I loved the suspense and romance, parts of the story were a little creepy and unexpected. It definitely kept me turning the pages, I couldn’t put it down.

The development of the relationship between Abby and Nathan is wonderful. Bot of them have been hurt before badly by their exes, which happen to be married to each other. While neither are looking for love, they both feel a connection to one another. Nathan is trying to reconnect with his son, Leo and Abby is trying g to reign in her over protective attitude with her daughter Brooke. They help each other become breed parents. I loved how they were open and honest with each other, that were always truthful with their feelings.  As their relationship turned toward a sexual one it helped make it  more than just sex.

Brooke and Leo were a different story, they had all kinds of misunderstandings. They seemed to struggle with being honest with each other. Brooke was always flirting with Leo and he acted like it made him uncomfortable. Now I know they are step siblings, but there is no blood relation between them. It’s kind of a difficult thing to wrap your mind around. I’m not sure what is going to happen with them, but I’m definitely intrigued and hoping they get of book of their own.

While they are camping Brooke is kidnapped and the other three go looking for her. As they work together they form a deep bond. Nathan and Leo seem to be able to work through some of the things they have been disagreeing about and Abby realizes that she is capable of doing whatever it takes to get through scary and tough situations. This is truly a great book.

#Review – Pack Up The Moon by Rachel Herron @penguinusa @RachaelHerron A #touching story of #life and #rebuilding and second chances! A #MustRead


PACK UP THE MOON

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NAL Trade Paperback Original / March 2014

A poignant novel about loss, lies, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Three years after a horrible tragedy took her son and tore her family apart, artist Kate Monroe is beginning to pick up the pieces of her life and move on. At a gala showcasing her triumphant return to the art world, Kate’s world is rocked again when the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-two years ago introduces herself.

Pree is the child Kate never knew and never forgot. But Pree has questions that Kate isn’t sure she’s ready to answer. For one thing, she never told Pree’s father, her high school sweetheart and ex-husband, Nolan, that they had a daughter. For another, Kate hasn’t spoken to Nolan for three years, not since the accident which took their nine-year-old son from them. But to keep Pree from leaving forever, Kate will have to confront the secrets that have haunted her since her son died and discover if the love of her family is strong enough to survive even the most heartbreaking of betrayals…

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Review:

Grade: A (5 stars)

This was a lovely gift. I was excited to receive this book from Penguin to review, just reading the synopsis, but when I started the actual book is when I felt really lucky. This is such a touching, emotional story based around really realistic characters who people can completely relate to. It’s all about life’s changes, and if it’s too late. When is too late? Herron does an outstanding job in this novel really showing us true characters with real struggles. This is the first book by this author I’ve read but I love her voice. She’s the perfect storyteller for this story, and she really find the perfect balance in some really tough topics. You’re faced with a lot of broken people and dark topics in this book, but Herron manages to show us the beauty in the brokenness, and the hope in the hopeless. You start to really see beyond what’s expected into a deeper, more beautiful story. You see how one choice can affect so many people, and you see just how people choose to handle that . You’ve got a mother struggling with the death of her son, and the loss of the daughter she never knew. The daughter trying to figure out her life without a mom, and a Father who never knew about his daughter, and has been crushed, not only by the loss of his son, but the loss of his marriage as well. Nolen is one of those characters that you see beauty shining from brokeness, he’s a convicted felon, gave up everything that was his life before, and has fallen all the way to the bottom, but his struggle and courage is something so beyond touching. I’d gladly read another book by Herron in the future because her way with characters is exactly what we need more of. Complex, confused, broken but beautiful.  The author allows us to see beyond what’s in front of our faces in this novel to what’s really there. There’s such a wonderful theme of forgiveness and healing in this book, and it really brings tears to your eyes LITERALLY, I cried. I suggest this novel to people I meet in bookstores now, my book club, and friends and family. It’s beautiful and haunting and it’s perfect. Thank you Rachel Herron!

*I was given a copy of this book by Penguin to read and review. All opinions are 100% my own.

 

About The Author:

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Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of the Cypress Hollow series (HarperCollins/Random House Australia) and of the memoir, A Life in Stitches (Chronicle). Her newest novel, Pack Up The Moon, will be available in March 2014 from Penguin (USA) and Random House Australia (NZ/AUST). Rachael received her MFA in writing from Mills College and is a 911 fire/medical dispatcher when she’s not scribbling. She lives with her wife, Lala, in Oakland, California, where they have more animals and instruments than are probably advisable. Rachael is struggling to learn the accordion and can probably play along with you on the ukulele. She’s a New Zealander as well as an American. She’s been known to knit.

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The Wicked We Have Done – Guest Post & Review #getWicked @sarahharian @BerkleyRomance #NewRelease #MustRead

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Guys, I’m totally stoked to share with you today’s blog! 🙂

A guest post from Sarah Harian, author of The Wicked We Have Done ON RELEASE DAY! This book blew me away, literally, like off my chair! She’s a phenomenal talent, and I just cannot wait to see what her career holds for us readers! 🙂

As I was reading this lovely book, I kept wondering hmmm.. .this should have a kick ass playlist.. and LO & BEHOLD! IT does, and I’m getting to share it with you today!  How lucky are we!? But before I do, a little about this book, that you’ll need to pick up, like today. 🙂

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Synopsis:

Darkly suspenseful and completely unexpected, The Wicked We Have Done is a debut author’s thrilling new take on New Adult romance.

Twenty-two-year-old Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.

If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.

She doesn’t plan on making friends.

She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either.

BUY IT!

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

 

My Review:

Grade: A+ (Five STRONG stars)

HOLY COW! This book… yes, it drew me in, and yes, it had a bit of a Hunger Games feel, but seriously! *claps hands* GO SARAH! This book is so interesting and fresh, I am so glad to have gotten the chance to read it! I ❤ NEW IDEAS, and this book is one of them! As I’ve said in other reviews, romance books for me aren’t a grab, but add in a killer plot line and you’ve got me hooked! I love romance as long as I have a story to go along with it, and Sarah has done this. I feel as though the Compass Room was such an interesting idea, testing the morality of an accused killer, somewhat like Divergent’s testing, it really pulled out some wonderful character building as the story went on, and really gave us a new idea for a justice system.

Evalyn has to have her thoughts examined, all while playing a sort of game that will determine if she gets freedom or death. Her, along with other young people, who I must say, the author did a good job pulling quiet a few of them out of the background, and fleshing them out, even if they weren’t the main character, and I love to see that! The author really took a genre and concept that has been flying off the shelves for YA, and crafting into something deeper & stronger for the NA genre, and I’ve got to say, I was impressed.

Some people don’t like seeing books in the same vein as others, but honestly, it’s a theme, and there’s no rule that says author’s can’t play with it. Hunger Games pulled from Battle Royale, and so on and so forth, and I feel like yelling, “DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS THEME,” when I see people complaining.  Sarah does an outstanding job putting her personal creative spin on this genre, and I adored it. The character’s had a really intangible strength to them, in the face of what they were undergoing, and I did think that you really pull the most from characters when you put them in situations like The Compass Room.  She focuses on the story, over the romance, and doesn’t throw in any clichéd love triangle moments. Once you pick this book up, you’ll keep reading… it’s well written, with a lot of thought behind it, and it shines as a debut novel for Sarah Harian! I’m excited to see more from her!

 

Guest Post by Sarah – #GetWicked Playlist! 🙂

(As I run off to add these to my phone, and grab the book again!)

The Wicked We Have Done playlist is compilation of angsty and mostly dark songs. Since I have a very difficult time listening to music with lyrics while writing (my attention span is embarrassingly short), these songs resonated me while I was brainstorming—either in the car on my way to work or walking my dog. Here is my list of creepy, sad, and intense tracks for The Wicked We Have Done:

Spotify Playlist: https://play.spotify.com/user/sarahharian/playlist/4ybQgUDUGHEqJAynf7BIjU

“Seven Devils” by Florence + The Machine: This song is the ultimate creepy. I bought Florence’s album right when it came out, around the same time I was drafting TWWHD, and this song become instant fodder for me. I love how ghostly and chilling it is. It really parallels the book in a sense that the dark pasts of all of the characters are rebirthing.

“End of Me” by A Day to Remember: This song reflects a lot of the darkness of Evalyn’s past and losing those she cares deeply about. Instead of reflecting the grief of her loss, it reflects the anger she feels behind being abandoned.

“New Tricks” by Great Northern: Eerie and whimsical, this track is reminiscent of the strange horrors the characters face while in the forest of the Compass Room. It also parallels the moment when Evalyn decides to take matters into her own hands.

“Sink” by Brand New: This song is a delicious bundle of angst. It’s ragey and twisted. I feel like it represents the states of mind of all of my characters in the Compass Room, and the lengths they go to help each other when it comes to survival.

“Peace of Mind” by The Jezabels: When I first heard this song, I was in the process of revising a death scene. I cried, obviously. I think this song gives meaning to the little hope that the inmates have when they start making relationships with each other, and the refusal to believe that friends and lovers could die at any point within the prison.

“Come Clarity” by In Flames: I’ve loved this song for a long, long time. To me, it is about reflection, the presence of someone new, and their ability to erase the nightmare of the past.

“Millstone” by Eisley: This song IS Evalyn, particularly the line, “There’s not a moment to relive my time and space/ There’s not a moment to undo anything”. It encompasses her confusion and heartache in both The Wicked We Have Done and the sequel A Vault of Sins.

Don’t you love this?!  Shout out! Tell me if you’ve read the book, or if you love any of these songs!  I promise you, fans of NA Romance, The Hunger Games or even Thrillers, will love this book! I’ve still got it’s hook in me, and I can’t seem to shake it! So I’ll be reading it again! 🙂

 

About The Author:

Sarah Harian grew up in the foothills of Yosemite and received her B.A. and M.F.A. from Fresno State University. When not writing, she is usually hiking some mountain or another in the Sierras, playing video games with her husband, or rough-housing with her dog.

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#AFallofMarigolds – @SusanMeissner – What an outstanding piece! Two time periods, two ladies, #unbelieveablytouching! @penguinusa

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I was luckily enough to get a copy of this book from Penguin, to read and review as a part of a blog tour, but in my scatterbrained mind, I MISSED THE TOUR! Of course, that always tends to happen when I LOVED the book I’m reading, so I couldn’t let it pass without praising this wonderful, touching story, and letting people know what a good choice this book is!

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Synopsis:

A beautiful scarf, passed down through the generations, connects two women who learn that the weight of the world is made bearable by the love we give away….

September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries…and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she’s made. Will what she learns devastate her or free her? 

September 2011. On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers…the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. Will a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf open Taryn’s eyes to the larger forces at work in her life?

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Penguin | Kobo | IndieBound | Google Play

Review:

A+ (Five Stars)

I didn’t plan to love this book, I was drawn to it because of the historical element, having had great grandparents who came over through Ellis, I found that interesting, and having been a young child when 9/11 happened, I’m always interested in the stories, real and fiction, which help me understand the event in new ways. 

I started reading, and I was just drawn in, I love historical books, include little to a lot of historical detail is something that really interests me because I have a very big interest in history, but as I was reading these two stories, intertwined by a scarf and two horrible events, I was at a loss, i just kept reading, I kept telling myself, I’d figure out how the scarf was related before the book told me, I tend to do that with some books, but I’m pleased to say I didn’t figure it out correctly, everything I guessed was wrong, and I enjoyed that. I enjoyed the not knowing, because it gave me a crazied urgency to finish the book and really find everything out. I also have to mention how beautiful the cover is, just a bit, because though as reviewers we’re supposed to look beyond the cover, I was drawn in by this. When I picked it up, I had a few other book choices sitting before me, but this one is the one I picked, and it’s partly because of this gorgeous cover.

Clara’s story was beautiful and heartbreaking. I thought she was so lovely in being such a typical female from the time, striking out on her own, but with a bit of naivety left in her. She’s beautiful written, and the character development we see from Clara is something I really appreciated. She’s been hiding out for so long on Ellis making work her life, to avoid living that it’s so inspirational when Clara really starts to live. She’s got so many dreams, and so much to look forward too, as you’re reading you want to shake her, and tell her to get out there and life. I loved the way her story wrapped up and how we saw it finally intertwine with Taryn’s story. It was amazing. She’s a strong woman, with a deep ability to love, and she’s proud of that. I really loved her story, and was so glad for her.

Taryn’s story was hard to read. It might be because 9/11 was so much more recent, or her personal struggles, but I was just so terribly sad when we got to the story of her relationship to 9/11. I thought of both stories, the author did the most beautiful job with this one, weaving it to include those parts we’d rather forget, but delicately in order to preserve the memory, and keep it fresh for the character. She really allowed the reader to feel for the character, and feel what the character was going through. She included you in those moments, and I don’t know about the other readers, but I felt breathless as she did. Her ending was perfect. I don’t think the author could’ve done a better job giving Taryn exactly what she needed. I cried, it was lovely.

Overall this is the book you need to pick up on your next shopping trip to the bookstore. You won’t regret it. Along with the beautiful imagery, the touching emotional situations, and the beautiful woven plot point of coincidence and how things are meant to be. I am still thinking about it after finishing this lovely book, and I urge you to go get yourself a copy, because you really need to experience Clara and Taryn’s stories for yourself, I promise you, they’ll stay with you!

About The Author:

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Susan Meissner was born in San Diego, California, the second of three. She spent her childhood in just two houses.
Her first writings are a laughable collection of oddly worded poems and predictable stories she wrote when she was eight.

She attended Point Loma College in San Diego, and married her husband, Bob, who is now an associate pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves, in 1980. When she is not working on a new novel, she is directing the small groups ministries at The Church at Rancho Bernardo. She also enjoy teaching workshops on writing and dream-following, spending time with my family, music, reading great books, and traveling.

#TheWeightofBlood – Blog Tour & #giveaway – @LauraSMcHugh @atrandom @20SB

Today I’m so excited to share with you this amazing new book I got from Random House and 20SomethingBlogger!  The Weight of Blood by Laura S McHugh!  It’s going to be released on March 11th! I got an ARc copy of this book to read and review, and share with you!! Plus, I get to host a giveaway!!

So about the book!

The_Weight_of_Blood

Synopsis:

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Scott Smith, and Daniel Woodrell comes a gripping, suspenseful novel about two mysterious disappearances a generation apart.
 
The town of Henbane sits deep in the Ozark Mountains. Folks there still whisper about Lucy Dane’s mother, a bewitching stranger who appeared long enough to marry Carl Dane and then vanished when Lucy was just a child. Now on the brink of adulthood, Lucy experiences another loss when her friend Cheri disappears and is then found murdered, her body placed on display for all to see. Lucy’s family has deep roots in the Ozarks, part of a community that is fiercely protective of its own. Yet despite her close ties to the land, and despite her family’s influence, Lucy—darkly beautiful as her mother was—is always thought of by those around her as her mother’s daughter. When Cheri disappears, Lucy is haunted by the two lost girls—the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn’t save—and sets out with the help of a local boy, Daniel, to uncover the mystery behind Cheri’s death.

What Lucy discovers is a secret that pervades the secluded Missouri hills, and beyond that horrific revelation is a more personal one concerning what happened to her mother more than a decade earlier.

The Weight of Blood is an urgent look at the dark side of a bucolic landscape beyond the arm of the law, where a person can easily disappear without a trace. Laura McHugh proves herself a masterly storyteller who has created a harsh and tangled terrain as alive and unforgettable as the characters who inhabit it. Her mesmerizing debut is a compelling exploration of the meaning of family: the sacrifices we make, the secrets we keep, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the ones we love.

Praise for The Weight of Blood
 
“A fantastic novel, rich in character and atmosphere . . . This is one you won’t want to miss.”—Karin Slaughter, author of Unseen

“Laura McHugh’s vivid and enthralling The Weight of Blood centers on a mother and daughter in a seemingly benign yet deeply horrifying small town. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last.”—Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of The Language of Flowers

“The Weight of Blood pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. What starts as Lucy’s coming-of-age story becomes a chilling tale about the price of secrets. As the menace deepens, so does the tension. Laura McHugh has written a terrific novel.”—Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award–winning author of The Shadow Tracer

“McHugh’s debut is as lush and evocative as its Ozark setting, with luminous prose and characters you can’t help rooting for, even as the mystery surrounding them intensifies and the odds against them grow more and more harrowing. I couldn’t put it down.”—Carla Buckley, author of The Deepest Secret

“In this clever, multilayered debut, McHugh deftly explores the past of an Ozark Mountain family . . . with plenty to hide and the ruthlessness to keep their secrets hidden. . . . This is an outstanding first novel, replete with suspense, crisp dialogue, and vivid Ozarks color and atmosphere.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Debut novelist McHugh comes out swinging with this gripping tale set in the Ozarks of Missouri. . . . Her prose will not only keep readers turning the pages but also paints a real and believable portrait of the connections, alliances, and sacrifices that underpin rural, small-town life in Henbane.”—Library Journal (starred review)

 

How amazing does that sound?? I know I killed Gone Girl in two days, and I read this one just as quickly! It’s addictive and entertaining, and will consume you! You need to check it out!

Preorder it on Amazon!!

Review:

Grade: A (5 Stars)

This book is outstanding! Such detail, plot and development, I was just drawn in and I couldn’t put it down! This book really makes you think, and question things. The mystery is really surrounded by a community, and it’s not exactly like gone girl, but it is in depth, and though the mystery element is exposed a lot sooner then expected, you don’t lose interest as a reader, because it’s the way the other has developed her novel. She really pulls you into this small community, and asks you to start looking around. Start noticing what’s different in small communities, what’s accepted, and what really makes up a family. There’s some violence in the book, and murder, but it’s not over the top, and it really deepens the plot for the story. Overall, I thought the author did an outstanding job creating such a good character in Lily, she’s strong, and I loved that unlike some mystery books, the character didn’t do stupid, dangerous things while trying to solve the mystery. She was smart, clever, and did what she could, and it works out. It really gives you a better picture of a realistic murder mystery. There’s also a lot of other emotional moments in this book, that work in the vein of female experiences, and situations that we see and face in daily life, from mental illness to teen pregnancy and we really look into it a little deeper in this book. Yes, there’s mystery but there’s so much more to this book, I’d hate to see someone pass on this book because they don’t like mystery. You need to read this book because it sticks with you, it makes you think, and as a female it really brings something else to this novel I can’t really explain. I enjoyed reading it, I read it quickly and I was completely involved! I look forward to more books from this author. A very strong debut novel, and one I’m considering a re-read of! 🙂

*I was given a copy by Random House & 20SomethingBlogger for a review! All opinions are my own!

 

About The Author:

7177796Laura McHugh’s debut novel, THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD, will be published March 11th, 2014.

McHugh lives in Missouri with her husband, children, and large furry dog. She is currently at work on her second novel.

You can find her on:

Twitter | Her Facebook Page | Website | Goodreads Page