Review: Ethic by Ashley Antoinette

Ethic by Ashley Antoinette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: March 2018

Ethic is a heartbroken man. He called in the hit that took the life of his love. Now he is raising his own children along with his love's sister, Morgan. Morgan wants to live the same life her sister did. Ethic is trying to move on from that life and keep Morgan far away from it. But it's in her blood and she just can't stay away. Being he is not her father, it's hard to keep her reigned in. Will he be able to keep both her and his own children safe and stay out of the life that has hurt him so badly?

I really enjoyed Moth to a Flame and I couldn't wait to read more of Ethic's story. This book will grab at your heartstrings and play a sad song.

I have only read a few of Ashley Antoinette's books, but I have enjoyed them. They grab your attention right from the beginning and won't let you go until the very end. Whether you listen to the book or read it, you are sure to be swept up in the story.

After reading this I immediately went to Ethic 2. I might finish the entire series before long.

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the links below(affiliate links):

Amazon

Books A Million

Review: An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: March 2017

Elle is a free black woman. She is currently posing as a slave in order to gather intel for the Union Army. In her work, she meets Malcolm McCall, another detective working for the Union. And he quite her opposite. Together they find valuable information to pass along. Not only do they have to hide the fact that they are spies, but there is also a romance growing between them.

I listened to this one on audio, but I don't know if I would have liked it better if I read it myself. I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for from this book, and I'm not sure if I found it. I know this is a work of fiction, but I don't know about any free person who would risk their freedom in order to go back into slavery.

There were parts of this book that were interesting, but I don't think I will continue with this series.

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the links below(affiliate links):

Amazon

Books A Million

Review: No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield

No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: October 2021

 

Lizzie Oullette is a small town girl who sticks to herself. So when she is found dead in her vacation rental, the whole town is in shock. The biggest shock is that her husband is missing. No one knows who could have done this to Lizzie. When a state detective is called to handle the case, he has to take the word of the townspeople about who this woman is and the kind of life she led. So who killed Lizzie and why?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to read and review this title.

As you may or not know, psychological thrillers are my favorite genre. I love a fast paced book with twists and turns along the way. This book did not disappoint. I listened to this one on audio and since my commute to work is a lot shorter than it used to be, it took me a little longer to get through. I did not see any of the twists coming in this book, but they were great.

Small towns are great for thrillers. Everyone knows everything and you think you can trust them, but the whole town in unreliable. Once you know what's going on, you still don't know who to trust. While listening, I was sure I knew what was going to happen and who had killed Lizzie. I was shook when I found out the truth. This was a great book. First book I've read by Kat Rosenfield, but I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read more by her.

View all my reviews

To order a copy or to learn more about this book, click the links below(affliate links):

Amazon

Books A Million

Review: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: July 2020

In 1918 in Ireland, they are going through the Great Flu Pandemic. Nurse Julia is in charge of the expectant mothers who have this awful disease. While the disease ravished the country and the world, Julia with the help of inexperienced Bridie, tries to help these mothers the best she can. Full of sadness and a little close to home right now, I don't think I was truly ready for this book.

100 years ago, our world went through a pandemic which is now just the flu. A vaccine was eventually created for this that needs to be taken annually. Just this past year we have gone through another pandemic of Coronavirus or COVID-19.

This book isn't quite what I was expecting it to be. The focus was mainly on women who were pregnant with the disease. Will they survive? Will their children? Will the nurses and doctors that are caring for them? Even though I didn't live back when this story took place, I could definitely put myself in this story with what is going on in our world right now.

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the links below(affiliate links):

Amazon

Books A Million

Review: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Published: December 2019

Meg has just been named, The Planner of New York City, for her custom planners. She writes out the lives and plans of the rich and famous in lettering and colors that are perfect for them. She also does this in their homes and stationary. But she has decided that she is done with weddings ever since the last one where she hid a message in the program. No one would have noticed the message, except for her. Except, someone did notice, the groom and now he's back in the store to confront her about it.

I read this as part of #TogetherWeRead

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book. I wasn't sure where the story was going to go. There was a part at the end that had a twist that I really didn't see coming. I was really drawn to the character of Reid (the groom that found the hidden message in the program) because he was very quirky and for a while, I thought he may have Autism. He was very invested in his job that dealt with numbers. Numbers were his thing while letters were Megs. I liked the way their relationship develops and the twists and turns that came about to see if they were going to actually end up together.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I will read others by this author.

Read all my reviews

To learn more about this book, or to order a copy, click below:

Review: The Culmination of Everything by Christina C. Jones

The Culmination of Everything by Christina C. Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: March 2020 (audiobook)

Dr. Kyle Desmond is taking a sabbatical away from her life. She takes a trip to the mountains of Sugar Valley. Her life has been turned upside down and she just needs a little time away to figure out what happens next. She isn't planning on having to be rescued shortly after arriving in Sugar Valley. Being rescued by a handsome, but rude man definitely was not in her plans. Ben works on the mountain and takes care of things for his mother. He has a wall up that he isn't going to let down any time soon. He wasn't ready for someone like Kyle Desmond to enter his life. Can these two move past the hurts of their pasts to make a future together?

This is my first book by Christina C. Jones. I was drawn in from the beginning. The book was predictable, but with a few surprises that I didn't expect. Because it was predictable doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable. I had to find out what was going to happen between these two, not only romantically, but personally.

Kyle has lost her family and in a sense, Ben has as well. Neither of them knows how to deal with these emotions and they can't seem to stay away from each other no matter how hard they try. Working through the pain will help them move on from the past to a future.

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book, or to order a copy click the book cover below:

Audio Book Review: The First Lady by James Patterson

The First Lady by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2019
 

It's four weeks until the election for the new President. Current President Tucker is enjoying himself at a hotel in Atlanta with his girlfriend, while his wife and first lady, Grace Tucker, is fulfilling the duties of her office. When the President leave the hotel with his mistress, all hell breaks loose. There are reporters everywhere, there to catch the scandal. It's all just too much for the First Lady to handle, so she retreats to one of her favorite places and then, she turns up missing. Sally Grissom is the Secret Service Agent in charge of the presidential detail and doesn't know how the First Lady going missing isn't something she is told. Until she is called into the President's office and is asked to look for her secretively. What is going on? Something isn't right. And Sally has her eye on the President's Chief of Staff and his strange request. But Sally doesn't work for him, she serves the Office of the President and she will find the First Lady, no matter what.

This is a book I really enjoyed. It captured my attention from the start and had some twists and turns, I didn't see coming. There was only one drawback from this audio version of the book, the narrator. She did a fine job of reading the story and the voices, but her pronunciation drove me crazy. If you're not from the Washington, DC area, you might not notice, but it is so obvious. Pronouncing Maryland like Merry-Land. Potomac like Pot A Mack, and Arapaho like Air a pay ho. I cringed every time.

Imagine in this day and time with smart phones everywhere if the First Lady went missing. It would be all over the news. Why doesn't the Chief of Staff want to share this with the world, to help find her? Why isn't the FBI involved? Something is going on in the White House and Sally doesn't know if the President is aware at all. Or is his mistress and the election much more important to him than finding his wife.

Sally is going to do all she can to do her job even when she is asked to stand down. Even when it seems like there is always an obstacle there to stop her. Will she find the First Lady before it's too late? You'll have to read the book to find out.


View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the book cover below:

Audio Book Review: The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2018
 

Xiomara Batista is a 15 year old Dominican American living in New York. She has a twin brother and lives with both of her parents. She's at the point in her life where boys are an interest, but her parents would never approve of her dating a boy. They are strict Catholics and Xiomara's mother tells her Jesus is the only man she needs to worry about. But Xiomara needs a way to express herself that she is unable to do with her family, so she writes poems. Her teacher thinks she is talented and encourages her to share her writing. But with her mother always on her about church, will Xiomara be able to find an outlet for her writing.

This book has been on my TBR and I have heard great things about it. This is a great road trip audio book to listen to. Since it's on 3.5 hours long, you can listen to the whole thing on a plane ride or long drive which is what I did.

I liked Xiomara character. I can understand how it feels to be a misunderstood teenager. Where you want to do the things you want to do, but also you don't want to disappoint your family. How do you live in both of those worlds? How do you please your parents and yourself? Being a teenager is tough, especially when you don't have someone who you can trust to share your problems with. Writing is a good outlet to get out the emotions that are hard to share with others.

This is the first book I've read by Elizabeth Acevedo. I look forward to reading her next book, .

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy for yourself, click the book cover below:

AudioBook Review: The Ex by Alafair Burke

The Ex by Alafair Burke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
 

Jack Harrison is an author who has suffered great loss in his life. In high school, he lost his mother. A few years later, his father. A few years after that, his brother. The same day his brother died in a car accident, was the same day he found out that his long-term girlfriend, Olivia Randall had been cheating on him. Jack goes on and lives his life and after being married for about 10 years, he loses his wife to gun violence. The person who killed his wife was a young boy whose father thought guns were the right way to reach his mentally troubled son. So the families were suing the boys father for wrongful death. But that suit was dropped and everyone is devastated. A few days later, Malcolm Neeley, father of the boy who killed Jack's wife is shot to death along with two other people. All signs point to Jack as the person who committed this crime. But, Olivia knows Jack and he would never do something like this, right? Is Jack guilty or innocent. As time goes on, it's hard to tell.

Thank you to my Bookaholic friends for suggesting this book to me. This is the first book I have read by Alafair Burke and I can't wait to read more.

Imagine what you would do if you were accused of a crime you know you didn't commit. But all signs point to you. How can you handle it? What if your ex-girlfriend is the one who is representing you, do you think that would be a good idea? Jack Harrison seems like your typical guy, living his life and minding his business.

This book really touched me from start to finish. I had to know if Jack was really guilty or if someone was framing him and why would they do that? Jack is a man without too much in his life. It's just him and his daughter and his best friend. Why would his risk losing what little he had to get back at a man, whose son killed his wife.

Even though Olivia knew Jack 20 years ago, does she know the man today? Is she able to put aside their differences and see the evidence for what it is? You will have to read the book to find out.


View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy for yourself, click the book cover below:

Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: May 2013

Cormoran Strike is a Private Investigator, who has just been hired by John Bristow to investigate the death of his sister Lula Landry. Lula is a model in England and she has had her share of issues, but no one expected her to commit suicide. Cormoran hasn't been very lucky in life himself as of late, and this case is exactly what he needs to get a jump start. The police have been all over the evidence and there is nothing to support any other outcome for this case, but Cormoran is determined to find out the truth. Will he be surprised by who the killer is or will he find out quickly? With the help of his temporary assistant Robin, the case with all it's secrets will reveal the true killer.

I was not a very big fan of Harry Potter so I was excited when J.K. Rowling decided to try other writing. I'm glad she chose a pseudonym, because I don't think I would have read the books as J.K. Rowling.

When I first started listening to this book, I got quite confused. Each section starts with a Latin phrase. I had to be sure I had the right book. But I will say I was drawn in from the very beginning.

Everyone knows who Lula Landry is and everyone was affected by her death. Her brother doesn't believe she would have committed suicide even though she has serious depression. Her friends don't think she would have done it either. But if she didn't jump from her balcony and no one saw anyone else with her, then what happened? Cormoran interviews everyone who was involved with Lula and some of them twice. He enlists the help of his temporary assistant Robin, who proves to be quite useful.

I think from the beginning Cormoran had an idea of who the killer was. There are little things that happen throughout the story that give you that idea when it's all said and done. I'm very interested to know what is going to happen next in Cormoran's life and what other adventures he and Robin will find themselves on.



View all my reviews

 To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click on the book cover below:

Audio Book Review: Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: 2018

Sylvie and Dan have their annual check ups and discover that they have the probability of being married for the next 68 years. It gives them the idea to surprise each other in little ways to help keep their marriage alive. But will this really work to keep the marriage healthy? When the surprises start to backfire, Sylvie and Dan have to take a closer look at their lives together and try to reevaluate their choices.

Sophie Kinsella is one of those authors whose books I have on my TBR, but I haven't read very many of them. Her books are light-hearted and fun with a bit of an edge. This book had me laughing and crying. 68 years is an awfully long time to be with one person. I can only hope to have that with my husband. But what can you do to keep the romance alive and not get bored. Sylvie and Dan believe they have the right idea, but will everything blow up in their faces?

At first the surprises are small, a new piece of clothing, a changing of the decor in the kitchen. But then they get bigger. But when Dan starts to seem distant, Sylvie believes that everything she is trying to keep their marriage alive, is actually backfiring and she may lose Dan forever. When she finds out the truth, she will be crushed as well as fall more in love with her husband.

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. It took me a while to get into it, but after a while, I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen.

If you're a Sophie Kinsella fan, I highly suggest you read this book. If you're married, it's a great book to read.

View all my reviews


To order a copy of this book for yourself, click the book cover below:

Audio Book Review: The Fallen by David Baldacci

                  The Fallen by David Baldacci

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 2018

  

Amos Decker and his partner Alex Jamison are on a vacation from the FBI. They are visiting Alex's sister and niece in Barronville, a town they have just moved to. On their first night in town, Decker is sitting out on the back deck when he notices lights flashing in a house near by. Unable to let things like this go, Decker goes to see what the commotion is all about. Inside the house are two dead bodies, but there is something strange about these murders. Something isn't adding up. Barronville is a town full of addicts of opiod's but not much else going on. So why are these people being killed. Even though Decker is on vacation, he can't put the FBI badge down long enough to enjoy it.

I think Amos Decker is one of my favorite characters from David Baldacci. I love how he lives in his own bubble and really doesn't care what anyone else thinks. This is no different. He inserted himself into this case before the police even asked for his help. Another think I like about Amos, is that he also has a soft side, that really comes out in this book. When he is dealing with Alex's niece.

This is a story that is hard to believe.  You are trying to take a relaxing break from work(not that it's an easy task for Decker) when bedlam breaks out.  Even though Decker shouldn't get involved, he can't help it.  When events take place that remind him of his own family that he lost, you begin to see the softer side of Decker.

This is the 4th and latest book in the series and I hope there are more to come.

View all my reviews


To get a copy of this book for yourself, click the book cover below:

AudioBook Review: The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: April 2016

Claire, Jessie, and Gabriella have been friends for many years. They all have birthdays around the same time and they always celebrate together. On their 50th birthday, they decide to spend it in Vegas. The first night is Claire's birthday and they visit a magician who gives them an offer they can't refuse, or can they? They can go back to this same night 10 years prior to Claire's 40th birthday and make changes in their lives. But the changes they make won't affect just them. Will they take the offer, or leave it and continue to live their lives?

Seeing as this is the year that I turn 40, I was intrigued by this book. If I had the opportunity to go back in time and relive a year of my life, would I do it? I think that I would. I don't think that I would think twice about it. There are a lot of things I would like to change about the past, and having the ability to do so, sounds great.

For Claire, Jessie and Gabriella, they have some serious issues to get through and see if they can't fix the second time around. From the death of a parent, to an award winning career and an affair, will going back in time make things different in this new life? Will things be better or worse?



View all my reviews

To order a copy of this book for yourself, click on the book cover below;

Winning Wednesday--Bookish Giveaways!!

Bookish Giveaways to get you over the HUMP!!

Happy Wednesday my bookish friends.  I hope you are having a good week.  For me, I'm exhausted.  My kids got out of school for the summer on Friday and I'm ready for them to go back already.  I've lost my voice, and they have already gone through all the snacks I bought for the week!!  Good thing there are good books to escape in to at the end of the day!!

SUMMER READING

Enter for your chance to win a Summer Reading Pack from Harlequin.  Prize includes a beach bag with these new summer releases:

Open to Residents of US and Canada only(except Quebec)--Ends August 31st


Enter for your chance to win 1 of 10 copies of Kintsugi Wellness by Candice Kumai. Brought to you by PureWow.  Giveaway is on Instagram so you have to be signed in there to win!

Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 22nd


Enter for your chance to win a copy of Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins(Releasing August 7th) 
Brought to you by Penguin Random House.

Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 25th




Enter for your chance to win a Tote full of Audio Books!! 14 books below will be on Audio CD.  Brought to you by Penguin Random House.


Open to US Residents only--Ends June 30th


Enter for your chance to win 1 of 100 advanced copies of It All Falls Down by Sheena Kamal.  Brought to you by HarperCollins Scene of the Crime.


Open to US Residents only--Ends when they reach 100 names. 




Enter for your chance to win an Advance Reader's Copy of Our House by Louise Candlish  Brought to you by Berkley Publishers

Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 24th




Enter for your chance to win the June Doubleday Box.  The box includes:

• Doubleday Limited Edition Tote Bag
• "Books Before Bros" Doubleday Hat
• A book-scarf to match The Glitch
• A patch with a quote from Fruit of the Drunken Tree
• A discussion guide for Fruit of the Drunken Tree
• Lavinia and Louise's Guide to New York City map inspired by Social Creature
• "More Poetry!!!" Tattoos from Social Creature
• The debut fiction books pictured below

Open to US Residents only--Ends June 30th



Enter for your chance to win $500 to the Bookstore of your choice.  Which will you choose?  Brought to you by BookRiot.

Open to US Residents Only--Hurry Ends TOMORROW June 21st


Enter for your chance to win 1 of 25 advanced copies of A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay.  Giveaway is on Goodreads, so you have to be signed in to win. Brought to you by HarperCollins.

Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 27th






Enter for your chance to win the Natchez Burning Trilogy by Greg Iles.  You will win all three books, signed by Greg Iles.  Brought to you by HarperCollins.

Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 28th


Enter for your chance to win 1 of 25 advanced copies of Day of the Dead by Nicci French.  This is book 8 in the Frieda Klein series.  Brought to you by HarperCollins.



Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 25th

Book Riot Giveaway Page -- Click here

Giveaways from Goodreads

**These giveaways are not sponsored by What 'Cha Readin'?. Please see each giveaway for official rules.**