Book Review: Wired in (Paradise Crime #1) by Toby Neal

Special Agent Sophie Ang has had a hard life. From being kidnapped as a child to having a mentally unstable mother, and even a very abusive ex husband, she’s been on constant guard since she can remember. Now as an FBI Agent, she sleuths around and saves people, never giving herself a break. That is, until her personal trainer finishes up with her training and starts flirting with her. Could this be just the break she needs?

3/5 Stars 282 pages
Published March 11th 2021 by Neal Enterprises

Spoiler alert: It’s not. Everything is always more complicated than it seems at first glance. An action packed story, it doesn’t even really stop to give to time to breathe. A good plot with a very strong female lead, I enjoyed reading it, but I do have a few complaints leading to why this isn’t my new favourite book.

See, a lot of the info really seems to be thrown at you to just remember. Why? Not really any reason. Her parent’s relationship with her, her friends that aren’t really that close with her, and even her job, because I can’t really even explain fully what she does. She lives in Hawaii, has a dog, and never really sees anyone, but that’s all I know. Special Agent? Might as well be a plain old detective.

The other problem that I have is that there’s no warning to even elude that there may be possibly triggering scenes. They come on very suddenly and really scared me to read honestly, just out of the blue like that. Sophie has the occasional flashback to her abusive ex husband, including the horrific time he had non-consensual sex with her. And that’s something that needs to have a warning, I think. Sophie also reminds me of a bad sitcom stereotype, always swearing in another language.

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That being said, I did like the story, I just didn’t love it. I felt like I had to kind of push myself through the entire book, and that’s not really something I enjoy doing. It’s interesting, and I don’t regret reading it, it’s just not my cup of tea. I think it’s good for any adult reader who doesn’t get triggered easily, and likes a good mystery novel in Hawaii.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here.

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can on Twitter here!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re having a great night!

Book Review: Windchaser (Phantom Island #1) by Krissi Dallas

Switching it up a little bit with Windchaser, we have a book from an author unknown to me until now, about teens at a camp who stumble upon something more than a good vacation.

4/5 Stars 288 pages
Published December 13th 2011 by Tate Publishing

Whitnee lost her dad when she was young, and it’s something that still effects her to this day. But after going to a troubled youth camp when she was a child, she returned with two new best friends, Morgan and Caleb. But will they stay best fr5iends when they come back to the camp as teenage mentors to a whole new set of trouble kids?

The book begins with a lot of reminiscing about their previous camp experience as children, which really reminded me of my own school camp experience. Although Whitnee and Morgan are more interested in meeting cute guys than actual camping. Under no circumstances are they supposed to cross the river. However, after thinking she sees someone on the other side, Whitnee just has to go and check it out for herself.

A fair warning, this book contains a lot of teenage boy drama. Just the hard part of being friends with boys, I guess. But despite all of that, Whitnee is determined to go find out what’s really going on, on the other side of the river. With or without her friends. And what she finds will change her life forever.

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Overall I really enjoyed this unique story. I liked the characters, and the setting, and just the book in general. It’s something that I would love to continue reading, seeing as it’s a series. The story was just very different from the things that I’ve been reading lately, and it was needed. It’s not my new favourite, but not every book can be a new favourite, you know? Definitely check it out if you get the chance and you like teen books about camps with a fantastic twist!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading! I hope you’re doing well, and remember, something as small as crossing a river could change your life!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

Book Birthday Review: The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam

3/5 Stars 304 pages
Published July 13th 2021 by Scribner

Asha has anything a girl could ask for, but she’s hungry for more. She wants to change her life up completely, quit school and move to New York to work at Utopia, a massive tech startup nursery. But her husband isn’t so sure about it. This sets up one of the biggest changes to their lives, as you might guess. An interesting story about choosing between work and life, it was a nice break from the paranormal stuff I usually read, even though it did have some aspects of that in the end half of the book.

After creating software for the new social media that’s going to take over the world, Asha can’t believe the thing that’s going to make everyone rich is something that she created with her own two hands, with her husband as the CEO and his best friend also working with them. They want to bring faith back to the people, but instead of through a higher power, an artificial intelligence in a social media platform that generates your perfect theme for anything in your life, based on your life as a whole and your experiences, and your own personal taste about things.

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This book is more just daily life and memories of other times when they were younger. It’s really chill, just people being people living their lives. The characters are like anyone you could know in real life, and even when things get really stressful I know that they’ll be able to figure out what’s best. I enjoyed it, but it’s not my new favourite. It is what it is, and you should check it out if you want a chill book to break up all your other usual genres.

If you’d like to grab a copy for yourself, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here, on Twitter!

Thanks for reading! I hope you do everything you want to do in your life.

Book Review: Where The Road Leads Us by Robin Reul

5/5 Stars 304 pages
Published April 6th 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire

An amazing story of teenagers growing in the people that they need to be to succeed, Where The Road Leads Us quickly became one of my new favourites. With an eccentric storyline and vibrant characters, I’m sure anyone who gives this book a chance will feel the same as I do, and need a physical copy for their collection.

Following two teenagers, Jack and Hallie, they have very different lives. We see them meet and go on the adventure of a lifetime to really find out who they are and what they really want inside, blossoming along the way and getting tangled in a little romance too. What more could you ask for?

Jack, a lonely boy missing his brother and his parents, and following his father’s footsteps because he feels like he has to. Going on a road trip to find his missing brother because he just needs someone to talk to about life. And Hallie, a girl with an illness that’s put her family in debt, forcing everyone to work more to keep up with her meds, because they love her and want her healthy. But she’s been too scared to really live her life. So she goes on an adventure that doesn’t end up being anything like she expected.

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Though I’m usually into more paranormal types of fiction books, it’s really nice to take a break once in a while and read something like this and really fall in love with not only the characters but the story itself. I couldn’t ask for more, to be honest, and I think it’s a perfect read for anyone looking for a feel good book, aged sixteen ad up. Definitely check it out if you get the chance! I’m obsessed for sure.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and having a great day. Live your life a little!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

Review: The Devil Whispered by Shawn Starkweather

3/5 Stars 413 Pages (in paper) Published February 1st 2021 by Shawn Starkweather Publishing Company

Honestly as great as the plot and the characters were in this book, I had the hardest time getting immersed into it. For whatever reason, I still haven’t figured it out over five hundred pages later, I Just couldn’t keep my attention on this book. Whether that’s a me problem or a book problem I’m not sure, but I do have these good things to say about it. If you’re looking for an action packed cyberpunk mystery novel mixed with military personnel, robotic limbs and internal computers, and crazy body mods and just crazy tech in general, than this is definitely something you should look into checking out next.

At the beginning of this book we find out main character, Jacobi, hunting down a man for some kind of mob boss. He finds him surrounded by drugs and girls and easily apprehends him, and brings him back to his father. This is just the beginning though, because the favour he gets in return will really help him out later in the book. What’s really going on here, Jacobi learns after visiting his friend in jail after he has brutally murdered his wife, is that someone seems to be hunting down the members of his old army team. But why would someone do that? Their names and team were all under lock and key, not just anyone would be able to have that information. But his friend says it wasn’t his fault and that someone made him do it. How could someone just control another person like that? All these questions and more are all wrapped up by the end of the book.

Out of all the characters I think I like Risa and his other friend with the robotic limbs the most. I read another review that says this book seemed sexist, and while that opinion is valid, I really didn’t get that vibe from it. I would say the vibes I got from this book were more military James Bond with all the cyberpunk goodness and crazy tech we love that comes along with that genre. The world around the characters wasn’t explained in depth, and honestly neither were the characters themselves, and maybe that might be why I had trouble really getting into it. That being said, though, I did enjoy it, and I don’t think I lost any time while I was reading it. It just took me longer than usual to get through it because of those things.

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Overall, If you’re looking for something exciting and action packed, with lots of tech and storylines within the bigger storyline, than this might be something you want to check out next. I would say that anyone aged sixteen and up would be able to read this, there’s not really any explicit scenes, and what very little sexual scenes there actually are in this book, I counted two, they’re glossed over very quickly and don’t get too in depth with them other than saying yeah, they did this. Which I appreciated. I don’t think that this is one of those kinds of books. The plot twists were exciting and everything weaved together really nicely in the end. And I’m left wishing I had an internal computer or robotic limbs, or those cool night vision mods that turn your eyes all black.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here!

And if you’d like to follow the author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

Book Blitz: Code (Isan #4) by Mary Ting

Code
Mary Ting
(Isan, #4)
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Behind enemy lines, new soldiers will emerge, and unexpected heroes will rise.

Ava is a prisoner. And she is not the only rebel held hostage at ISAN’s secret compound. As she plans an escape, the lives of the rebel prisoners are in her hands, along with those she thought were dead.

Rhett and his team desperately search for Ava while one of the Remnant Council joins forces with another network looking for the creator of the Helix serum. And time is running out. Mr. Novak has been secretly creating an army called CODE, and what he plans for Ava will mean a permanent end to the rebels–and her.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

EXCERPT:

I should have landed on him, but instead I dropped to the floor on my hands and knees like a wounded deer. An electrical sensation zapped through my middle and wrapped around me like invisible arms, holding me in place. Hundreds of needles pricked me all at once.

Excruciating pain seared from head to toe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even blink. I had been wounded many times on missions, but nothing I’d felt in ISAN compared to what had just hit me.

Immobile, a foot from my monster of a brother, I’d never felt so vulnerable. My muscles simply shut down. A whimper escaped me, but it could have been only in my head. Worse, a tear slid down my cheek. I felt humiliated beyond measure.

“Aw, sis. Are you crying? Does it hurt?” Gene took his hand out of his pocket and showed me a metal trinket, a circle about the size of his thumb.

“I thought it was best to have it handy in case you lost control.” He came dangerously closer and lowered, his warm breath brushing the shell of my ear. “Now you know, sis. I can contain you. You might want to show me some respect if you don’t want to be on the ground, helpless and weak. I might accidentally hurt you. We don’t want that do we?”

Oh, the pain. Every tiny movement—every blink—hurt so much.

He ran a knuckle down my cheek to wipe away another teardrop, and then grazed his index finger slowly across my neck, savoring my weakness.

“Next time it won’t be so soft,” he said. “You should get some rest. You look like hell.”

I screamed in my head. Peering up under my eyelashes, I watched him walk toward the sliding door. I wanted to rip out his throat, stomp on his heart, but I couldn’t move. Even a fraction of movement felt like a knife slitting deeper into my spine.

I couldn’t win. At least not this time. But I would find a way. There had to be a way.

Gene’s back to me, he held up that metal circle trinket and clicked. Just as the door blended into the wall, he released me. I thumped my head on the tile floor and wept for Brooke and the rebels who had died because of my stupid mistake.

Groaning, I crawled like a worm, my knees and elbows digging across to get to the rug, each movement agony. I refused to lie on the cold ground like I was nothing.

I’d never felt so small. No—I had, when my foster father beat me. Where was he now? Locked up. That would be Gene’s fate, too.

Just you wait, big brother. Just you wait. Karma is a bitch.

Author Bio:

International Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Mary Ting writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers all over the world. Her books run a wide range of genres: science fiction, fantasy, and swoon worthy stories. Her storytelling talents have won her a devoted legion of fans and garnered critical praise.

Mary was born in Seoul Korea and resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two dogs—Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Becoming an author was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, she retired from teaching after twenty years.

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Review: Recon (The Fringe #1) by Tarah Benner

5/5 Stars 296 pages
Published October 9th 2014

If you know me, or just follow my blog, you should know by now. But if you don’t, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I love post apocalypse and dystopia books. I can’t get enough of them. And this book is no exception. A unique mix of a dystopia built into an apartment complex filled with everything you could ever need, this is a world where your job is assigned to you on your graduation date, and with it comes the rest of your life. But for Harper, it’s not going the way she hoped, or even expected. And it’s a book I couldn’t get enough of.

Split between two viewpoints, the first is Eli. A brutal military person, he’s been forced into the job of training new cadets, and with it comes the trauma of sending them out not only too early, but without their full year of training due to the fact that the military that protects the complex and the area around it is dwindling. Dubbed the tunnels, the complex has anything you could ever want built into it, but because of the apocalyptic world outside, they’re forced to go out and protect the area around it by whatever means necessary. And he’s just trying not to get attached.

The second viewpoint is Harper, a twenty one year old woman who’s just gotten her graduation ceremony, and with it comes a new life. Brought into the compound from the outside world as a child, it’s all she’s ever known, but it’s about to tear everything she’s grown to love to shreds. After expecting some kind of tech job, she’s auctioned off into the military tier. And that’s just the beginning of her problems. Because there’s something much darker going on than just bidding wars on people for their careers, and it’s been in control for far too long.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

This was an amazing story filled with action, military training, romance, friendship, and a ton of hardships. The characters are very realistic despite their obvious differences from our own world, and they’re people that were easy to imagine because of it. Whatever they’re facing, be it their own thoughts, drug problems, crisis management, or really anything else they had to deal with in this book, they handle extremely well, the complete opposite of what I would do. It was an amazingly gripping story, and it was one that I couldn’t put down until it was done. I loved every second of it, and I’m so thankful that it’s part of a series, and I don’t have to say goodbye to the world so soon. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I think this book would be perfect for anyone looking for a good apocalyptic dystopia story, and honestly seeing as the worst thing that goes on in this are fights, swears, and kissing, I think anyone sixteen and up would enjoy it.

If you’d like to check out a copy for yourself, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can on their Twitter!

Thanks for reading! And remember to watch out for drifters!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

Cover Reveal: Worn Out Places by R.H. McMahan

Worn Out Places
R.H. McMahan
Publication date: September 1st 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

I can’t answer that question. I can’t tell him I’ve spent my whole life trying to disappear. I can’t tell him that I was born a drug addict. Or that I’ve been in foster homes so terrible I wished I didn’t exist. And I can’t tell him that last year ended any ambition I had to make it somewhere better in this world.

Drug addict parents. The foster care system. Living on the streets of New York City.

Zoie Cruz is used to an unflinching world that takes without giving back. But at seventeen she isn’t used to Northern Michigan, a family that wants her to succeed, and sobriety.

Everything changed on Christmas morning last year. Her social worker calls it a tragedy and her weekly Narcotics Anonymous meeting wants her to open up. All Zoie wants is to be left alone to get high.

When she meets local golden boy Dean, he’s determined to pull Zoie out of her darkness. And she’s determined to keep her walls sealed shut.

In a whirlwind struggle to stay clean, Zoie’s secrets can only stay hidden for so long.

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Author Bio:

R.H. McMahan a.k.a. Mickie is a Puerto Rican and Irish YA/NA author. She was born and raised in Chicago – and yes she thinks it’s important that you know that. In June of 2020, she graduated with a BA in English Lit and Creative Writing and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing.

Mickie dreamt of becoming an author since she started telling stories on the playground in first grade. Ever since then it is rare to find her without a notebook and a pen. Her book baby, Worn Out Places, debuts on September 1st and she cannot wait to share it with the world.

If she’s not writing she’s doing other creative things like singing, dancing, and drawing.

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Review: Mercurial by Naomi Hughes

5/5 Stars 412 pages
Published March 16th 2021

A breathtaking story of finding your own way despite abuse, religion, and frankly, just what everyone else is doing, Mercurial is truly unlike anything I’ve read lately. Set in a world where magic metal runs through people’s veins, very unlikely friendships and relationships bloom, and all of this wrapped together makes for an amazing book.

Following a boy named Tal, who’s sworn his life to protect a woman he despises for her violent and frankly just evil actions, The Destroyer herself, telling her own story after losing her memory in a disastrous train accident, and Tal’s sister Nyx, who’s fighting every day doing all she can after losing her brother to his oath, these characters are truly amazing in their own rights. Very different from anyone I’ve ever know, and gone through horrible traumas themselves, they really blossom in this book, and mixed together with the enchanting setting, I really couldn’t get enough of this story.

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Not only were the characters amazing and the setting amazing, but the actual plot of the story just drew me in immediately. It wasn’t boring for a second, and even in the downtimes where most of what was happening was talking, or a vision, or something like that, I was hooked. I finished this book in two days, and it’s just one of those stories where I wished I could read slower, because now it’s over way too soon and I’m left with a hole inside me where this book fits perfectly. The ending was not my favourite, but only because I wish there could have been more, but it was satisfying enough to not let it knock down my rating.

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Overall, my favourite character was probably either The Destroyer herself, Helenia, or Tal, but because I can’t choose between them all, it’s impossible to pick one. All of these characters were very different from each other, but each brought very different and important things to the story and I’m very thankful for them. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s a full fledged fantasy addict, someone who likes stories with very light romance, but still packed full of action, or even someone just starting out in the fantasy genre. I think it’s perfect for anyone over the age of sixteen, because there are some graphically violent parts. But most of all, I think if anyone picked this beautiful book up with it’s beautiful cover, I think that they would enjoy it. Because I know I did, and I need it for my own collection.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading! And if you have metal in your veins, don’t be afraid to show it!

My Top 5 Books of March 2021

Hey everyone! Hope you’re having a great day so far. It’s the beginning of a new month, so you know what that means? I’m going to go over my favourite books of last month! I can’t wait to tell you all about them. And of course, my individual reviews and links for you to buy the books yourself if you’re interested will be added to them too. So lets get started!

First off we have Down World by Rebecca Phelps!

As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O’Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

You can check out my full review here, and grab a copy for yourself here!

Second is Creatures Volume 1: The City that Never Sleeps by Stephan Betbeder, & Djief

In a post-apocalyptic New York City obliterated by a Big Night that wiped out most of civilization, bands of children struggle to stay alive in the wreckage, hunting for food under billowing clouds of toxic fog and running from hungry zombies. One child is endowed with the power to keep them at bay, but will it be enough to protect the survivors from the terrifying creature that has just risen out of the Hudson River? Meanwhile, a raving old man with a house full of books says the worst is yet to come…

Here’s my full review, and here’s where you can get your own!

Third is The Famoux by Kassandra Tate

Fame can be deadly.

Out of the wreckage of environmental collapse, the country of Delicatum emerged. Its most popular celebrities are the Famoux, uniquely beautiful stars of a reality TV show called the Fishbowl. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, they provide a 24/7 distraction.

Sixteen-year-old Emilee Laurence is obsessed with the Famoux—they provide a refuge from her troubled home life and the bullies at school. When she receives an unimaginable offer to become a member herself, she takes it. Leaving behind everything she’s ever known, Emilee enters a world of high glamour and even higher stakes.

Because behind their perfect image lies an ugly truth—an anonymous stalker has been dictating the Famoux’s every move, and being popular really is a matter of life or death. 

You can see my full review here, and here’s where you can get a copy for yourself!

Fourth is Inhuman by Denis Bajram, Valerie Mangin, & Rochebrune!

A small exploratory vessel crashes onto an unknown ocean planet after its crew is seized by a sudden madness. After escaping their sinking ship, the five survivors are helped to the surface by giant squid-like creatures who guide them to what appears to be the planet’s only island. To their surprise, they are greeted on the shore by primitive humans, who prove to be welcoming despite their cannibalistic rituals. But their fixed smiles and total docility suggest that something more sinister is going on. Are the castaways doomed to join them in submitting to the will of the mysterious Great One?

Here’s my full review, and here’s where you can grab a copy!

And last but not least is The Fall Volume 1 by Jared Muralt!

Readers who found themselves gripped by the apocalyptic adventure of Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD and who were moved by the emotion in Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD will not want to miss Jared Muralt’s THE FALL.

After just losing his wife, one father will have to face a world in freefall; shaken to its core by an economic, social, political and health crisis without precedent. Facing seemingly unreal and very unexpected dangers, he will do whatever it takes to protect his loved ones in a country on the brink of collapse. In this internationally acclaimed series, Jared Muralt not only tells the story of one family struggling to survive, but also questions the very reasons that brought mankind to this apocalypse.

You can check out my full review here, and here’s where you can get a copy for yourself!

Wow! I can’t believe that three out of five books last month were comics. I mean I can believe it, I read a lot of them, but I’m surprised! And the other two were wattpad published books, which is crazy to me! Mostly because I’ve never really noticed anything from the actual wattpad publisher that has really caught my eye before, but that changed in march! I can’t wait to see what my favourites for this month are.

Have you read any of these books? Are you thinking about getting some of them? What were your favourites last month? I want to talk! Anyways, thanks for reading.