Once Upon A Dream Review

Happy Monday!

 I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! I am excited about the reviews and other posts I have in store for this week. So let's get this amazing week started off with a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell, is an amazing remake of the tale of Sleeping Beauty that we all know and love, except it has a twist to it.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways.

It should be simple—a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess', it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over.

With a desperate fairy's last curse infiltrating her mind, Princess Aurora will have to navigate a dangerous and magical landscape deep in the depths of her dreams. Soon she stumbles upon Phillip, a charming prince eager to join her quest. But with Maleficent's agents following her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are, and moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?"

In the original tale of Sleeping Beauty the Prince defeats the dragon, and rescues Aurora from her curse. But what if when the Prince went to awake Aurora he feel into a deep sleep curse of his own, and becomes trapped within the same dream as Aurora? Aurora is lead on a twisty adventure to find a way back to herself, while trying to figure out just who she is. When she meets Phillip along the journey she has to learn to trust him. Can she trust him to help get them both out of the nightmare or is he just another pawn of Maleficent's that will lead her on a wild goose chase?

This version of sleeping beauty had me enraptured from the very first word. It stays true to the story we all know and love, but the twist that Liz puts on the original story gives the reader a new found respect for Aurora. No longer does Aurora have to have a man to save her from her sleeping curse, but in this story the Princess gets to take her own story into her hands, which helps women see themselves as capable of saving themselves, without having to wait for a Prince's kiss.

Go find your own happily ever after readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Under Different Stars Review

Happy Monday Readers!

  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and is ready to start another week! Today I wanted to review a book that I recently read and loved. Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol had me laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat to see what happened next. I could't put this book down that I actually finished it in a couple of days, because it is that good!

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home.

Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go.

Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket's gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own.

When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?"

Kricket just wants to make it on her own until her 18th birthday, so she can be free to live her life without having to worry about case workers. She wants to be able to settle down and find a home to call her own. However, when she is on her way home one morning from work, she discovers that her identity has been compromised and people are after her. She has to figure out how to hide from the two groups that are trying to grab her to take her to her rightful home, and another group who wants to take her home to answer for her crimes. When she is taken by one of the groups lead by Trey, she is taken on one wild adventure that will have her guessing everything she knew about her family and everything she knew about herself. Can Kricket learn to trust Trey or will she be betrayed and have to save herself like she always does?

Kricket is a strong female character, who has survived so much that she doesn't know who she can trust, and knows that she has to protect herself at all costs. She doesn't take any crap off of anyone, and some of the things she says and does will have you laughing and crying. Amy brings the reader into an imaginative futuristic world, that you will believe you are experiencing Kricket's journey and emotions right along with her. Trey is a complicated character, however along the journey you get to understand why he acts the way he does, and somewhere along the line you start to fall in love with him a little. If you like adventure, romance, strong female characters, and a story line that will leave you guessing until the very end, then this book is for you!

Happy journey under the stars my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

The Iron Butterfly Review

Happy Fri-yay!

 We have made it to Friday, and I have to work tomorrow, but oh well. Today I am reviewing The Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn. This is another book where the main character is in a difficult situation, and has to find the strength to survive a world where someone wants her as an experiment.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Imprisoned, starved and left with no memories, Thalia awakens to find herself at the mercy of an evil cult known as the Septori. Their leader has chosen Thalia as the test subject for a torture device of untold power, designed to change and twist her into something that is neither human nor Denai.

Escaping, Thalia finds an unwilling warrior to protect her and an unlikely Denai to befriend her. After finding a home at the Citadel as a servant, Thalia’s worst nightmare comes to life and she begins to show signs of power. Scared and unable to control her gifts, she tries to hide her past to fit in among the Denai. But the Septori want their latest test subject back and will stop at nothing to retrieve her, dead or alive."

Thalia just wants to live her life, and doesn't want to become a test subject. She decides that she needs to escape and she needs help to do it. When she finds two guys to help her, she never expects to find love and a twisting journey along the way. Will she be able to hide from the evil cult or will they catch up with her and put her through unimaginable torture?

This novel takes the reader into a world of wonder and intrigue. You will be rooting for her to end up with one person, and than changing your mind in the mist of it. I couldn't put this book down, because I had to know what happened next. I am happy to admit this is one book I stayed up late to finish, and was so happy that it is part of a trilogy. Once I finished this one, I had to buy book two just to continue the journey with characters that I had come to know and love!

Happy Trails Readers!



Image taken from Goodreads website.

Dear Mr. Knightley Review

Happy Monday Guys!

  I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was busy trying to finish up homework before graduation, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Today I am going to be reviewing Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay. This is an Austen inspired book with the retelling of a book called Daddy Long Legs, that will play with your emotions, but in a good way.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Samantha Moore survived years of darkness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in literature, even adopting their very words. Her fictional friends give her an identity, albeit a borrowed one. But most importantly, they protect her from revealing her true self and encountering more pain.

After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity. The anonymous “Mr. Knightley” offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.

As Sam’s true identity begins to reveal itself through her letters, her heart begins to soften to those around her—a damaged teenager and fellow inhabitant of Grace House, her classmates at Medill, and, most powerfully, successful novelist Alex Powell. But just as Sam finally begins to trust, she learns that Alex has secrets of his own—secrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters."

Samantha Moore survived the worst time in her life by reading books and using the fictional characters from her stories to adapt her personality. When she starts receiving letters from a mysterious person, who goes by the name of Mr. Knightley, she is hesitant at first. She has trust issues, which in all honesty is understandable given the life she is living. While writing to Mr. Knightley, Sam starts to open herself up to the people around her, and even makes a couple of friends along the way. However when the true identity of Mr. Knightley is reveled, that trust that Samantha built up around her will start to crumble and she will start to wonder if she can ever trust anyone again.

This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster, it will make you laugh, cry, and just feel deep in your heart. I found a connection to Samantha because she is a book nerd who fell in love with the fictional characters that she reads about. I know when I find a really good book that draws me in, I start to have real feelings for the characters whether they are feelings of love or anger. I recommend this book to anyone who has fallen in love with a fictional character, and loves a good story where the main character goes on a journey to find herself.

Happy journey my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Juliet: A Review

Happy Wednesday!

 My favorite play by William Shakespeare has and always will be Romeo and Juliet. So today, I am going to be reviewing Juliet by Anne Fortier. I remember the day I picked up this book, I was walking around the bookstore looking for my next adventure when the title jumped out at me. I flipped the book around and the second I read the description, I knew that I had to have this book. It has now became one of my favorites that I have read over and over!

The description comes from the Goodreads website:

 "When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told that it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families immortalized in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he?"

Julie's orderly world is turned upside down when her aunt passes away, and she is left with a huge mystery on her hands. She decides to travel to Siena, Italy to figure out what her mother left for her in a safety-deposit box, what she doesn't expect is to be thrown into a historical rabbit hole, where the story she grew to love is actually a reality. Along the way she meets characters, who have a huge part to play in the outcome, and that will help her get down to the truth of the story of the real Romeo and Juliet. Along the way she will have to learn to leave her comfort zone, and do things that she normally wouldn't do. Will she be able to find Romeo to save her or is he just a fictional character?

I absolutely loved the way Anne brings the reader into both the past and the present by telling the story from Julie's and Giulietta's points of view. Her take on Romeo and Juliet is so beautiful and gives Shakespeare's characters a new way to live in the modern world. Anne captures the essence of Shakespeare's writing while at the same time putting a new and interesting twist on the tale that we have all come to know. You will see characters and scenes in this book that give a whole new meaning to the scenes from the play. This is a must read for fans of William Shakespeare, and who love the story of the star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

Fall in love with a pair of star crossed lovers all over again!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe Review

Hey Guys!

 Today I am going to review The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James. This book will take you into outer space, and one one wild ride. While reading this book you get to experience one girls loneliness as she lives among the stars in a spaceship. This story will get you in the mindset of asking yourself, could you really survive living on a spaceship in outer space for your entire life?

The description was taken from Goodreads:

 "A surprising and gripping sci-fi thriller with a killer twist

The daughter of two astronauts, Romy Silvers is no stranger to life in space. But she never knew how isolating the universe could be until her parents’ tragic deaths left her alone on the Infinity, a spaceship speeding away from Earth.

Romy tries to make the best of her lonely situation, but with only brief messages from her therapist on Earth to keep her company, she can’t help but feel like something is missing. It seems like a dream come true when NASA alerts her that another ship, the Eternity, will be joining the Infinity.

Romy begins exchanging messages with J, the captain of the Eternity, and their friendship breathes new life into her world. But as the Eternity gets closer, Romy learns there’s more to J’s mission than she could have imagined. And suddenly, there are worse things than being alone…."

Romy was born in space, and has never stepped foot on Earth's surface. When her parents die, she is left a lone to fend for herself, and to take care of all the spaceship's maintenance needs. She does get messages from her therapist, however with the way messages travel from Earth to space it takes a little bit to get to her, which you will get to see throughout the story. When Romy finds out that NASA sent another spaceship to hook up with her she is thrilled, because it means she doesn't have to be alone. Communication starts between Romy and J, and through this communication you get to know the characters a little bit more. But is everything as it seems, that is what Romy will start to ask herself.

I don't want to give anything away from this amazing book, because I don't want to ruin the big bomb shell of an ending. This story takes the reader on a wild ride with twists, turns, mystery, suspense, and intrigue that will leave the reader guessing at the truth until the very end!

Enjoy the spaceship ride my fellow readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Gone Girl Review

Greetings Fellow Readers!

I hope every had a good Halloween. Today I will be reviewing another mystery story, with murder, and suspense all rolled into one. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, will take you on a wild ride, where you will have to guess who did it, and try to figure out what is really going on. This story was also made into a movie, which I watched after reading the book, and it wasn't a bad movie, however you get more of the story from the book.

The description of the story was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?"

What would you do if your wife suddenly disappeared and people started digging into your personal life? Nick has always been seen as the perfect husband, who loved Amy, and would do anything for her. However, when she disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary, and his odd behavior starts showing, he will be put under a microscope. When the police read Amy's diary they find a different story than what everyone in town has been led to believe. This begins a game of who did it, and people wondering could Nick really kill his wife and hide the evidence.

Gillian takes the reader down a dark rabbit hole of intrigue, deceit, lies, cover up, and murder. This is such a twisted story, that it will leave the reader guessing what truly happened until the very end when everything is reveled. Even if you have watched the movie and know how it is going to end, I still recommend that you read the book. With the book you are able to see a more in depth view of the story than what the movie shows you. Gillian takes you on the craziest ride of your life, that you won't want to get off of. This is a must read for anyone who likes mystery stories, because you will be trying to solve one of the biggest mystery's of all time. What really happened to Amy?

Enjoy this dark ride my friends!



Image taken from Goodreads website.

Carrots: A Shelby Nichols Adventure Review

Happy Halloween Eve!

  So I have a review coming out tomorrow on Halloween, however I just got done reading this super intense amazing book, and I can't wait to review it. Carrots by Colleen Helme, is a non-stop action adventure, filled with gangsters, action, laughter, obsession, and carrots. This book was suggested to me last week by one of my co-workers and when I started reading I couldn't put it down. It was so good that before I even finished the book, I went ahead and ordered the rest of the 11 book series which will be here Thursday. I am already having trouble waiting a couple of days...

The description from the Goodreads website is as follows:

 "Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer. The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting affects until later, when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know? As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed."

Shelby was just your ordinary run of the mill stay at home mother, until she decided to pick up some carrots for dinner and her entire world changes. She starts to hear people's thoughts, and this leads her down a dangerous and thrilling adventure ride, where she learns things about herself, and the people around her. The things she gets herself into will make you laugh, and be on the edge of your seat wanting to know what happens next. You will want to kill some of the characters, slap them, cuss them, and will definitely fall in love with them.

I want to share a quote from Carrots with you, because when I read it I laughed, and could relate to how Shelby felt in that moment, and hopefully you will feel the same.

"I pulled into the parking lot, but all the close spots were taken, and I ended up parking so far away that I knew I'd get soaked. Did I really need the Carrots? I turned off the engine and without the wipers going, I could barely see out the windshield. I waited for a few minutes, hoping the rain would let up, but when it didn't, I knew I'd have to make a run for it."

Go fourth and dodge those bullets friends!



Image taken from Goodreads website.

The Night Circus Review

Hey Guys!

 Can you believe October is almost over? This year has been going by so fast. With keeping to the Fall theme, today I am reviewing The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This book is so beautifully written that you will be caught up in the disappearing, re-appearing circus world. This book has magic, mystery, forbidden love, and suspense. What more could you ask for in a nail biting wild adventure ride.

The summery for this book was taken from the Goodreads website:

 " The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart."

Celia and Marco are like Romeo and Juliet thrown into the glorious backdrop of the circus. Celia is groomed to be the best magician out there, and is supposed to hate Marco. Marco has been taught that Celia is the enemy and he must destroy her. When they start falling in love they see each other in a different light, and must keep their romance a secret from their instructors. Erin brings these characters struggles together, and takes the reader on a mysterious, magical ride that you won't want to get off of. I didn't want to put this book down when I read it, and I had to know how everything ended. This story is written in such a way that it will keep the reader guessing until the very end, and will take you on so many twist and turns that you get lost in this amazing adventure.

Enjoy the Circus my fellow readers!



Image taken from Goodreads website.

Tangled Web of Love Review

Hey Fellow Readers!

 I am really excited about the review I am going to be sharing with you today! It's called Tangled Web of Love, and it is by one of my favorite authors Joanne Rawson. I have loved every single book this author has put out, and this one made me fall in love with her writing again! This book is out of Joanne's comfort zone, which she states herself, but this book is so in depth and you get not one story but multiple stories.

Book description taken from Goodreads:

 "Faith formed a unique relationship with her boyfriend, Paul. They liked their independence, doing what they wanted without consulting the other, and they had never said those three significant words, I love you, which none of their friends or family could quite understand. However, there is one complication in their relationship—Paul’s snobbish father, who thought Faith an unsuitable lady friend for his son. In fear that his son would marry Faith and interbreed, he demanded Paul stop seeing her.

When Paul suddenly does a disappearing act, Faith decides whatever it was between her and Paul was over. He could come back on bended knee, begging and kicking, but there wasn’t a chance in hell this time they would get back together. However, when Paul returns unannounced, he finds Faith in the arms of another man.

What happens next is a tangled web of double dating, secrecy, sexual favors, and betrayal"

Now I will warn you, this book does have sex scenes in them, so age restriction required, but reading this book is so worth it! The best thing I loved about this book is that instead of reading from only one character's point of view, you get to read from every single characters point of view. To me this gives the story a more in-depth approach. Not only do you get to see the story from one point of view but you get to see it from several points of view. You get to feel every characters emotions, and develop love hate relationships with them. Plus Joanne keeps you guessing until the last page on what is going to happen next. What I also loved about this story is that all the female characters are relatable to real life, and you get to form a connection with them.

I have definitely dated some crap guys in my life, and this story made me think about them but in a good way. If you are struggling to come to terms with a relationship, than you need to read this book, because it may put some things in perspective for you, like it did me. 

Dive into secrecy and a tangled web of love readers!



Book image taken from Goodreads.

Girl At The Grave: A Review

Hello my fellow readers!

 Keeping with the amazing Fall weather we are having, I wanted to review a book that fits right in with Halloween. That book is called Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black. This book is set back in 1849, and has everything that you could want in a book. It has murder, romance, mystery, and suspense. The book follows a young girl, Valentine, who witnessed her mother killing someone, however when the murders start happening again, she goes on a dangerous and mysterious journey to revel the truth.

The description from Goodreads is as follows:

 "Valentine has spent years trying to outrun her mother's legacy. But small towns have long memories, and when a new string of murders occurs, all signs point to the daughter of a murderer. 

Only one person believes Valentine is innocent—Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother killed all those years ago. Valentine vows to find the real killer, but when she finally uncovers the horrifying truth, she must choose to face her own dark secrets, even if it means losing Rowan in the end."

I will admit I love a good murder mystery and this book reminded me of Agatha Christie's stories. It gives you just enough clues on who it could be, however when the truth is reveled, it will be someone you never expected. Valentine is a strong, independent character, who has had to learn to take care of herself, and practically grow into an adult before her time. During her journey, you meet her best friend Sam, and Rowan, who is the son of the man her mother killed. It turns out that when her back is against the wall she does get support from someone who you wouldn't have thought would give their support to her, Rowan. 

Valentine will put her life on the line to track down a killer to prove if her mother was really innocent or not. The reader is transported to a time when the justice system was ruled by money, and you get to be right along with Valentine as she navigates murder, romance, friendship, and scandal. Sam and Rowan bring about two separate personality types that both have their positives and negatives. Teri takes you on a journey through a time where anyone could be convicted of murder and where a murder could hide behind lies. 

Plus the book cover is what drew me to this book in the first place, which I have provided below. Once the cover piqued my interest, I read the description and knew I had to know how the story ended.

 

Image taken from Goodreads website

If you are a fan of a good who done it, and love not knowing who the killer is until the last second, than this book is for you. It also puts you into the fall spirit and this is one book you don't want to put down for one second, because you will have to know what happens next, and who the killer is.

Happy Hunting!!