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amandasbookreview's Reviews (966)


"' A Heartless Laird' has the potential to be an amazing Scottish epic tale!"

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/february/viewer/desktop/#page/58

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher was recommended to me by my awesome book club ladies! I did have to wait a few weeks for an audiobook copy on Libby and then I found out that there was a line behind me. So this book is definitely popular right now. It is narrated by Lauren Fortgang.

WARNING: Possible Triggers Involving Pregnancy Loss

The book introduces Thursday who is married to Seth. Seth has two other wives that he splits his time with, and he sees Thursday…on Thursday. Thursday is his second and legal wife. His first wife wants a career, not Seth’s children. However, a miscarriage leaves Thursday unable to have kids and now Seth has brought in wife number 3, who is pregnant. Thursday doesn’t know anything personal about the other wives, only that she needs to go above and beyond to be the best wife. One day she finds something in Seth’s pant pocket and then the lies begin. What is Seth hiding?

What the what?! What a trip! This book had me pulled in so many directions, I still don’t know what to think. At first, I was completely turned off by the opening plotline. The more I got to know Thursday, the more I wanted to smack her. She hates being in a polygamist relationship but yet agreed to it because she wanted Seth. Well, Seth is a garbage human. I don’t care how attractive and charming he is. If everyone is on board with the relationship then that is great. But in these circumstances, it is not consensual. Then I got a quarter of the way through the story and things started changing. Thursday’s obsessive tendencies start to show and the pace starts to pick up. Seth’s true colors start to show. I didn’t find any of the characters likable or relatable. I was also not a fan of the portrayal of mental illness. The pregnancy triggered mental illness which was then used as a plot twist. I just struggled with that aspect of the book.

I must say, I did not see the twists coming. The pace was relentless and I could not put it down. Then that ending. First of all, it is not predictable. Then that last bit was just jaw-dropping. I always appreciate a psychological thriller that keeps me guessing until the very last page and this book did just that. Also, the narrator is fabulous. She really captured the eerie nature of the story. Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars!

I decided to wait to read The Tower of Swallows by Andrzej Sapkowski because I was going through the series too fast. I wanted to be able to enjoy it a bit more. This is the 4th book in the series, which means I am almost done. Once again, Geralt joined with Milva, Regis, Cahir, and Dandelion, who are still in search of Ciri. They know about the fake Ciri who is intended to marry the Nilfgaard emperor. However, there is no other evidence that the real Ciri is alive. She was last with a group of bandits who made a name for themselves. Even still, her enemies are gathering. The only place that may help is the tower of swallows.

This installment picks up right where book 3 left. That is the bittersweet aspect of the books, yes, they end abruptly, but the beginning always dives right into the story. I absolutely fell in love with this series since the very first book. While I loved this book. This one does jump around more than the previous books. In the beginning, this creates a relatively slow pace but the tension really builds up throughout with a pretty epic conclusion. (Don’t worry, I won’t give spoilers.)

I hated Mistle and the Rats group. Yes, they took care of Ciri in a way, but they also took advantage of her. However, I do love that Ciri does get a taste of freedom. She has seen and experienced so much hardship and heartache. Her character development is phenomenal and it is the main focus of this book.

Geralt, Milva, Cahir, Regis, and Dandelion are still together and I want them all to be my best friends. They are not close to perfect but they all compliment each other. They are a team and I know this will probably end badly but I am totally okay with them always being together fighting injustice. I really can’t wait until the show catches up with this part of the story.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars! I will hopefully get to read the next book, Lady of the Lake next month.

"This collection of novellas is absolutely charming!"

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2019/october/viewer/desktop/#page/56

"This lovely story about the Hodges family feels like a vacation!"

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/march/viewer/desktop/#page/96

Readers better have a fan or air-conditioner on while reading this book because it gets HOT!

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/march/viewer/desktop/#page/88

"This is everything that readers want in a historical novel."

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/march/viewer/desktop/#page/52

The Escapist by David Puretz is a complex novel about life. The story begins with a journal entry. “Find Dad.” Billy Chute is traveling across the country to find his Dad. Billy struggles with drug addiction and is the king of escaping life and responsibilities. His flight compulsion actually turns into a mission to find his Dad, who also escaped his own life and disappeared. His mental health state and the flashbacks of his path keep him moving forward.

This book isn’t for everyone. While there is something for everyone to learn by reading this book, the pace is pretty slow. However, I really love the complexity of this story. So Billy struggles with mental illness and drug addiction. BUT, he uses his journal to be self-reflective. It begs the question, is his reflection reliable? While unreliable, it is still honest. The feelings and emotions are what make this story really relatable.

On top of the emotion, the story takes place with the backdrop of The Occupy Wall Street and the Iraq War. These events have a critical impact on Billy’s life and have led him to this moment. Even though the pace of the book is pretty slow, it makes up for it with complex layers and characters. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author and JKS Communications for the opportunity to read this book!

My bookclub selected What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty for the month of February. The book kicks off with Alice waking up on the gym floor after fainting. She hit her head and medically she is fine. The only problem it is 2008 and she thinks it is 1998 and she is pregnant with her first child. She doesn’t remember the last 10 years, and that includes her children. Now she must fill in the blanks. Some of those blanks are filled with bitterness and heartbreak. Is she better off without knowing? Will her memory ever come back?

Okay, before I go on a complete and utter rant I must say that my whole book club enjoyed this book. They had nothing but good things to say and I am so glad they all enjoyed it. I looked at a few reviews and they pretty much line up with how they all feel about the book.

Now. Prepare yourself. The rant is coming. Possible spoilers ahead.

You have been warned.

I hated this book. I don’t say that often. But it was difficult for me to read. I think one of the reasons for this is because I read Big Little Lies and I absolutely loved it. So when I picked up this one, the bar was set high. This book didn’t even feel like the same writer. The writing was very simple and extremely repetitive.

“And I’d probably have sex!
Wasn’t sex nice, Phil?
It was extremely nice.”

FRANNIE’S LETTER, PAGE 357, WHAT ALICE FORGOT
WHAT IS THAT?!?! This is the most cringe-worthy quote I have ever come across. And the book is FULL of awkward dialogue like this. The repetitive nature of this book is a constant problem. Seriously. I can’t count the number of times Alice questions the fact that she was at the gym when she hit her head.

Then there is the storyline in general. Nothing happens. Absolutely nothing. I hit page 350 and she is still explaining to people that she lost her memory. In fact, that is it. It is just about her telling everyone she comes across that she lost her memory. There is no depth, no substance. JUST FLUFF.

Then there is the problem with Alice. Ok, she loses 10 years of her memory and all of a sudden acts like she is 12 years old. She lost 10 years, not 20! She couldn’t even drive in one scene. Also, in what universe would a hospital let a woman who lost her memory go home and take care of the children that SHE DOESN’T REMEMBER by herself? Some may say, “Oh but Amanda, she lied to the doctors.” True. But you would think the doctors would ask more questions rather than, “Hey is your memory back?” NO. NO. NO. IT MAKES NO SENSE!! And what kind of father leaves his kids with his ex-wife when she tells him that she doesn’t remember her kids or even getting separated!

Then there is Frannie. She is a good character but she adds absolutely nothing to the story. She either needed to be intertwined with the story more or cut out completely. However, Elizabeth’s character is the one aspect I enjoyed about the book. Her pain, anger, and bitterness is something I can relate to when it comes to pregnancy loss. That was the only real emotion that came out of this book.

I just didn’t connect with the story. I can tell it really resonated with many readers, I just didn’t have that connection. For this, I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author and She Writes Press for the opportunity to read this book!

Salvation Station by Kathryn Schleich has a very intense beginning. Captain Linda Turner is brought to a home where 3 bodies are discovered. This crime is one of the worst crimes she has come across, especially since it involves two children. She will stop at nothing to find the murderer. The children and their father are discovered but their mother is nowhere to be found. Her investigation leads her to a corrupt religious organization. Ray Williams is a televangelist. However, his show only has a few supporters and cannot carry on financially. One of his members brings him ideas that she claims are from God. He agrees with these ideas. However, no one can predict how these events collide.

One thing is for sure, this book will tear at your heartstrings. Crime thrillers can be difficult to read, especially when they involve children. Although, this really has the reader rooting for Linda to solve the murder. I love Linda. She is strong, fierce, and completely devoted to her job for all the right reasons.

The beginning of the story is pretty intense with the revelation of the murder. However, after the pace does decline a bit. There are multiple points-of-view, some that I don’t feel are completely necessary. Then there are the very strong religious themes. I honestly didn’t care about this aspect at all. However, this is a really compelling and eerie mystery. I would definitely read more books by this author. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

This book is available for preorder and will be available on April 14th!