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amandasbookreview's Reviews (966)
"Such a divine tale about two people who do not feel that they belong, but find love in each other!"
Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/october/viewer/desktop/#page/58
Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/october/viewer/desktop/#page/58
Another Aviva Vaughn book?! Yay!!! Love on the Ropes is a slow-burn standalone novel. Erin is a cousin of Angela (from the Beckoned series) and moves to LA from Hawaii. While Hawaii is beautiful, it is a beautiful prison. She is determined to find an amazing job and be successful. She ends up working for a marketing department on a radio show. The radio show host, Clint Davenport is hot and cocky and used to a TopGun pilot. He has also been infatuated with Erin ever since he met her. But when the show goes on a company team-building retreat, they are forced to work together, which results in some major sparks. The problem is they work together. Erin needs to focus if she wants a promotion but her feelings for Clint are hard to ignore…
I have to admit, the ending of the Beckoned Series is so bittersweet. It was a good ending but I really miss the characters. So a spinoff is exactly what I needed! It is wonderful how some of my favorite characters make an appearance in this book! As always, Aviva Vaughn creates wonderfully colorful and diverse characters who feel real. They experience real emotions and issues that everyone deals with. The characters are always phenomenal! I loved Erin so much! She is smart, goal-oriented, and STRONG. Clint took a little longer for me to warm up to. At first, he seemed a little too obsessed with Erin. It was kind of a turn-off. But maybe I just miss Soren. (#teamsoren4eva)
The pacing is perfect and I loved the ending! Overall I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and I am eagerly awaiting her next book! Be sure to check it out!
I have to admit, the ending of the Beckoned Series is so bittersweet. It was a good ending but I really miss the characters. So a spinoff is exactly what I needed! It is wonderful how some of my favorite characters make an appearance in this book! As always, Aviva Vaughn creates wonderfully colorful and diverse characters who feel real. They experience real emotions and issues that everyone deals with. The characters are always phenomenal! I loved Erin so much! She is smart, goal-oriented, and STRONG. Clint took a little longer for me to warm up to. At first, he seemed a little too obsessed with Erin. It was kind of a turn-off. But maybe I just miss Soren. (#teamsoren4eva)
The pacing is perfect and I loved the ending! Overall I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and I am eagerly awaiting her next book! Be sure to check it out!
Thank you, Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read this book!
This is the PERFECT October read! Dark August by Katie Tallo is a small-town crime thriller. Augusta Monet goes by Gus. She hasn’t been home in years. Her mother was a detective and she died when she was younger. However, she receives word that her grandmother died and left her an inheritance. So she returns home and while going through her family’s possessions she comes across her mother’s old case that haunted her until her death. Gus picks up where her mother left off but little does she know that investigating will put her in danger. The same danger that killed her mother…
This book has mystery, suspense, and corruption! This mystery spans generations in this small-town. Gus is the only one who can connect all the dots. One of my favorite aspects is the detail of the town’s history. Everyone knows everyone and everyone’s secrets.
The mystery is complex and not at all predictable which is a huge plus! However, this book is pretty slow. There are moments that just drag on for too long. However, I kept going because my favorite character is the dog. I feel like he is the reason a lot of plot points come to pass. And the dog is always the best part of any novel. So overall, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
This is the PERFECT October read! Dark August by Katie Tallo is a small-town crime thriller. Augusta Monet goes by Gus. She hasn’t been home in years. Her mother was a detective and she died when she was younger. However, she receives word that her grandmother died and left her an inheritance. So she returns home and while going through her family’s possessions she comes across her mother’s old case that haunted her until her death. Gus picks up where her mother left off but little does she know that investigating will put her in danger. The same danger that killed her mother…
This book has mystery, suspense, and corruption! This mystery spans generations in this small-town. Gus is the only one who can connect all the dots. One of my favorite aspects is the detail of the town’s history. Everyone knows everyone and everyone’s secrets.
The mystery is complex and not at all predictable which is a huge plus! However, this book is pretty slow. There are moments that just drag on for too long. However, I kept going because my favorite character is the dog. I feel like he is the reason a lot of plot points come to pass. And the dog is always the best part of any novel. So overall, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Spooky season is upon us and I am trying to get in the mood. I am not good with scary movies but I do love scary books! So first on my list is The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. The book is narrated by Ray Porter. So the foreword mentions that this is a true story and that only some of the names have been changed. In the 1970s, at the Amityville home, a man named Robert Defeo Jr. shot and killed his entire family. A couple of years later, The Lutz family moves in. They are a happy family, excited about new opportunities. However, within a few days, things change. First, their attitudes change and the family lashes out at each other. Then the feeling of another presence starts to occur. Twenty-eight days later, they flee for their lives.
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Well, my thoughts on this book won’t take long. It was very blah. Now, don’t get me wrong. The movie adaptation is probably terrifying. The content is terrifying. But the way it is written is very…bland. It is written, “This happens, then later this happened. He felt cold…” etc… It just didn’t give me the goosebumps and or keep me up at night like I wanted it too. Is it weird that I want to be scared?
Anyway, I decided to look up the facts behind this “true story.” Well, let’s just say this book is pretty far from the truth. But like I said, I can see how this would make a fantastic scary movie! I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.
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Well, my thoughts on this book won’t take long. It was very blah. Now, don’t get me wrong. The movie adaptation is probably terrifying. The content is terrifying. But the way it is written is very…bland. It is written, “This happens, then later this happened. He felt cold…” etc… It just didn’t give me the goosebumps and or keep me up at night like I wanted it too. Is it weird that I want to be scared?
Anyway, I decided to look up the facts behind this “true story.” Well, let’s just say this book is pretty far from the truth. But like I said, I can see how this would make a fantastic scary movie! I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley, Redhook Books, and Alix E. Harrow for the opportunity to read and review this book!
I requested The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow immediately after seeing the cover and title. I didn’t even know what the book was about but I just knew I had to read it. Picture it. New Salem, 1893. Estranged sisters: James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna run into each other in the middle of the square. All are drawn to the suffragist movement. However, they all have a secret. The old ways are in their blood. Witches haven’t been around in years, but that is all about to change.
“The Words, the Will, the Way”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING!
Everything!!!
Where to begin?? First of all, it incorporates everything from fairytales to legends to history. There is social justice, sister relationships, and a whole lot of magic. The magic is so intricate but powerful. It includes the history of the persecution of witches who were burned. It discusses the atrocities that women face and how we had to work so hard to get the right to vote…and how white women left Black women behind. This book addresses that suffragette women were mainly wealthy, white women, and HOW those white women viewed poor women and Black women. I LOVED the inclusion of sex workers and the LGBTQ community. This book gave me all the Girl Power vibes —Trans women are women! When we ALL lift each other up and leave no one behind, we are even more powerful.
“Because it’s easy to ignore a woman.” Juniper’s lips twist in a feral smile. “But a hell of a lot harder to ignore a witch.”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
I loved every single character. The Maiden, James Jumpier is the youngest and was left to fend for herself after her sisters left her behind and has been consumed with anger and bitterness. The Mother, Agnes Amaranth is stubborn and fierce. The Crone, Beatrice Belladonna was the first to leave. She is more likely to be in the company of books than with people. Their lives have no been easy and it will be even harder to come together. I could really relate to them being the oldest of three sisters. I understand the hurt, the love, and the willingness to lay down one’s life for their sibling.
The pacing is fantastic. The prose is stunning. I couldn’t put this book down for longer than 5 minutes because I became utterly addicted. Alix E. Harrow just became one of my auto-buy authors. This book does release October 13th and you will NOT want to skip this book. This book gets 5 PERFECT stars.
“Avalon wasn’t the first library. Alexandria, Antioch, Avicenna…they keep burning us. We keep rising again.”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
I requested The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow immediately after seeing the cover and title. I didn’t even know what the book was about but I just knew I had to read it. Picture it. New Salem, 1893. Estranged sisters: James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna run into each other in the middle of the square. All are drawn to the suffragist movement. However, they all have a secret. The old ways are in their blood. Witches haven’t been around in years, but that is all about to change.
“The Words, the Will, the Way”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING!
Everything!!!
Where to begin?? First of all, it incorporates everything from fairytales to legends to history. There is social justice, sister relationships, and a whole lot of magic. The magic is so intricate but powerful. It includes the history of the persecution of witches who were burned. It discusses the atrocities that women face and how we had to work so hard to get the right to vote…and how white women left Black women behind. This book addresses that suffragette women were mainly wealthy, white women, and HOW those white women viewed poor women and Black women. I LOVED the inclusion of sex workers and the LGBTQ community. This book gave me all the Girl Power vibes —Trans women are women! When we ALL lift each other up and leave no one behind, we are even more powerful.
“Because it’s easy to ignore a woman.” Juniper’s lips twist in a feral smile. “But a hell of a lot harder to ignore a witch.”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
I loved every single character. The Maiden, James Jumpier is the youngest and was left to fend for herself after her sisters left her behind and has been consumed with anger and bitterness. The Mother, Agnes Amaranth is stubborn and fierce. The Crone, Beatrice Belladonna was the first to leave. She is more likely to be in the company of books than with people. Their lives have no been easy and it will be even harder to come together. I could really relate to them being the oldest of three sisters. I understand the hurt, the love, and the willingness to lay down one’s life for their sibling.
The pacing is fantastic. The prose is stunning. I couldn’t put this book down for longer than 5 minutes because I became utterly addicted. Alix E. Harrow just became one of my auto-buy authors. This book does release October 13th and you will NOT want to skip this book. This book gets 5 PERFECT stars.
“Avalon wasn’t the first library. Alexandria, Antioch, Avicenna…they keep burning us. We keep rising again.”
THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart is the 3rd book in the Arthurian Saga. This book pretty much picks up where the 2nd book left off. Arthur is King. While Arthur is learning to run the kingdom, protect his people, and keep out of danger, Merlin does his best to watch out for him. Merlin and Arthur do have one thing in common in this installment…love. On top of everything else, both have to navigate these emotions and the effect they have on their reality.
“Not every king would care to start his reign with the wholesale massacre of children.”
THE LAST ENCHANTMENT
What a killer opening line! Unfortunately…that is the most intense part of the book. Merlin’s character does get a bit better in this book. He was insufferable in The Hollow Hills. My main issue in this book is just the lack of plot and climax in this installment. The pace is slow. I know she is drawing from the legends but the love plotlines are not enough to hold this book. It needed more. I just felt so disconnected from the story and the characters.
By far, my favorite in the series is book one, The Crystal Cave. The series just seems to keep going on without a focal point. It is just Arthur doing his kingly duties and Merlin going off and watching over Arthur. However, I do love that there are more female characters in this book. I am just saying, I would LOVE a book that focuses on Nimue. So I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
“Not every king would care to start his reign with the wholesale massacre of children.”
THE LAST ENCHANTMENT
What a killer opening line! Unfortunately…that is the most intense part of the book. Merlin’s character does get a bit better in this book. He was insufferable in The Hollow Hills. My main issue in this book is just the lack of plot and climax in this installment. The pace is slow. I know she is drawing from the legends but the love plotlines are not enough to hold this book. It needed more. I just felt so disconnected from the story and the characters.
By far, my favorite in the series is book one, The Crystal Cave. The series just seems to keep going on without a focal point. It is just Arthur doing his kingly duties and Merlin going off and watching over Arthur. However, I do love that there are more female characters in this book. I am just saying, I would LOVE a book that focuses on Nimue. So I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
I saw The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery on a table at Barnes and Noble and it completely caught my attention. However, you all know how stacked my TBR is, so I put it down and walked away. Well, it must have been destiny because it popped up on Libby the next day. The audiobook is narrated by the author herself. The author is a naturalist and takes us on a journey into the world of Octopuses. Yes, Octopuses. I discovered that it is not Octopi. Throughout this book, she discusses 4 radically different but beautiful Octopuses named Athena, Octavia, Kali, and Karma. These creatures aren’t monsters like they are portrayed in literature and legend. They are emotional and extremely intelligent beings.
Wow. I was not expecting this emotional rollercoaster. I shall now dedicate my life to telling everyone how amazing these creatures are. I was completely blown away. I even texted my husband asking him if we could trade in his red-eared slider (my arch-nemesis, we don’t get along) for an Octopus. Although, I do realize Octopuses belong in the wild or in a place where they can be safe. Octopuses are so intelligent but can get into mischief when they are not intellectually stimulated. I had no idea how common it is from these creatures to escape their aquariums.
This book is narrated perfectly and absolutely filled with passion. Many would think that this would be slow or boring, but that is not the case. I found myself wanting to know more. There were moments where I laughed and even shed a tear. There was even a pretty descriptive Octopus sex scene that was so descriptive that it rivals some of my favorite romance novels. I now know that the Octopus exhibit will be the first thing I will go see the next time I visit the aquarium. I rate this audiobook 5 out of 5 stars.
Wow. I was not expecting this emotional rollercoaster. I shall now dedicate my life to telling everyone how amazing these creatures are. I was completely blown away. I even texted my husband asking him if we could trade in his red-eared slider (my arch-nemesis, we don’t get along) for an Octopus. Although, I do realize Octopuses belong in the wild or in a place where they can be safe. Octopuses are so intelligent but can get into mischief when they are not intellectually stimulated. I had no idea how common it is from these creatures to escape their aquariums.
This book is narrated perfectly and absolutely filled with passion. Many would think that this would be slow or boring, but that is not the case. I found myself wanting to know more. There were moments where I laughed and even shed a tear. There was even a pretty descriptive Octopus sex scene that was so descriptive that it rivals some of my favorite romance novels. I now know that the Octopus exhibit will be the first thing I will go see the next time I visit the aquarium. I rate this audiobook 5 out of 5 stars.
Last year I read The Invited by Jennifer McMahon and I have been obsessed ever since! So I jumped for joy when I was given an ARC copy of Jennifer McMahon’s The Drowning Kind! Jax is a social worker, who maintains her distance from her family. Her sister Lexie, who she hasn’t spoken to in a while, calls multiple times one night, and all the voicemails make it sound like she is having another manic episode. Jax is not ready to deal with what is going on. However, that may just be her biggest regret after she finds out her sister drowned after making the phone calls. Lexie is not the only person to drown in the dark pool that once belonged to their grandmother. Lexie was investigating something, and now Jax is determined to find out what and the past is way darker than anyone could have anticipated.
This book did not disappoint! It gave me all the chills. In fact, I don’t think I will be able to swim in a lake ever again. At first, the story presented itself as a psychological thriller but it went even darker. There are dual timelines: the present and the year 1929. It flowed perfectly. I loved how the past gave the background but fed the plotline of the present.
The characters are fantastic, dark, and complex. It just goes to show what anyone to do for the ones that they love. But the concept of the water can’t give without taking something in return is positively ominous. I love the sisterly bond but also that the author shows how difficult a sisterly relationship can be, especially when mental illness and jealousy are involved. However, this goes beyond the sisters. There is a history and it revolves around the pool and the darkness within. This is so suspenseful and will leave readers gasping.
Trigger warnings: infertility, pregnancy loss, family loss. This book doesn’t come out until April, 6th 2021 but you will want to pre-order it right now! It is not a book you will want to miss! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
This book did not disappoint! It gave me all the chills. In fact, I don’t think I will be able to swim in a lake ever again. At first, the story presented itself as a psychological thriller but it went even darker. There are dual timelines: the present and the year 1929. It flowed perfectly. I loved how the past gave the background but fed the plotline of the present.
The characters are fantastic, dark, and complex. It just goes to show what anyone to do for the ones that they love. But the concept of the water can’t give without taking something in return is positively ominous. I love the sisterly bond but also that the author shows how difficult a sisterly relationship can be, especially when mental illness and jealousy are involved. However, this goes beyond the sisters. There is a history and it revolves around the pool and the darkness within. This is so suspenseful and will leave readers gasping.
Trigger warnings: infertility, pregnancy loss, family loss. This book doesn’t come out until April, 6th 2021 but you will want to pre-order it right now! It is not a book you will want to miss! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
I absolutely loved Christina Henry’s The Mermaid, so I grabbed The Ghost Tree without even reading the synopsis. It happens to be the perfect October read. Lauren is a teenager but not a typical teenager. She loves to ride her bike and play in the forest. Not like her best friend, Miranda who is only interested in boys. One day, the bodies of two girls are discovered in her neighbor’s yard. It feels a little similar to the murder of her father the year before. It feels like no one is concerned and almost forgetting that it ever happened. But now Lauren is having visions. There are more girls and no one remembers them. There is something very wrong in this small town and she is right in the middle of it.
This book started out dark, then went darker…then even darker. This is not a light read. This is the book that you read when you want all the witches, curses, ghosts, and monsters. The only thing that I didn’t love is the many different points-of-view. I felt that the main characters weren’t completely fleshed out. I did love all the characters, I just wanted the focus on some more than others. I love Alex and his family. It broke my heart to see the aggressive racism that they are exposed to on a daily basis. I think it is important to show that racism no matter how big or small. It shows how it hurts a person and how it is a disease in our society.
The family bonds that really pulled at my heart. Lauren’s relationship with her brother is so tender and pure. I wanted more behind their family history. I loved Lauren’s coming-of-age progression. She is desperate to hang on to her childhood. She wants to be herself. On the opposite side, it shows the pressures that we put on teens in our society.
Now. This book is scary! It gave me chills and is full of glorious twists and turns. No one is safe. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Trigger warnings: graphic murder involving children, pregnancy loss, racism
This book started out dark, then went darker…then even darker. This is not a light read. This is the book that you read when you want all the witches, curses, ghosts, and monsters. The only thing that I didn’t love is the many different points-of-view. I felt that the main characters weren’t completely fleshed out. I did love all the characters, I just wanted the focus on some more than others. I love Alex and his family. It broke my heart to see the aggressive racism that they are exposed to on a daily basis. I think it is important to show that racism no matter how big or small. It shows how it hurts a person and how it is a disease in our society.
The family bonds that really pulled at my heart. Lauren’s relationship with her brother is so tender and pure. I wanted more behind their family history. I loved Lauren’s coming-of-age progression. She is desperate to hang on to her childhood. She wants to be herself. On the opposite side, it shows the pressures that we put on teens in our society.
Now. This book is scary! It gave me chills and is full of glorious twists and turns. No one is safe. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Trigger warnings: graphic murder involving children, pregnancy loss, racism
DNF.
I can see the appeal of this novel. The language is absolutely beautiful. It is almost lyrical. However, I could not connect with the story. It is so long-winded. I normally love a large cast of characters, not this one. There was just a lot of information that did not add to the story. I am sorry. I see the reviews and I wanted to love it. But I just could not connect.
I can see the appeal of this novel. The language is absolutely beautiful. It is almost lyrical. However, I could not connect with the story. It is so long-winded. I normally love a large cast of characters, not this one. There was just a lot of information that did not add to the story. I am sorry. I see the reviews and I wanted to love it. But I just could not connect.