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40x40

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Sempre (Sempre, #1) in Books

Jan 7, 2021  
Sempre (Sempre, #1)
Sempre (Sempre, #1)
J.M. Darhower | 2014
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
*Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve been looking at this story for a long time, undecided on whether to read it or not. Truthfully, it sounded a bit like C.J. Roberts’ Captive in the Dark series only with slightly younger characters but I was wrong.

At the start I was a little confused. Was she dreaming or had it really happened? But in the end it didn’t really matter much as the story quickly progressed.

I felt sorry for Haven a lot, being a second generation slave and having no idea what certain things are and what some words mean must have been hard for her and gave her an innocence that I wasn’t expecting considering the life she’d had. I have to admit sometimes it made me smile, if not laugh, like the cherry coke scene. Creative thinking!

The gradual change in Haven and Carmine’s relationship grabbed me immediately and I cared what happened to them, both individually and as a couple. If a book can make me care about the characters, then I’m hooked. And I was. They were such a sweet couple with Carmine having to learn how to love someone at the same time that Haven was.

It’s like there are two parts to the story. One with Haven and Carmine away from the Mafia. And one following Vincent, Carmine’s dad, as he goes back and forth between his family and his other family: the Mafia.

Then there was the mystery surrounding him. Has he taken Haven to rescue her? Or for some darker reason? It was all very intriguing.

I just HAVE to mention Dominic. He was awesome and I really liked the way he treated Haven from the moment she arrived at the house.

This drew me in completely and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I put it down and would quickly pick it back up again. It was long–500+ pages–but it was completely captivating and I cant wait to read the second book, Sempre: Redemption.
  
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Holdout in Books

Feb 25, 2020  
The Holdout
The Holdout
Graham Moore | 2020 | Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Even after a few years, working with jurors is fascinating to me. Each jury uses the jury room differently. When I read the description of Graham Moore's The Holdout, I knew what I would read next. Having recently finished one of his earlier books, The Sherlockian, I was even more eager to read this. As with The Sherlockian, The Holdout does not disappoint.

Juror 272, aka Maya Seale, was the lone holdout. She does the near-impossible task of converting the other jurors to her way of thinking and the defendant is found not guilty. Unfortunately, the trial of the jury has just begun.

Moore is able to accurately capture jury service and the deliberation process. His writing style makes the story move quickly. Some of the actions of the characters require a suspension of disbelief but it does not take away from the story.

I do not want to give away anything so it is hard to say anything about specific parts of the book. I will say I thoroughly enjoyed chapter 23! It was creative and I was pleasantly surprised how the issue was handled.

Graham Moore is on my "authors to read as soon as they publish" list.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/25/20.