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Love Me For Me (Safe Haven #1)
Love Me For Me (Safe Haven #1)
Kate Laurens | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It was short and sweet
A fresh start...

It’s been three years since Serena King learned to say no—no to the boys that were a desperate cry for help, no to the extra weight she put on in self defense, and most of all no to the abuse that has haunted her since she was fifteen. Now a sophomore in college, all she wants is to be normal. The last thing she expects is a guy who can make her want... make her want ...

Didn't take long to read I felt compelled to finish it in one go. Luckily it's a short book. It flowed nicely which is why it's so easy to read. You're heart reaches out to Serena as she deals with her abusive past its a feel good ending seeing her get through the other side!
Recommended for those who enjoy a quick read.



⭐⭐⭐
  
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Melanie Caldicott (6 KP) rated Sister in Books

Apr 29, 2021  
Sister
Sister
4
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disappointing. For me this book lacked any real suspense and the plot was far too engineered.
The protagonist and also narrative voice, Bee was annoying at times with her opinionated piety and judgmental attitude which, even in the light of her grief made her seem bigoted rather than detached through her mourning.
Whilst I liked the device used to create the twist at the end I had guessed who the murderer was way before it was revealed because his relationship with Bee was so implausible.
I found the plot boring at times and felt the genetic research element of the plot sensationalist and naive.
The relationship portrayed between Bee and her murdered sister, Tess was the strongest part of the book. It was written quite movingly at times and was very vivid and heart-warming. However, this was very much marred by the poor thriller-style plot.
  
I-
Israel - God's Heart
Ron Gafni | 2016
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this little book! It's full of beautiful, vibrant pictures and I can't say enough how much I loved looking at all of them. It's not a big book, small and perfect for your end table or coffee table. God's beautiful land in Israel is wonderfully portrayed in this eye catching book. 

With pictures taken of history, sometimes on land and sometimes aerial, this book gives the reader some Scripture and details about the pictures to coincide. As I looked through this wonderful little book, I felt like I was able to visit the Holy Land without leaving my home. It was so beautiful to see. God's Heart is a wonderful way to describe what I saw in the pages of this book. 

This is definitely a 4 star book that I would recommend to those who love pictures of different places. The photos are crisp and detailed, leaving you feeling as though you are the one that took the picture, like you are the one that was there. I would love to see more books like this one to lay out so my guests can enjoy them as much as me! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/litfuse-blog-tour-review-israel-gods-heart-landscapes-and-legacy-of-israel-by-ron-gafni-kathleen-barrett/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
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Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2 in TV

May 28, 2019 (Updated May 28, 2019)  
Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2
Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2
2019 | Sci-Fi
Action (1 more)
Some strong characters
Story-lines (0 more)
Fall off in form - more of a set up for Season 3....
I enjoyed the first series of this Trek spin off so went into season 2 hoping for a lot. It managed to tackle some of the troublesome storylines but it felt like the characters had lost some of the punchyness that made the first series shine.

In this series we get a lot of Spock (not entirely sold on the acting of Ethan Peck) who must face his past along with his estranged sister Michael Burnham. As well as Captain Pike (played very well by Anson Mount) taking control of Discovery to investigate a series of odd red signals that have being appearing across the universe.

Stories involving time travel are often problematic and unlike the Series 1 mirror universe storyline the time travel aspect in this was clumsy. The AI threat was also not that thrilling for me and left too many questions unanswered.

There seemed to be a much more mopy, exploring feelings and relationships, feel to this series that I think that let it down. The action was great but characters seemed to feel it was necessary to have a heart to heart in the middle of a time critical mission - GET ON WITH IT FFS!!!
  
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Beast in Books

Jun 21, 2019  
Beast
Beast
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Abbott Savage is very mercurial. But one constant in his life has been his love for London. He loves her so much that he knows he's not right for her. Giving her to his best friend, Kyle. Now Kyle has died and London is pregnant with his child. What is Abbott to do? He doesn't want anyone else to take care of London, but he has so many demons in his past, he's not sure if he can take care of her himself.

Thank you to C.M. Seabrook for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I wish I would have known that this was part of a series, now I want to read the rest of the Savage's stories.

Abbott is also known as The Beast of Port Clover. He's a boxer, who uses his fists inside and outside of the ring. The only constant in his life is London. She's been in his life for most of it and knows his heart better than anyone. Can Abbott put his life of debauchery aside in order to get the girl he's always wanted? In this book, I really felt for Abbott. His heart is damaged from his own doing and he doesn't see that it can be healed.

I will definitely go and read the rest of this series.
  
TB
The Beach Trees
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a book I received that was personally recommended by the foxedbox and they are amazing at what they do. They are one of the best at getting your information and recommending you some of the best books that are out there.

I loved this book more than I thought I would. It was about a young woman who finds herself suddenly as a guardian to a 5-year-old boy because her friend, his mother, dies from a weak heart/heart problems/defects and how she goes back to her friend's home to honor her friend's wishes.

Along the way, she meets and connects with her friend's family, finds peace with her own family/personal issues and finds some sweet romance too. It takes place in/around New Orleans and mentions some about Hurricane Katrina and rebuilding and what it takes to put roots down and to commit and rebuild after storms in life and such. There's an intriguing story and mystery woven throughout the story between the past and the present and I couldn't get enough of it - I felt as if I was transported there lost in the story sometimes and had a hard time putting it down until it was over.

Now that I'm done reading it, I want to read more - it was SO good!!!
  
Unravelling Oliver
Unravelling Oliver
Liz Nugent | 2015 | Thriller
6
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Why must I be disappointed by books I’m so eager to read? I didn’t end up loving this novel as much as I would have liked to, but I didn’t exactly hate it.

This novel started strong. It’s first line, “I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her“, is brutal and shocking, it lures you in in an instant. What I expected to follow was a taut, heart racing novel about why such a “loving husband” would beat his wife into a coma. And, I guess I got the “why” bit, but I didn’t get the taut, heart racing bit. It was snail pace and didn’t really get exciting until the very end.

I saw another reviewer talk about the lack of character in the characters in the novel and she’s right. Considering this whole book was a character study, the people we got to study weren’t that special. I was most interested in Veronique so I was glad she had a good few chapters to herself, but I wasn’t particularly interested in reading about what other people thought of Oliver. Even Oliver’s own chapters could get irritating.

I can’t fault the writing in this one. For a debut, it’s really good! If you connected with the characters, the writing could definitely put you in their shoes and make you feel exactly how they felt, but because I didn’t connect with anyone, I didn’t get that pleasure. All I know is that the descriptions were realistic and insightful.

Obviously the plot for this one was what interested me and it sounded like a great story. Unfortunately it was too slow in revealing it’s secrets to keep my interest high, and so I began losing interest about the halfway mark. This was a short book but it felt long. I know we were supposed to get to know Oliver and all his troubles and worries in life, but it all felt like waffle. There were no definitive markers in this book to signify any sort of middle event that would lead us to the end event and so until the plot finally revealed itself this felt like one long biography of Oliver, with not a lot going on.

To give this novel credit, elements of the plot and the reveal are very unique to other books I’ve read. And I read a lot of this kinds of books. I suppose you could say the “why” in this book isn’t as dark as you would originally think. It’s almost trivial, I guess.

I sound a bit negative in this review but that’s just because I was so excited about reading it in the first place. In the end, a 3 star rating isn’t the worst thing ever, it’s just not great.

<i>Thank you so much to Ali @The Sunday Feeling for sending me your copy to read!</i>
  
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Dalton (3 KP) rated Brotherly Love in Books

Sep 24, 2017  
Brotherly Love
Brotherly Love
Dalton Giesick | 2017 | Biography, Children, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
The US Review of Books
Contains spoilers, click to show
Brotherly Love
by Dalton Giesick
Trafford Publishing
reviewed by Omar Figueras

"When Dayton was hammering the staples into the wood, Grandpa cut a window on each end. Then he made a door for us... Our clubhouse was fin."

Dalton Giesick's short memoir Brotherly Love depicts the author's e'rly childhood years, being the all too brief moment in time that he was able to spend with his little brother, Dayton. The book describes those early years in a fleeting but endearing way. At the center of the story is the family's relocation to Colorado, the boys' moving in with their grandparents during that short duration, and the heart-wrenching changes the family endures once they have moved out West.

Part coming of age story and part eulogy, Giesick's treatment of his subject is heart-felt and gentle. His book is a sweet and tender read and the author's presentation of his memories of Dayton is much in tune with how an adult would treat a young child. A quick, yet powerful read, Giesick's writing is strong and tight. There are foreboding moments embedded throughout the story alluding to Dayton's disappearance; however, this tragedy occurs at the end of the story where the author's dreadful imaginings become his harsh reality. Although anticipated, the last revelation is both unexpected to the narrator and reader.

A tribute to a little boy with a large heart and an even bigger soul, Brotherly Love is a big brother's beautiful telling of the precious and too brief an instant he spent in the company of his little brother. Although short, the time that the author spent with Dayton was deeply transformative for himself, and by telling his story the author was able to provide this transformation for his readers.
  
The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars #1)
The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars #1)
Wanda E. Brunstetter | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
As you all know, I'm huge fan of Wanda Brunstetter. Not one of her books left me disappointed. So, to say I was excited about the start of this new series , is quite the understatement. The more I saw about it on Mrs. Brunstetter's pages, the more anxious for the release I became. Then when the book arrived, I couldn't wait to dive into it. And then......well, then I was in awe of Mrs. Brunstetter. Why? Because she has once again managed to take me to the heart of Amish country, to the world I wish I belonged in, and filled my heart with healing and hope. 

I loved the characters within the book. They were all chiseled perfectly for their rolls. I loved watching Michelle grown in her relationships, especially her convictions with God after she found the jar. The messages she received, the feelings she felt, all of them quickly spoke to me and became my own feelings. 

This book is beautifully written and will have the reader pulled to the center of the story instantly. From start to finish, I smiled, I laughed, I wondered what God would do in Michelle's life. The messages that Mrs. Brunstetter always manages to weave within the story speak loudly to the soul. I love that in Amish novels. So, if you are looking for a wonderful book to transport you to the heart of Amish country, then grab this book now. You'll be instantly addicted to the beautiful works of Wanda Brunstetter, if you aren't already. This 5 star book is definitely a keeper for me, and I can't wait to start my own hope jar! 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*