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I've been leery of reading a Shelley Shepard Gray novel for awhile now. She was one of my favorites for a long time, but something in her writing style changed, and I just steered clear of her work for a while. But, when I read the synopsis for this one, something called me to it. I'm glad I gave it a chance. 

This book is filled with emotions I am still working through. As someone who has dealt with different kinds of death, from suicide to unexpected, this really hit home with me. The characters are tenderly chiseled and woven into an unforgettable plot line. 

The messages that Gray adds to the story for Andy's friends, the forgiveness, the hope, the redemption is all powerfully included in this page turning novel. I saw, rather than read this story. It moved off the pages and played out before me like a movie on the big screen. The tissues definitely came in handy, that's for sure! 

Through the words of Shelley Shepard Gray, I understood death a little better. Through her words, I understood the power of friendship just a little bit more. These friends endured confusion and pain, yet with God, and Andy's friendship, they came together and healed. 

This is a 4 star book that everyone should read. It's emotionally moving and soul gripping. I highly recommend this first book in her new series, and I am already looking forward to book 2. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
Pray for the Girl
Pray for the Girl
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lucy Abbott never pictured herself coming back to Fawn Grove, Maine. Yet after serving time in Afghanistan, then years spent as a sous chef in New York, she's realized her only hope of moving on from the past involves facing it again. But Fawn Grove, like Lucy herself, has changed.
Lucy's sister, Wendy, is eager to help her adapt, almost stifling her with concern. At the local diner, Lucy is an exotic curiosity--much like the refugees who've arrived in recent years. When a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered along the banks of the river, difficult memories of Lucy's time overseas come flooding back and she feels an automatic connection. At first glance, the tragedy looks like an honor killing. But the more Lucy learns about her old hometown, the less certain that seems.
There is menace and hostility here, clothed in neighborly smiles and a veneer of comfort. And when another teen is found dead in a cornfield, his throat slit, Lucy--who knows something about hiding secrets--must confront a truth more brutal than she could have imagined, in the last place she expected it . . .

Lucy is trying to heal from her past, so coming home is supposed to help with that.
I love the authors' description of the characters and town.
Very well developed plot with many layers to this novel.
The twist in part 2 was just a big WOW!
The ending I did not see coming at all.
Really enjoyed reading and have no trouble saying highly recommend!!

Thank you Net Galley, Kensington Books, and Joseph Souza for sending above book for review.
  
TO
The Occasional Diamond Thief (#1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kia is a 16 year old girl with a troubled family life and a penchant for languages. When her father dies, leaving her with a mother who seems to despise her and a sister who won’t give her the time of day, she leaves home and starts school to become a translator. After being caught stealing to finance her new life, she is sent to Malem to act as a translator for a Select (a religious title, something akin to a nun or priest) named Agatha. This is the same world where her father contracted the illness that eventually killed him. It’s also the world where her father acquired the gem he gave her right before he died – a Malem diamond that it is illegal for anyone who is not Malemese to posses.

I really enjoyed this story. Kia didn’t seem to be able to get a break at all, and even thought being sent to Malem kept her out of prison, it still seemed like punishment for her. Once she and Agatha arrived on Malem, the story kept moving at a pace that kept me reading, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Both Kia and Agatha were well developed, likable characters who learned and grew throughout the story. Sometimes I wanted to shout at Kia for her behavior, but considering her age it was perfectly appropriate.

There was no cliffhanger ending, and it may turn out to be a standalone novel, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more adventures for Kia in the future.

Disclaimer – I received a free digital copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
  
Sundered (Nevermore book #1)
Sundered (Nevermore book #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well written (0 more)
Not the cliff hanger I was expecting (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Author Warning: This book has a cliffhanger. Proceed with caution as you may fall off the edge screaming for more.

My name is Mara and I want desperately to become a mother. All of my dreams were dashed when the world was promised hope but instead became a place of danger, death . . . and monsters.

Living in a rural part of Canada, I thought life with my adoring husband was finally moving in the right direction. We had an idyllic home, friends, and plans for a future together.

The only thing missing, was the child we both so desperately wanted.

Hope came in the form of a single medical miracle. Yet the drug was not as it seemed and instead of healing, it beget a world of monsters.

Now we must find the will and strength to survive with only each other to hold onto.

But a deadly secret threatens our love and very survival .


So I'm new to Shannon Meyer and I really enjoyed this book it's the first in a trilogy and it kept me interested from the fist word to the last!

It's a spin on the zombie apocalypse and yes one that is quite obvious. What I like about this book is the connection you see between the nevermore's.

The only thing I kinda was annoyed by was the author warning of a cliff hanger. It wasn't what I was expecting in a cliff hanger I mean it was quite obvious what she was going to have to do!



⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
Locke and Key
Locke and Key
2020 | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
The weirdest show I've seen in a while...
Contains spoilers, click to show
I recommended this show to myself on the ideal that it was going to be similar to Stranger Things which I absolutely love. I was like 30% right? Its similar in that I can't stop watching and it's so weird! I'm literally on the 3rd episode but i had to do a review now knowing it would get weirder...

The gist of the plot is that a mother and her 3 children move into their ancestral home (Key House) after their father dies. It is later revealed that he was murdered for withholding information on the Key House. Within a day of moving in, the youngest child, Brode, discovers a well house and his 'Echo' which we find out is actually a demon set on finding the keys that are hidden throughout the house and grounds. So far, from what I've seen, these keys include a Head Key; to look into someones memories and emotions, an Anywhere Key; to go anywhere you want in the world with a door, and a Mirror Key; which allows you to step into a mirror world full of your doubts and fears and is by far the creepiest key.

As I said before, I know it's going to get stranger, I've seen the creepy thing in Kinseys head and that Tyler basically told the kid to shoot his dad... and then there is the mystery of the fathers friends dying when they were younger in a sea cave??? Strange! Can't wait to finish it and apparently the Season 2 is out this year!!!