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<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

Kimberly Rae draws attention to the ongoing trafficking of children in India in her young adult novel <i>Capturing Jasmina</i>. Jasmina was only ten when her father sold both her and her brother Samir to a man promising safety and good education. In reality the siblings end up in a sweatshop slaving over clothes to be sold in America. After three years they manage to escape only to be trafficked a second time. Eventually Jasmina and Samir are separated and Jasmina becomes a street kid.

Whilst living on the streets Jasmina encounters a Christian missionary, Asha, rescuing women from brothels by either offering them a safe place to live or at the very least spiritually, by teaching them about God and Jesus. Intrigued Jasmina follows Asha who then offers to help her too. After having her childhood robbed from her, it seems like Jasmina, with the help of those who trust in God, will get back on her feet again.

Despite being a short novel, Rae paints a contrasting image to what the western world is used to. Jasmina finds the concept of a simple toilet baffling. It is not until you hear or see what is happening to innocent people in other parts of the world that you realize there are so many things in life you take for granted.

<i>Capturing Jasmina</i> emphasizes how difficult it is to escape once trafficked. In these situations people belong to everyone but themselves. They have no freedom and running away can cause more problems than it solves. The novel also shows what Christians can do to help. Although no one can completely solve the problems, the tiniest piece of aid they can provide is a step in the right direction.

It was slightly disappointing that we do not find out what happened to Samir once he was separated from his sister. Jasmina’s first person narrative makes it clear that what she wants most is to be reunited with her family. In a way, although there is a positive ending, not yet finding her brother makes it clear that there cannot always be happy endings. It is not possible to save everyone.

Written from a young teenagers point of view makes this book suitable for ages twelve and older. Christians will appreciate the biblical references however there is not too much religion for non-believers or those of other religions to get offended by.
  
“Rhyal was sitting in a wagon. She wriggled her nose. The stench awoke her from her meditation. She opened her eyes to see Ender snoring away. She sensed and knew where she was now. She peered out of the canvas covering to see the dark mountains of Grund Morr. It would be the last known feature she’d see as they passed through the Evermire swampland.”

    Conquest of the Evermire: 1. Hinterland Fortress is the first book in the Conquest of the Evermire series by author Ron Smorynski, author of the series Alfred and Knight of the Dead. (See the end of this review for links to reviews of all of those books as well). The novella follows adoptive siblings Rhyal, an elf, and Ender, a human. The two are on a journey to see the world outside of the elven havens. They have heard the stories and myths connected to Evermire, of treasure and glory, and decided to see it for themselves.

The book combines together a lot of my favorite fantasy things. An exciting adventure, interesting renditions of classic magical beings, strong bonds of friendship or family, a well-built world, and a lot of fun and quirky side characters. I found myself very drawn to the connection between Rhyal and Ender, their close bond already formed at the beginning of the book is engaging. I also really appreciated that, while they are trained and talented fighters, they acknowledge the difference physically and mentally in fighting in real life vs. practice. This added some realism and made the fighting more interesting to follow. My favorite side character in the book was Ligo. He is a fun, quirky, snarky gone with very big dreams. He added the lightness that this book needed to balance the dark setting and fights to the death.

What this novella really does is serve as an exciting set-up to the adventure. The book allows us to get to know some of the characters, learn a bit about the Evermire, but perhaps most importantly plant the seeds of several intriguing questions. I know just want to learn more about Rhyal and Ender’s pasts, more about the magic system, what is really hidden in the depth of the Evermire… This was an exciting start to a fun adventure that I look forward to continuing in the sequel: Conquest of the Evermire: 2. The Church.

The book is great for young adults as it is not unnecessarily dark or gory. I thought that this book was really fun and I am excited to see where it goes next!
  
Peter Rabbit (2018)
Peter Rabbit (2018)
2018 | Animation
Verdict: Poor Film

Story: Peter Rabbit starts as we see how Peter Rabbit and his family and friends had a battle with old Mr McGregor (Neill) after they continued to steal from his garden, until he passes away. The next-door neighbour Bea (Byrne) does try to keep them safe the best she can.
When Thomas McGregor (Gleeson) moves into the house with plans to sell it, which sees the war coming back for Peter and his family, this time it might become deadlier.

Thoughts on Peter Rabbit

Characters – Peter Rabbit is the mischievous little rabbit that always gets his siblings into trouble as they always seem to terrorise the McGregor family, that does seem to be the only thing he does each day, making him out to be a horrible little rabbit. Thomas McGregor is a completely by the book toy store employee wanting to get to management, when he loses his job, he ends up following in his uncle footsteps, getting into a battle with the rabbits. Bea is the nice neighbour that has always tried to look after the animals, loves nature and is an artist.
Performances – Domhnall Gleeson is great along with Rose Byrne are the two main live action stars that both work well with how they act towards the animals. Most of the voice acting is mixed, with the three sisters working well, but James Corden not suiting the character.
Story – The story follows the adventures of Peter Rabbit against the McGregor’s, which just seems to keep escalating. The story is strange because it doesn’t make Peter likeable at all, he just seems to annoy McGregor and never do anything else, surely there would have been another food supply for him. Most of the story revolves around pop culture jokes, which have dated quickly, but by the end the story just becomes boring more than anything else.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure is just the troubles Peter gets himself in, we don’t seem to go any further, while the comedy is a miss already.
Settings – The film keeps the action in the country, which does seem to have only show how close the war between the two was.
Animation – The animated animals looks solid for the most part, but some of the moments seem weird.

Scene of the Movie – Harrods break down.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Peter Rabbit.
Final Thoughts – This is a big disappointment because the characters used are loveable for the most part, while this movie just makes them horrible.

Overall: Boring.
  
<h2><em><strong>The Heartbreakers</strong></em><strong> by Ali Novak has got to be one of the cutest novels I've read in 2018.</strong></h2>
Wow. Way to expose that this review is months late, Sophia.

I adored every moment of reading and want more from Novak because she brought out nearly <em>all</em> the feels. Plus if I didn't have final projects or work at the time, I'm pretty sure I would have finished this in one sitting and be a sad bookwyrm right after.

<h3>The relationships are A+! &#x1f60d;</h3>
From the very beginning, the band members and Stella have a great friendship and Novak does a phenomenal job showing that. They got along well quickly and while they had their disputes here and there, it's obvious they all enjoyed hanging out and spending time together.

I also loved the sibling relationship between Stella and her siblings. Since her sister, Cara found out she had cancer, Stella has been making the effort to stay with her sister as much as she can and that made me cry on the inside. This is one of the struggles that Stella deals with throughout the novel: how can she be with Cara and make the most of the time they have left while creating a life for herself as well?

<h3>Lots of cheese and insta-love, but we're not complaining.</h3>
I hate cheese and insta-love, but I had no issues with the massive amounts of them throughout <em>The Heartbreakers</em>. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the novel regardless of the tropes and cliches that I find myself trying to avoid often. The characters play pranks on each other often, which sometimes aggravate me personally in other books because they go too far, but I loved reading them. Plus I personally felt the pranks fit the characters' personalities and really added to the relationship value.

<h3>It's unrealistic but I don't think I cared.</h3>
I really don't think I cared because I was enjoying other aspects of the book and it kind of balanced everything out. And well... maybe my mood. I think I was reading way too much fantasy and got tired of that so I needed a good, fluffy AF contemporary novel to get me back on my reading toes. <em>The Heartbreakers</em> certainly delivered the fluffiness I needed.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-heartbreakers-by-ali-novak/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Operator in Books

Mar 19, 2020  
The Operator
The Operator
Gretchen Berg | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
7
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Vivian Dalton is a switchboard operator in the small town of Wooster, Ohio. She knows the people of her town quite well--thanks in no small part to the eavesdropping she and the other women do while working at Bell. Usually it's pretty harmless, but that all changes one December night when Vivian listens in on a call between Betty Miller--a rich woman whom she despises--and someone else, whom she doesn't recognize. Their conversation reveals a shocking secret that affects Vivian personally and, if true, will change her life forever. Vivian is horrified, and she starts to investigate. In doing so, she begins to unearth even more secrets and lies.


"That was the thing about small towns. Everyone knew everyone else's business."


I don't often pick up historical fiction, but I won this book, and it sounded interesting. It certainly was. This is a fascinating look at small town relationships and the power of secrets and family. Vivian is quite a character; married to her husband, Edward, for fifteen years, with a daughter Charlotte, who is a sophomore in high school. Her life is small and mainly confined to Wooster. Vivian resents her siblings who finished high school, something she couldn't do as she had to help her family when money grew tight.

The book starts off a little slow, as I'm never a huge fan when we're told there's a huge secret (what Vivian overhears) but it isn't revealed. Once we finally find out what it was, things pick up. Vivian takes on more power, showing a tough and determined side, especially for what was expected of women in 1950s. The book does a good job of illustrating the limitations, but also strengths, of women in the time period. Berg also includes excerpts from Vivian's childhood and growing in the 1930s. I enjoyed seeing how different things were and watching Vivian overcome so much. Her daughter, Charlotte, was a great character, too. There are also a lot of side stories, too, involving a host of small town Wooster characters and even a bank robbery.

Overall, while this took a while to warm up, it was an intriguing look at lies and secrets and how they affected the Dalton family. It's easy to get invested in Vivian and Charlotte (her husband, Edward, seemed like a pretty one-dimensional character, though). It does a strong job of portraying women and all they endure. The book is witty and heartfelt as well. 3.75 stars, rounded to four here.
  
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TP
The Problem with Forever
8
7.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5

<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

Jennifer L. Armentrout is an American author best known for her young adult novel<i> Obsidian</i>. Although her previous books have contained fantasy elements, <i>The Problem With Forever</i> tackles a contemporary, realistic situation. It is a story of two teenage abuse survivors, and the ways they try to break free from their past.

Mallory has spent four years in therapy since being adopted/rescued by a couple of doctors, Carl and Rosa. Struggling with selective mutism as a result of her past, she has been unable to live a “normal” life. However, Mallory has ambitions to go to college, but in order to do this she must be able to cope being around and speaking to other people. So she takes what feels like the biggest step of her life and enrolls in high school for her senior year.

Of course high school was going to be a life changing experience for Mallory but she got even more than she bargained for. On her very first day she meets Rider, or rather is reunited; the boy she was in a foster home with. Neither believed they would ever see each other again and are delighted about being able to rekindle their strong friendship; except there are many obstacles in the way of their ‘happy ever after.’ A jealous girlfriend, over-protective parents, contrasting social circumstances, and, perhaps most importantly, the effects their challenging past has had on the pair.

The horror of Mallory and Rider’s past makes The Problem With Forever a heart-wrenching tale. It is shocking to think that children in real life have gone through, or are going through, similar experiences. Readers will want a happy ending for both characters, yet will undergo a foreboding sense that something will go wrong.

<i>The Problem With Forever</i> is also a love story – however this is where I think the novel falls down. The romance that blooms between Mallory and Rider seems to happen far too quickly, especially as they have only recently been reunited. That is not the only problem: Mallory and Rider grew up like foster siblings, which makes their new relationship feel somewhat wrong. The overall story could have been just as good without love coming into play.

Overall, I am sure readers will agree, Armentrout’s latest novel is a heart-wrenching story that comes with a strong message about letting go of the past and becoming someone new, someone better. You may have had a bad past, but you will have new experiences if you let yourself. You will not feel this way forever. Full of powerful statements, <i>The Problem With Forever</i> is likely to move many to tears – so be prepared!
  
It is always a nice day for a cowboy wedding…..Cora Preston is trying to make the best wedding happen for her clients even though every fiber in her body is telling her she will fail. She has worked hard to let go of the negative feelings she has for herself and her abilities but after so many years, it is easy to fall back into her old trappings. She has to do better, for her sister and the company, for her son and for herself. But can she trust herself to let success come without automatically expecting the worst?

Shane Tyler is a fixer, he fixes his ranch, his siblings, his mother. The one thing he couldn’t fix has haunted him is a secret from when he was 12 years old. When the pretty new wedding planner shows up at their ranch to help his Mom with her marriage he figures out a way to get this wedding stopped once and for all.

Cora and Shane are both coming into this with the same sort of back issues in their lives but from completely different places. Cora has nothing but fixers in her life while Shane has nothing but people needing saved in his. Or so they both think. On the wedding front, Shane wants to get his mother to see the man she wants to marry is wrong for her and Cora does everything in her power to make Shane see he is wrong. Can they work together to prove their respective points, while navigating this slippery slope, despite being wildly attracted to each other?

I have been a fan of Nicole Helm’s writing for a while now and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint earning 4 1/2 stars. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out a storyline and I was greatly relieved to see that one point I was sure would happen, did not. Cora and Shane though both appearing confident in themselves were very much the opposite and I liked the way they both realized they needed to make that change in themselves. Moms definitely do know best always, even flawed ones like Cora and Deb Tyler doesn’t miss a trick. Throw in the awesome Grandma Maisey, her sword collection and a possible love connection with Skeet in the future (please please) and this book is wonderfully all family.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley without any expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. Another great read from Ms Helm and I can’t wait to read the next chapter(s) to come in Gracely, Colorado.