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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated All of Us and Everything in Books

Feb 13, 2018

The Rockwell sisters are returning home. Now grown, Esme, Liv, and Ru grew up with their slightly eccentric mother, Augusta, on the Jersey Shore. As kids, Augusta told the girls their Dad was a spy, and the girls were never quite sure what to believe. Each sister has her own struggles. Esme's marriage is failing and her daughter, Atty, has had a major breakdown at school. Liv is doing great -- when it comes to rehab and divorce. Ru is struggling with her engagement and the contract to write her second book. When they all arrive home, they discover that Hurricane Sandy has unearthed something related to their childhood. Will it finally cause Augusta to tell them the truth about their father?

This was certainly a quirky book. At times, a little too much quirk and angst, to be honest. The whole "your father is a spy" thing seems a bit crazy at times. The girls quibble and bicker, but don't really appear to be real characters you can get behind. Neither does their supporting cast. The exception is Atty, who was quite hilarious, even if her tweeting gets out of hand (that is the point, though). The book grows on you, however, as the girls reunite at home and learn more about their past. It's all a little crazy and over the top, but if you embrace it, it's a fun, quick read, with some real emotion thrown in by the end.

(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)

Kudos

Merissa (13272 KP) rated Off Base (Out of Uniform #1) in Books

Jun 18, 2018

Off Base (Out of Uniform #1)

Annabeth Albert | 2017 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Off Base (Out of Uniform #1) by Annabeth Albert

Off Base is the first book in the Out of Uniform series. I double-checked the synopsis as it didn't feel like the first book, only to see it was a spin-off from the #Gaymers series! Now I have another series to catch up on ;)

Zack is an all-macho good guy, determined to make his deeply religious parents proud. His brother is basically a deadbeat, so he feels the pressure to be perfect. Pike is a friend of a friend, and someone who riles Zack up in all the ways he doesn't want to acknowledge. So be prepared for snarkiness and sparks between these two.

This was a wonderful introduction to this series, showing out Zack thinks he has to fight every battle alone. Seriously, you think he'd know better, but his fears have their place, and are very real to him. Pike helps him where he can, but isn't prepared to hide who he is. I absolutely love these two, so young, so unsure, and yep, so HOT!

There is romance, angst, pain, steam, and a multitude of other emotions between these pages. With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I absolutely recommend this book. An absolute blast of a start to the series, and I can't wait to read more.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Kudos

Merissa (13272 KP) rated Crossing the Barrier (The Gray Eyes Series #1) in Books

Dec 17, 2018

Crossing the Barrier is the first book in the Grey Eyes series, and starts off with Lily who is an empath. She has worked hard on her 'shields' which help negate the effects of feeling everyone's emotions. These shields came into being partly because of the 'loving' relationship she has with her mother. However, a bump on her head loses her those shields and she has to find a way to cope. Malakai is the wide receiver (and yes, I had to google what that was!) and has been fascinated with the pretty clarinet player since Freshman year. However, he never had a chance to speak to her... until he ploughed into her and knocked her off her feet. Theirs is a turbulent relationship, not always because of them, but because of circumstances outside of their control.

This is a very well written YA Romance, that has more of a hint of paranormal about it. The story flows very well, and the characters are solid. There are no grammatical or editing errors to disrupt the reading flow. With hints of mystery, suspense, danger, as well as romance, this is a book that ticks many boxes. If I did half stars, then it would be a 4.5, but I don't, so it isn't ;) However, I do highly recommend this book for anyone who likes High School angst with a hint of paranormal and a dash of romance.

* I received this book from YA Reads in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Kudos

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Absinthe in Books

Jan 12, 2020

Absinthe

Winter Renshaw | 2017 | Contemporary, Romance

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.

I'll be honest. With how this started I was expecting it to be erotica. That prologue with how "Absinthe" walks into the principles office, sucking on that lollipop, and how they recognise each other from their voices alone. I expected it to be a bit...kinky with them going on to have sex in his office. But then we go back three months and see how their relationship started with the Karma dating app.

I was really rather enjoying this. It had the angst of love that couldn't really happen but them being unable to fight their feelings or stop seeing each other. But then their secret got out and things fell apart around them both. And then years passed. YEARS! I began to get a little fed up with the characters after five years had passed and they hadn't found each other. Yeah, one of them was looking for the other but...it wasn't really going anywhere.

They did eventually find each other but it wasn't great between them for quite a while and my initial enjoyment of the story had waned a little by then. I did like the epilogue and how their love of classic literature worked its way into their lives. That bit was cute.

It was those five years with the travels and the trying to find each other and despising each other...it knocked it down a star for me. It just seemed too long.