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The Second Love of My Life
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Victoria Walters' debut novel is a powerful tale of love, grief and survival, perfect for fans...
Bonita Avenue
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A darkly hilarious tale of a model family's disintegration. Professor Siem Sigerius - maths genius,...
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Schism in Books
Dec 12, 2017
This book was such an adrenaline rush that I was left feeling like I wanted or better yet, needed to jump out of my skin. The story line was an intense and thrilling ride from beginning to end and the characters were unique and their individualities shined through. The world building puts you smack dab in the virus riddled world and you quickly find yourself immersed in the thick of things.
My heart felt for what these children and young adults have had to endure and I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book. This read deserves more than five teacups {stars} and truly a must read. This debut novel is a HIT and a dystopian masterpiece.
{I received a copy when I signed up to host the book promotion and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own}.
My heart felt for what these children and young adults have had to endure and I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book. This read deserves more than five teacups {stars} and truly a must read. This debut novel is a HIT and a dystopian masterpiece.
{I received a copy when I signed up to host the book promotion and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own}.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Never Knowing in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I won an ARC of this book from Goodreads. It is the story of Sara a 30 something adoptee who is getting married. Right off the bat she wants to look for her birth parents before her wedding. She finds her mom & eventually her dad. That's about all I can way without giving away the story.
It is told in a series of sessions as Sara is speaking to her therapist about what is going on in her life. It was an interesting perspecitve on things, though you never really hear any advice or thoughts from the therapist.
The ending was the hest part....didn't see it coming at all. The beginning was rather ho-hum, but as the story progresses you become sucked into the drama.
It did make me want to read Stevens's debut novel though. I really enjoy her writing style & well developed characters.
It is told in a series of sessions as Sara is speaking to her therapist about what is going on in her life. It was an interesting perspecitve on things, though you never really hear any advice or thoughts from the therapist.
The ending was the hest part....didn't see it coming at all. The beginning was rather ho-hum, but as the story progresses you become sucked into the drama.
It did make me want to read Stevens's debut novel though. I really enjoy her writing style & well developed characters.
Emma (519 KP) rated Dark Winter in Books
Jun 13, 2019
Local story
I took this book on holiday with me,Ironically to the western highlands where the main character is from, and I live 20 miles from Hull where the story is based, which is why the story resonated wirh me so well. I enjoyed the feeling of being able to picture the areas that are being described in the book.
I thought for a debut novel David Mark did a fantastic job of keeping the reader enthralled by the drama of the story, but also kept the story nice and concise, it didn't drag on too long. Also I managed to guess who the culprit was, but had to read all the way to the end to find out how he/she was connected with the whole case.
Overall a very good book and I will definitely be buying more from this author.
I thought for a debut novel David Mark did a fantastic job of keeping the reader enthralled by the drama of the story, but also kept the story nice and concise, it didn't drag on too long. Also I managed to guess who the culprit was, but had to read all the way to the end to find out how he/she was connected with the whole case.
Overall a very good book and I will definitely be buying more from this author.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2119 KP) rated The Black Echo (Harry Bosch #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The body in the drain pipe looks like a drug overdose, and everyone is willing to record it that way. Everyone except LAPD Homicide cop Harry Bosch, who thinks the scene is telling a different story – murder. Then he makes the shocking discover, he knows the victim, although he hasn’t seen the dead man since their days as tunnel rats in Vietnam. What’s going on?
Overall, this is a strong debut from an authors who is now wildly popular. I did feel that Bosch could be a bit too cold at times, and there were certainly clichés in the story. On the other hand, the plot moved forward quickly and always kept me engaged. And I did enjoy the characters most of the time.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-black-echo-by-michael.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Overall, this is a strong debut from an authors who is now wildly popular. I did feel that Bosch could be a bit too cold at times, and there were certainly clichés in the story. On the other hand, the plot moved forward quickly and always kept me engaged. And I did enjoy the characters most of the time.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-black-echo-by-michael.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Pre-teen's Nick and Tesla have their summer plans rearranged when their parents head out on a scientific trip and they are sent to live with the mad scientist uncle they barely know. But when a rocket they've build winds up in the not so abandoned home down the street, they find a mystery on their hands.
I found this debut to be quite fun. The mystery was decent and the climax was quite suspenseful. It started a little slowly due to the set up and the characters were a bit shallow, but the target middle grade audience won't care. As a bonus, there are several science projects included you can do after reading the book.
NOTE: I received this book via Amazon's Vine program.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-nick-and-teslas-high.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I found this debut to be quite fun. The mystery was decent and the climax was quite suspenseful. It started a little slowly due to the set up and the characters were a bit shallow, but the target middle grade audience won't care. As a bonus, there are several science projects included you can do after reading the book.
NOTE: I received this book via Amazon's Vine program.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-nick-and-teslas-high.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2119 KP) rated One Foot in the Grape (Cypress Cove Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Antonia Martinelli asks Penny Lively to look into sabotage at the Martinelli Winery, Penny feels like she has to say yes. However, things quickly escalate to murder, and Penny feels like she has gotten in over her head. Can she find the killer? Is the murder related to the sabotage?
This debut is filled with strong characters and a compelling plot that kept me turning pages. Sadly, the timeline early on had some errors in it, which is a big pet peeve. Those issues were resolved later in the book, and it never impacted the story. Overall, this is a strong book in what could easily become a long running series.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-one-foot-in-grape-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This debut is filled with strong characters and a compelling plot that kept me turning pages. Sadly, the timeline early on had some errors in it, which is a big pet peeve. Those issues were resolved later in the book, and it never impacted the story. Overall, this is a strong book in what could easily become a long running series.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-one-foot-in-grape-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2119 KP) rated Killer Jam (A Dewberry Farm Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Investigative reporter Lucy Resnick has bought the farm – that is her grandparent’s farm outside the small town of Buttercup, Texas. However, just days after learning that the previous owner, Nettie Kocurek, retained the mineral rights in the sale and intends to drill for oil, Nettie is stabbed. With the police focusing on the outsider – Lucy – she has to act find to find the real killer.
This is a fun series debut filled with great characters and a fun small town that I really grew to love. The plot did blog down a little in the second quarter, but it soon started back up with plenty of twists and surprises to keep me confused until the end.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-killer-jam-by-karen.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a fun series debut filled with great characters and a fun small town that I really grew to love. The plot did blog down a little in the second quarter, but it soon started back up with plenty of twists and surprises to keep me confused until the end.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-killer-jam-by-karen.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2119 KP) rated One Foot in the Grove (Olive Grove Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
After her second disastrous wedding happened without her getting married, Eva Knox retreated to her family’s plantation in Georgia. She’s hardly been back a week before she stumbles over a dead body in the olive grove. With the local gossip insisting she knows what happened, Eva starts poking around to figure out what really happened. Can she clear her name?
This debut was definitely a mixed bag. The plot had some nice twists and nice twists on the cozy formula, which I appreciated. On the other hand, Eva sometimes was just handed the information she needed or acted very stupidly to get it. Some characters were interesting while others are very cliche. If the premise sounds interesting, give it a shot, but it won’t be for everyone.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-one-foot-in-grove-by-kelly.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This debut was definitely a mixed bag. The plot had some nice twists and nice twists on the cozy formula, which I appreciated. On the other hand, Eva sometimes was just handed the information she needed or acted very stupidly to get it. Some characters were interesting while others are very cliche. If the premise sounds interesting, give it a shot, but it won’t be for everyone.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-one-foot-in-grove-by-kelly.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.