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A Song of Home is the third novel in the Pearl Spence series In this novel we find Pearl living in Bliss with her father and Ray, leaving the thoughts of Red River Oklahoma and her mama far behind her.
Pearl settles into a new routine of school, helping Aunt Carrie at the farm, hanging out with Ray or getting lost in a good book and then Opal shows her how to dance. But things change when Mama comes home unexpectedly and pregnant! It isn’t the happy return that Pearl had wished for.
This is a delightful story of the great depression and the swing era. In this novel deals with a couple of issues; one is forgiveness and the other is the racial conflict that was happening at that time.
This book teaches us to reach out with love and to treat others as we would want to be treated; whether we are poor, the color of our skin or the choices we have made in life.
The author has an ability to bring the characters to life and make you feel like you are right there amongst the characters. Ms. Finkbeiner has done a brilliant job bringing the characters to life. I love how she writes the story through Pearl's eyes and makes us realize that our actions have consequences, our children watch what we do and how we react.
A very good book and a great ending to this series. This novel can be read alone by itself, but I highly recommend that the whole series be read.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
  
You Must Not Miss
You Must Not Miss
Katrina Leno | Young Adult (YA)
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Characters, development, life lssues delt with (0 more)
Near (0 more)
LBYRpartners and The Novl gave me this arc in exchange for an honest review what follows is my thoughts and opinions

"Everybody has a reason to want to change their lives" -Magpie Lewis

Magpie has some of the best. We love stories of broken people and Magpie is a dark, hurt, twisted broken at the core person. After finding her father sleeping with her aunt, her drunk mother who can't even fend for her own well being and especially not Magpie's, her sister has moved away to college changed her number and never looked back, and losing her best friend you feel bad for Magpie very, very sad for her. Like any other teenager dealing with a host of big issues Magpie is dying to escape and one day she does, creating a world she controls. As the story continues you realize maybe you shouldn't have felt as bad for her as you originally had. Magpie starts to deal with her issues by shoving them into this new world and destroying them. She begins to do all the terrible and twisted things that have been done to her, much like a typical teenager may act out. This novel kept me interested and reading. Although, I felt a little bizarre about the new world it made sense that's how she chose to control things that were otherwise uncontrollable. I love how the novel ended feeling complete and tied up. I liked Magpie as a character and her new group of outcast friends after the terrible incident that lead her to lose her best friend. I was blown away by the topics covered in this novel and the way they were talked about from transgendered characters to sexual abuse were elegantly addressed. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a little sci-fi and contemporary mashups while dealing with grand scale issues.
  
The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy #2)
The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy #2)
S.A. Chakraborty | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I....may have an unpopular opinion on this book. First, I LOVED the first book of this trilogy, The City of Brass. Absolutely loved it. It was one of my favorite books of that year. I like this one significantly less. I think that probably wouldn't be the case if I had read this in quick succession, but I read City of Brass when it came out, and had to wait a year for this one, in which time I read around 200 more books.

I expected a certain amount of backstory explanation in Kingdom of Copper - and it wasn't there. I think the book assumes you remember everything that happened in City of Brass - and I most certainly did not. I don't remember why we have the division between the djinn and the daeva, or really which is which. I know the shafit are part human, part...djinn? Daeva? See that's the problem. These are very politicky books and forgetting key parts of the political drama makes this book VERY hard to follow. I don't know WHY there's conflict between certain people, and I don't recognize missteps when characters make them because I've forgotten who has which opinions.

All the worldbuilding explanations are in the first book, and they aren't revisited in this one. Had I KNOWN that, I might have re-read City of Brass before this came out, as much as I dislike re-reading anything.

All of that aside, and despite my confusion, I mostly enjoyed this continuation of Nahri's story. We delved a little more into murky bloodlines, the more recent past of Daevabad, and the more ancient past of Nahri's healer ancestors, the Nahids.

I still love Nahri, I like Ali a little more, and I like Dara a little less. I am curious to see where the third book leads, especially after the cliffhanger ending of this one. I just might have to re-read both City of Brass and this one before reading the trilogy's conclusion.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra in Books

May 13, 2019 (Updated May 13, 2019)  
James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra
James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra
Colm McElwain | 2012 | Children, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Adventurous but lacked any good female character
I picked up this book as part of #IndieApril, and I was excited to give it a chance. The description sounded like something right up my alley, and I’ve been reading so many romances that I figured it was time to take a break and jump into a good fantasy. James Clyde & the Diamonds of Orchestra is a mid-grade novel that grabs you from the start. Though it kept me entertained, I have to say I never felt a connection to any of the characters.

James Clyde was an interesting character, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at how “perfect” he was. He is an 11-year-old boy that bested a “master” swordsman. His two friends, Ben and Mary, were not memorable though at times James would have benefitted from listening to them. Many times he solely thought of himself and never took his friends and their thoughts and opinions into consideration. His version of compromise was him stating that he was doing something and that he needed their support. At no time did he think of anyone but himself.

The biggest thing that stood out in this book was that I was not the target demographic. The target demographic for this book was boys. This makes it hard for me to recommend it to my nieces because there were no outstanding female characters. It seemed that the only characters who were three dimensional were the males. I would have loved to see more interaction with the female characters and see more depth.


Though there were some significant faults with this book, I did enjoy part of it. The world that Colm McElwain built was exciting and had great potential. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the book, and I was entertained for the most part. Unfortunately, I wanted so much more out of it. When it comes to books, I read them for the characters and the plot and the characters were lacking to me.
  
The Husbands
The Husbands
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A BREATHTAKING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF SHOCKING TWISTS AND TURNS

He kills their wives. He destroys their families.
Then he comes after the husbands.
“Do you want to know who killed your wife?” he asks.

Kelly Roth, FBI profiler, returns home to Syracuse to stop a sadistic serial killer.
Three murders in three separate jurisdictions in central New York State have the same pattern: women killed by fatal head shots from a hunting rifle. Kelly Roth is sent from Virginia to help the local police.
Each victim was found murdered in a remote area or in a quiet park. The media call him “The Park Killer.” But Kelly doesn’t think the killer lurks in the bushes. She thinks he hunts his victims somewhere else.
Is he really contacting the bereaved husbands or is this just someone playing a sick game?
Kelly will risk her own life in a heart-stopping race against time to stop more murders and find out the truth.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO DISCOVER WHO KILLED YOUR WIFE?

Kelly is a terrific character and I enjoyed how the author weaved her backstory into today's killings. There are plenty of suspects with a story premise that keeps you guessing until the very end.
I love the fact that it is the males left trying to cope with being left behind instead of it being the females.
This is very well written; very atmospheric and chilling.
What I really liked about this novel was that there is no clue to what the outcome was going to be and no real idea where the investigation was leading, making this compulsive reading.
 I could not put this book down. As for the ending; WOW; that just blew me away. Another explosive read from this author and so highly recommended.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
  
TS
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was read and reviewed as part of an Author Feature Week over on Lily Loves Indie. Here is a snippet of the review, but the whole thing can be viewed here - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=133


Well, where to start? I'm going to do my best to keep this brief (partly because I still have a few chapters of the next book to read and Jayden is calling me, and partly so that you can go one-click this and get reading yourself!) but I truly do have so many positive things to say about this book that it is going to be very difficult. If you've read my earlier reviews of Hargrave's writing you'll know that I absolutely love her style and ability to weave a story, and the same is true in this book.

 

I'll make a confession here, I usually avoid BDSM and erotica books because they really don't appeal to me and I have been known to label them with all sorts of names, but right now, in the blogoshpere and beyond, I'd like to rescind all those comments - Hargrave has most definitely opened my eyes to the fact that these books can be more plot than sex, and they can be wonderfully engaging reads, and that they are just as difficult to put down as 'normal' books. I opened the book and thought, 'here goes nothing', fully expecting to find it difficult to get in to, purely because of my own prior opinions, but it was so damn good to be proved wrong! I was hooked from the first page, drawn completely and irreversibly into the webs Hargrave weaves, wanting to find as much as possible about the characters, especially Erin/Catherine, and not even cringing when reading the sex scenes (which is a first for me!) but instead, I thoroughly enjoyed them. I guess what that garbled paragraph is trying to say is that I absolutely flipping LOVED this book!
  
Winter Trials
Winter Trials
K.S. Marsden | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This review can also be found on my blog - www.diaryofdifference.com

A winter tale about two men finding themselves and each other. A short beginning of what I believe will be a long-lasting relationship, in a book filled with warmth, bravery and magic.
I was lucky enough to be approached by the author – K.S. Marsden, and I was excited to read both her books from the Northern Witch Series.

Winter Trials is the first instalment, and it is a perfect short introduction to the environment and the character. The story is about Mark, a 16-year-old boy, who decides to start practising magic, just like his grandmother.

And when a new guy comes in school, Mark is instantly attracted to him. But Mark’s magic, and Damien’s troublesome past will suddenly find each other, and a huge danger is near…

I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was a shame that it was so short. I loved Mark’s character and especially cheered for the grandma witch – she was the star of the show, with her sassy comments!

There wasn’t too much in-depth character features, and character development, but I would assume this is an introduction to a world that is to come.
Mark is a typical high-school teenager, with normal things hanging around his head, and some of the thoughts and discussions were refreshing, rather than when you read some usual cliches in other books.

I loved the bonfire night gathering, and the magic scenes were breathtaking.

The love story between Mark and Demian developed a bit too fast, and that is my only little disappointment, but apart from that – I enjoyed reading it, and can’t wait to dive into book two.

If you love LGBT romance, YA and a bit of magic and witches – grab this book, and read this series!

Thank you to the author, for sending me a hard copy of this book. All the opinions stated in this review are entirely my own.
  
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another 5 star read from Maisey Yates, I wanna move to Gold Valley.

Lindy Parker is a strong woman. She wants what she wants when she wants it. She does NOT want Wyatt Dodge. Yet the same man occupies her every waking thought, her dreams and everything in between. She can’t believe she is attracted to a bull rider.

Wyatt Dodge has been attracted to Lindy Parker for 5 years. Since the first day he saw her walking toward him only to kiss his friend Damien and get introduced as his wife. He can’t do anything about said attraction with his ranch on the line. He has to find a way to work with her on the upcoming grand opening of his dude ranch or it will all be for nothing.

Lindy likes to be in charge, she likes order and structure. Everything Wyatt is not. Working with him is going to test her patience in more ways than one. Now if she can only stop thinking about ripping his clothes off that’d be great.

Wyatt treats Lindy like a kid with a crush, teasing her and proverbially pulling her pigtails. He makes and effort to call her Melinda, because no one else does. He finds the verbal sparring keeps his mind off of wanting to kiss her senseless. He has to stay focused on saving the ranch.

Lindy and Wyatt dance around their attraction like a Friday night hoedown but will they find out they work better as a team, in all areas of their relationship?

As with most of the books I’ve read by Maisey Yates, Good Time Cowboy makes me want to move to Gold Valley and find these families. Ms. Yates writes such realistic characters that you can’t help but feel every part of the story as if you were side by side in the thick of things. I received a copy of this story without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.
  
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Carma (21 KP) rated When I Lost You in Books

Jun 17, 2019  
When I Lost You
When I Lost You
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Logan was looking for a woman who wasn’t after him just for this money. Apparently that was just too hard of a mission to accomplish. Taking his 2 friends to Mexico for a guys vacation before Russell gets married was the least he could do for them, and himself. He wasn’t expecting to find everything he’d ever wanted for himself the first night inside a local club.

Cassie was on vacation with her 2 friends before their lives split them up for a while. Naomi was heading to New York to start her real estate firm and Cassie wanted to soak up every last minute with her best friends before she left. Renting an Airbnb in Mexico seemed like the perfect solution. That first night heading to the club she never imagined she would find the love of her life while standing at the bar.

Logan hid who he really was from Cassie all week while getting to know her and letting her see almost totally who he was, minus the billions. As we all know, lies backfire, even lies by omission. He loses her for 5 years in the blink of an eye.

Now they are both in New York but Cassie isn’t Cassie anymore. Aside from calling herself Sandra she is cold, hard and aloof. Not his precious Cassie anymore. He will finally do whatever it takes to never let her go again. Too bad her ex boyfriend is a psycho who wants her back, no matter the cost.

Logan and Cassie overcome misunderstandings and too many lost years to make a perfect team. They will finally know what it is like to no longer be alone. A great read from this author earning 4 ½ stars from this reader. I read an advanced copy without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.
  
TT
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Why oh why has it taken me THIS LONG to read a book by Becky Wade? Oh ya, because I used to think I didn't care for Contemporary Fiction...*hangs head in shame*...This book is so full of emotions, faith, heartbreak, and the most incredible romance.

When Nora and John first meet, they think that is a coincidence. But as their story unfolds it becomes clear that God's hand was all over their relationship from the beginning...As in the VERY beginning. There were a few twists that took me by surprised. A few times that I literally laughed out loud, and I may have yelled at John...a couple times...But he figures it out eventually, thank goodness! Although I think my FAVORITE moment, was when I was reading and was still near the beginning of the book...I read the line that described Nora wearing her Hogwarts Alumni T-shirt...and I was wearing MY Hogwarts Alumni T-shirt! (Photo evidence below.)

My nerd girl moment aside...True to You has many moments that speak to TRUTH and FAITH. Very well written with a unique style and new elements that I have not yet seen in a book. Behind the scenes look at our other characters and delves deeper into the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved.

Becky Wade does not shy away from the difficult subjects that life throws at us. But she presents it in a way that glorifies the grace and mercy of God. An exciting story that will leave you filled with hope and encouragement that no matter where you came from, or what you have had to go through in life, that you are not alone. There is One that will lead you through, that will give you a NEW IDENTITY, that will lift you out of the waters that are trying to drown you.
I received a complimentary copy of True to You from Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.