Carries Book Reviews

Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen year old Rose has spent the last seven years of her life in captivity being forced to perform in a burlesque type of show for a man known as the Gardener. Rose has learned to do whatever she is told while in captivity because if she doesn’t her best friend, Fern, will be punished in her place so Rose as a performer would not be marred. When it’s found that Fern has been involved in the rebellion and is killed Rose finds that now is her chance at escape.

During a performance Rose takes the opportunity before her to carry out her plan to escape and free her fellow captives but when her choice of hostage turns out to be the leader of the rebellion, Rayce, Rose finds herself trading in one type of cage for another as he takes her with him and she loses the opportunity to release the other girls. Rose quickly learns though not every man is the same and she finds herself beginning to see Rayce in a different light as she tries to convince him to help free her friends.

Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell is a young adult fantasy read with a rather interesting setting involved with Rose having been captured at a young age and forced to perform for most of her life. There is upheaval in the land as the rebellion tries to right the oppressive leadership all the while Rose is trying to free her friends.

I will say however that while the story is an enjoyable read with good writing and full of action to keep up the interest I found the overall idea behind the plot to be a bit predictable. Young Rose had a secret that of course seemed rather obvious to me all throughout and when it was revealed I had been correct. The relationship growing between Rose and Rayce of course was also easy to spot as soon as they meet. But even with it’s predictability in the plot it was still a fun young adult read overall.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

State of Allegiance
Summer Lane
(Collapse #9)
Publication date: February 24th 2017
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult

Be brave. Be vigilant. But above all, be loyal.

In the wake of a dangerous but successful mission to Yukon City in Alaska, Cassidy Hart now finds herself back in California, at the naval air station in San Diego. Together, she and Chris now face their most terrifying threat yet: nuclear destruction.

Surviving in a world gone nuclear is easier said than done. Faced with the prospect of being wiped off the face of the earth by Omega’s nuclear arsenal, Cassidy, Chris and their fellow rebel friends stage an incredible, daring journey into the Pacific Rim with the hope that they will be able to seize a weapon that could turn the tide of the war in the militia’s favor.

The clock of the apocalypse is counting down.

Choices must be made. Relationships will be strained. True love will be put to the ultimate test.

It’s militias versus Omega. Hope versus destruction.

Where does your allegiance lie?

Choose carefully.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Interview with Author Summer Lane

How does it feel to publish the 9th installment of the Collapse Series – and your 16th overall?

It feels unreal! When I was a kid, I always pictured myself as an author, sharing my stories with readers, but I admit I didn’t really think that would materialize until I was much older than I am right now. I’ve been really blessed – and I’ve worked really hard!

What’s a typical day in your life like?

I do manage a business, so while I do a lot more than simply write manuscripts, writing certainly is the base of everything that I engage in. I just got a German Shepherd puppy named Kona, and she gets me up early in the morning (earlier than usual, haha!), and I’ll start work then. If I have a good day, I’ll be done with work around 2:30 or 3. If it’s a long day, I’ll be working until 6.

What is State of Hope going to be like – and is it the last book in the series?

State of Hope is going to be long, intense and flushed with adrenaline. There are so many secrets to be revealed, so many character plots to be tied up neatly, and most importantly: Cassidy’s conclusion in this apocalyptic war. While Hope is indeed the final installment in the Collapse Series, it is not the last book in the Collapse universe. I certainly do have some plans for Cassidy in the future – they may not be as huge as Collapse, but trust me: I have plans.

How do you stay motivated and healthy in your career as a writer?

I stay motivated by keeping my eye on the prize: I remove negativity from my life, because nobody needs that. I try to surround myself with people who really care about me and support what I do. Staying healthy, for me, at least, is actually really difficult. My profession requires a lot of sitting, so I have to make an extra effort to get up, walk and move. It’s also tempting to snack on junk food working in an office (am I right?). I try hard to indulge only with healthy snacks: I have celery sticks and apples in the fridge, I like cheese, and any gluten-free cracker in combination. I also just discovered baked parmesan crisps. Oh, my heart!

Advice to aspiring authors?

Don’t let anybody bring you down. Never take no as a final answer. Work hard, and it will pay off, one way or another.

Author Bio:

Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of the Collapse Series, Zero Trilogy, Bravo Saga, Collapse: The Illustrated Guide and the adventure thriller, Unbreakable SEAL.

Summer owns WB Publishing. She is an accomplished journalist and creative writing teacher. She also owns an online magazine, Writing Belle, where she has interviewed and worked with countless authors from around the globe.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California with her husband, where she enjoys reading, collecting tea, visiting the beach and the mountains, and counting down the days until she has her very own puppy (if you’ve read Bravo: Apocalypse Mission, you’ll understand).

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Broken Glass by V.C. Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Warning: Broken Glass is the second book in the Mirror Sisters series so this review will contain spoilers for the first book.

Haylee and Kaylee are identical twin sisters that when born their mother insisted that there would never be a difference between the two girls. They were raised dressing alike, their rooms kept exactly alike, given the same toys or even if one received a hug the other must also get one too. The girls weren’t allowed to develop an identity of their own for fear of upsetting their mother and they quickly learned to always try to please her to keep the peace in the family.

As Haylee and Kaylee got older it became clear to them that their mother expected perfection and would not tolerate any disobedience, if one twin was punished then the other was too. The girls were home schooled and even expected to perform and learn the same so if one fell behind the other would pretend to need help. This was their life until the twins were finally allowed to attend school were young Haylee began to test the waters and her independence much to the dismay of Kaylee.

Haylee came up with a plan to separate herself from her sister once and for all. She developed a relationship online with a man telling Kaylee that she was going to meet her new “boyfriend” in person one night while the girls were supposed to be seeing a movie. Only Haylee at the last minute asked Kaylee to take her place and tell the man that Haylee wouldn’t make it. When Kaylee met up with him he kidnapped her which had been Haylee’s plan all along.

Broken Glass picked up right where the first book of the series left off after the night of the kidnapping. The POV switches between the chapters following Kaylee in her captivity and Haylee playing the grieving twin left behind. They story has two sides to it now while getting to follow along and hope for Kaylee’s rescue but yet also cringe that a sibling like Haylee could be so twisted and manipulative to send her own twin into such danger.

I couldn’t help but be completely hooked reading this second installment of the series. This first had the feel of the original V.C. Andrews stories with the twins mother obviously putting the girls through psychological trauma their whole lives but the pace seemed a bit slow in moving the story forward. This second book had enough going on in it that I was kept quite engaged wondering how the story would turn out.

Overall, I think this has been my favorite read of the ghostwritten books in the V.C. Andrews catalog which never seemed to live up to the original works. Now I can’t wait to see what happens in book in the rest of this series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Gardenia by Kelsey Sutton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Ivy Erickson has one month, twenty-seven days, four hours, fifty-nine minutes, and two seconds to live.

When Ivy was a child she learned that only she can see the numbers above others heads that count down until the exact moment that they will die. Ivy’s grandmother had suffered a heart attack right in front of young Ivy as her numbers counted down to zero and that was Ivy’s first experience with this deadly phenomena.

Ivy learned over the years there was nothing she could do to stop what was fated to happen with those around her or her own countdown which would expire before Ivy even graduates high school. Struggling with getting close to those around her she has an on again, off again relationship with Myers Patripski to deal with but for Ivy the most important thing to do before her time is up is to find the murderer who had claimed the life of Ivy’s best friend.

Gardenia had a new to me concept involved in the fact that Ivy can see when everyone will die, including herself. It’s my understanding there’s other books out there with this concept but being the first I’ve read it certainly had me thinking all throughout reading about just how horrible this must be for the main character to live with. How could you deal with knowing when those around you will go or just how many days you have left yourself?? This alone fascinated me with where the story would take a reader just knowing that Ivy knows her days are numbered so she could throw caution to the wind with chasing a killer knowing that it wasn’t her time yet.

The book is a bit of a mixed bag of genres involved in it with a lot of focus on the contemporary side of the story with Ivy’s family and relationships. As much as it’s nice to get to know a character and their lives I think the story lost a bit of focus on the mystery/thriller side to it which would have made it just that more intense of a read. I did think the story wrapped up rather nicely as far as the killer and ending but it seemed to be one that was concluded kind of suddenly instead of leading a reader to it a bit more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Forfeit
Allyson Young & Lydia Michaels
(Degrees of Separation Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The debut novel of a masterfully emotional, high stakes trilogy that will have readers forfeiting tradition to gamble with love…

December and Austin have a traditional, storybook marriage complete with defined roles. Married young, they’ve shared nearly a decade of passion and love. December’s submissive nature is perfectly suited for her husband’s authoritative, yet adoring personality and he seamlessly holds the indisputable role of head of the household.

But Austin harbors secrets, and the pressure of losing his job makes those festering skeletons impossible to ignore.

Turning to alcohol instead of his wife, Austin finally drives December into the arms of their closest friend, Cord, despite her intense loyalty. Cord has loved December since the day they met. His moral compass is challenged and lines are blurred when Austin steps aside and insists Cord take his place.

Forfeiting all, Austin must face a harsh truth. Take control of his life, or forever lose the woman he loves.

WARNING: This book contains subject matter suitable for mature reading audiences. Some content may be offensive to sensitive readers. Degrees of Separation is a ménage trilogy with many emotionally graphic encounters and challenging situations that break the rules of traditional romance.

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EXCERPT:

She’d kept their home with equal pride, in a dated dynamic they both revered because it worked—until he lost his job.

With a shudder, she faced the present. Now Austin did nothing. No longer did she need to worry about being available to him, because he showed no interest in her, sexually or otherwise, not even in regard to her safety.

Something neglected and desolate snapped inside of her. Pressure built behind her eyes. The weight on her shoulders transcended to pressure in her chest. Unable to hold it all inside, she burst into tears.

“Hey, hey, hey, why are you crying? Shit.” Cord stood, clearly uncomfortable with her show of emotion. “Is it your head?”

He paced, searching for something in the kitchen, clattering objects across the counter, and returning with a paper towel and his keys. “I’ll take you to the clinic. Here, blow your nose. Stuff’s dripping out.”

She snagged the rough paper and blew. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “It’s just… He… The car… How many beer cans will I clean up tomorrow? It’s so quiet all the time. Mrs. Fields is a bitch! We have no fuel! The wood doesn’t burn right, because we used up all our seasoned supply. My toes are always fucking numb! And now my tires are bald…” The last of her tirade came out in a wail.

As she blubbered, muttering half thoughts and nonsense an outsider wouldn’t understand, she struggled to get her emotions under control. Reeling in her hiccups and sobs, she apologized for her outburst as Cord’s face morphed into utter panic.

She wiped her sleeve under her nose and sniffled. She was tougher than this and it surely was not the time or the place for a breakdown.

When she focused on his expression again, a wet laugh squeaked out. Poor guy. His eyes were wide with horror. She sniffed and repeated her apology, “Sorry. I’m just a little overwhelmed.”

Unblinking, he watched her cautiously. “Was that some sort of female exorcism? I didn’t understand a word you said, but you should know that’s my last napkin. After that, all I can offer you is a coffee filter.”

Author Bio:

Allyson lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada with her husband of many years and numerous pets. She has written for many years and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. She has now published three series and several stand alones in

contemporary, sci fi, fantasy and suspense genres. Allyson will write until whatever is inside is satisfied, until the heroes man up and the heroines get what they deserves. Love isn’t always sweet, and Allyson favours the darker side of romance.

Links:
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Lydia Michaels is the award winning author of 30 romance novels. Her novels from the darkly compelling Surrender Trilogy were iBooks Bestsellers and her work has been featured in USA Today. In 2015 she was the winner of The Best of Bucks Award and she has been nominated as Best Author in the Happenings Magazine two years running [2015 & 2016]. She is a four time nominee for the prestigious RONE Award. Her books are intellectual, emotional, haunting, always centered around love.

Links:
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