Carries Book Reviews

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children is a school for those children who have disappeared from our world for a short time only to return and not be able to reconnect with reality. They have traveled to all different lands through various portals but for one reason or another were not able to stay in the worlds they long to return to.

Nancy’s parents have enrolled her at the Home for Wayward Children as a last resort to have her return to her normal self after she had disappeared for a time. Her parents don’t know what has happened to her and only want the girl she used to be but Eleanor West understands Nancy the way no one else could.

Every Heart a Doorway is weird. Very weird. But oh so lovely in it’s oddity that I thoroughly enjoyed this read from start to finish. The story starts off with a vibe that you have been dropped into the middle of something but it does catch a reader up on what and why this mysterious school and characters exist fairly quickly and becomes quite engaging trying to figure out what will come next.

Not only is there the fantasy side to this story but it also turns a bit into a thriller/mystery read with the events going on so that also completely grabbed my attention. The characters are very diverse and their world/worlds very complex but only touched upon so far in this series but I would be quite intrigued to see where the author takes this series next.

Overall, 4.5 stars. Great start to this series, definitely an interesting start to say the least.

Draw Play
Tia Lewis
Publication date: September 5th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

Jake:

I can’t believe my coach assigned me a tutor. I’m all that on the field and between the sheets — who cares about my stupid grades?

But Claire doesn’t treat me like I’m dumb. When we’re not busy fighting, she actually encourages me. And with those sexy curves of hers, I know just how to thank her.

Claire:

I hate football players, but I need the money. Jake is just as cocky and arrogant as the worst of them … but his touch sets me on fire.

I have to believe he’s different, that he won’t use me and break my heart. Because I can’t stop wanting him. I just hope I survive the ride.

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Q&A with Tia Lewis:

What inspired you to write Draw Play: A Sports Romance?

I wrote the story back when I was in college so it was pretty easy coming up with the characters. I, of course, love sexy football players so everything seemed to fit together.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

There wasn’t a particular age since I’ve always been interested in storytelling. However, the last few years was when I thought I could make a career out of it and actually went for it this year.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Gosh. Probably when I was a toddler. I definitely didn’t know exactly what I was reading since I was so young but books were everywhere in the house. My mother is an avid

reader and had piles of books all over the place so I would pick up one her books to read or one of the many in my children’s book collection.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Anything erotic! I also LOVE dark romance!

What is your favorite book?

Hmm… That’s a tough question. I honestly can’t say what’s my favorite book because I have so many I love.

Who is your favorite author and why?

Another tough question! Off the top of my head, I’ll say Stephen King because that’s my mother’s favorite author and she got me hooked on his books at an early age.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

At first easy because I have so many ideas. It’s when I’m done writing and re-read it and think, “What the heck is this?” I have a tendency to go on tangents so the tricky part is staying focused.

Do you have any fuzzy little friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

No pets but I do want a puppy.

What is your “to die for”, favorite food/foods to eat?

I love sweets however I can’t stand candy. My kind of sweets are pies, brownies, cakes, etc.

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

I’m still new in my author career, but I would say just go for it. Don’t be like me who waited years and years and let their stories pile up. Just do it and learn the ropes throughout the way.

Author Bio:

Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text LEWIS to 31996 or go to: http://www.NextBookRelease.com

Tia Lewis is a romance author from the Midwest who writes about smart, sexy, sassy women and hot, possessive alpha males. Her favorite bad boys to write about include sports players, mafia, bikers, billionaires and the bad-ass next door. You can find her cooking, reading, or traveling when she’s not busy working on her next release.

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Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Kami Glass has always talked to a boy in her head ever since she was born. She’s always thought of him as an imaginary friend and loved him all of her life keeping the voice a secret so others will not see her as crazy. But when the mysterious Lynburn family return one of the teenage boys seems very familiar to Kami.

Kami soon finds that her best friend that she’s always had in her head is really Jared Lynburn. When an attempt is made on Kami’s life Jared quickly proves that he does know all of Kami’s thoughts. Now Kami is determined to discover who was behind the attempt and how and why she seem to be connected to the mysterious Jared Lynburn.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is the first book in the Lynburn Legacy series. I would first and foremost warn to readers that this is one of those that leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger that will continue in the rest of the series.

For this first book I enjoyed some of the ideas involved in it but unfortunately for me it was just way too slow paced read to keep my attention all throughout. When I get to over halfway in a story and am still waiting out answers to questions brought up in the opening pages I get extremely frustrated and I believe it was over 60% before some questions were getting addressed. Even at the end I just wanted to hurry the action along.

Overall, 2.5 stars. Too slow paced for my taste but some interesting content nonetheless.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twenty eight year old Cannie Shapiro had just taken a break in her relationship with her boyfriend when he was heading towards wanting marriage and she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted. But when she sees the headline in a magazine Loving a Larger Woman she is immediately furious when she sees her ex’s name in the byline.

Now Cannie is trying to get her life in order and her weight under control. She always knew she was plus size but the humiliation of seeing it in a national magazine has her questioning everything in her life along with her relationship with her ex.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner was somewhat an emotional roller coaster of a read. It was often quite humorous but also rather touching in moments when Cannie is dealing with different areas of her life. There’s romance mixed with grief. Anxiety mixed with humor. Indecision, heartache, grief, loss, emotional growth and joy. Pretty much any type of emotion a reader could think of wrapped into this one.

I will say I wasn’t a huge fan of Cannie wanting to hold onto her relationship after she’d initially broken things off but as the read went on I grew to understand her fears and thoughts along the way so the story drew me in as she went through her life after her public humiliation.

Overall, an emotional roller coaster of a ride with the main character while dealing with being a plus sized woman in a society obsessed with weight.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolution
Penelope Marshall
(Mr. Black, #2)
Publication date: September 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Cole Almen is home from the war, but he suffered a terrible loss…

Cole, a Navy SEAL, has returned home after losing his best friend Ezra right before his eyes. To make matters worse, Cole’s roommates are his girlfriend, Catherine, and Ezra’s fiancée, Adeline.

Adeline Chevallier blames Cole for her fiancé’s death, and so does Catherine…

Adeline is devastated when she learns of Ezra’s death, and holds Cole responsible, which makes them so uncomfortable they can hardly look at each other. At first, Catherine appears to be the only thing keeping the house from falling apart, but without warning, her behavior changes, forcing Cole to kick her out. Finally alone, Adeline and Cole form an unexpected bond.

Cole and Adeline are so caught up in these new emotions that they forget about Catherine—and her secrets…

Catherine is keeping big secrets which could destroy everything Cole and Adeline have built. When she finally reveals what she’s been hiding, her dangerous inner demons take over. When Cole returns to war, Adeline feels betrayed by everyone she holds dear, and does her best to move on.

Cole is miserable during his deployment. When he comes home from duty, he is determined to be with Adeline, but doesn’t even know how to find her.

Cole is trained to save people, but can’t seem to save the people he treasures most. With his life in turmoil, he’s running out of time to turn things around…

And Adeline might just be his last chance at Absolution.

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Author Bio:

Penelope Marshall was born in the Philippines, and raised in Southern California.

She picked up writing in early 2016 and instantly fell in love with the craft. Her writing runs the romance gamut from sweet romantic comedies, to tough alpha male military suspense thrillers, with a little young adult, and paranormal thrown into the mix.

A good plot twist is what drives Penelope’s writing, striving for that jaw dropping moment at the end of each book.

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