Roots and Wings by M. Mabie

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Synopsis: 

Welcome to Wynne, population 3,401.

No billionaires. No professional athletes. No celebrities.

In this small town, current events are pondered in mirrors at the local salon or around crowded tables at the diner, and there’s a new couple to gossip about. A rough and tumble woman who works in her dad’s garage, not yet ready to spread her wings, shows the new guy in town what it’s like to finally have roots.

It’s your run-of-the-mill, sexy, Astro van driving dentist meets smart-ass, bass fishing tomboy in a story of real-life romance.

Low on drama. High on love.

Pull up a chair and stay a while.

So...I'm not going to lie. I saw this cover combined with the title of the book and it immediately got my attention. Then I read the synopsis and thought that the idea of a dentist and a tomboy sounded odd enough that I had to read it to see what would happen.
This book was fine. It was a cute story with little to no drama as stated in the synopsis of the book. While I appreciated that, it began to get boring after a little while. There wasn't really anything happening other than the relationship between the two main characters progressing. I thought that this book would have been more unique considering the fact that Mutt was a tomboy. While she was an interesting character, this was not the case.
I did feel that the chemistry between the main characters was written well. I could feel the tension between the characters at certain points in the book.

 

I Don't by Ella Fox

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Synopsis: 
Done.
Finished.
Kaput.

Whatever you want to call it, the bride-to-be won’t be at the church on time.

Walking away from her fiancé was the hardest thing Ava has ever done. After all, the sexy and charming Mateo is everything she's ever wanted—and more. But she needs to protect herself—and her heart—before it’s shattered once and for all.

Mateo has no choice but to let her go. His woman needs space, and he loves her enough to give it to her—no matter how much he hates it. The only thing keeping him sane is the certainty that their separation will be short-lived.

Ava thinks it’s over, but she’s about to find out that Mateo will stop at nothing to turn her “I Don’t” into an “I Do.”

I Don't is book one of the Enamorado (In Love) series. Each book will feature one of the Cruz brothers and can be read as a standalone.

This book was just okay for me. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I liked the characters and enjoyed the fact that they were from Spain. It added an interesting element to the story with the characters speaking both Spanish and English. 
I felt that the story needed more pages in order to develop more. I didn't understand certain characters actions because they didn't get enough time in the book to develop. I also didn't understand the reasoning behind Ava's anger towards Mateo. I felt that the author didn't do into enough detail in her explanation for the "break-up". It didn't make any sense to me which led to feelings of frustration for me. 

Paper Fools by Staci Hart

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Synopsis:
Aphrodite knows love — just don’t ask her to figure out her own mess.

Rather than deal with her sticky love life, she toys with the hearts of unwitting humans. It’s a little game she plays, and the stakes are high. Lucky for her, she’s just found the perfect match.

Lex is everything Dean needs, but he can’t have her.

It doesn’t matter that her eyes speak to a long forgotten part of him, or that her art and poetry touch his shredded heart. She’s off limits — crossing that line would implode his band and everything he’s ever cared about. There’s only one option: stay away from her, no matter the cost. Even if the price is his heart.

Dean is everything Lex wants, but she can’t take the risk.

The second she meets him, she knows her heart is in danger. She’s convinced it’s only attraction that has her hung up on the dark, quiet lead singer, but with every day that passes, she knows it’s more. It’s just that she can’t put her heart on the line. She won’t — love has never been worth the sacrifice.

If only they knew they were just pawns in a much bigger game. And in the game of love, Aphrodite never loses.


I had some reservations about reading this book. I read the synopsis and thought that it sounded amazing but I wasn't sure hoe the author could make the gods/goddesses of Olympus work in tandem with a romance story between two humans. I obviously decided to read it because it sounded too good to pass up. I am so happy that I did!!!

This book was amazing! I loved how I got to read the different points of view not only from the characters that were on earth but also from Aphrodite as well. I loved learning about the world of Olympus from the author's point of view. I thought that Staci Hart made that world different enough that it was refreshingly new to readers. I found it particularly interesting that the gods would hold competitions between two of them at a time in order to discourage discourse between them on a regular basis. 

This book was just so refreshing! I'm not going to lie. I have read books with a similar story line to the parts of the book that take place on earth between Lex and Dean.  The thing that made the book so unique was adding the gods and goddesses into the mix. Getting to take a peak into that world and knowing that they are attempting to manipulate things in the lives or mortals makes this a book that I didn't want to put down! 

If you are looking for something new and unique, I promise that you won't regret reading this book!!! Staci Hart nailed it!!!

 

Extraordinary You by Lacey Dailey

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 Synopsis:
 Remarkable, exceptional, amazing, astonishing, astounding, sensational, stunning, incredible, unbelievable, and phenomenal.

All of those words can be used to describe extraordinary and all of those are words that Brenna Baker would never use to describe herself.

Brenna Baker starts off every school year with the same challenge from her dad: Be extraordinary. She doesn’t know what it means to be extraordinary and if we’re being honest, she doesn’t really care either. She is perfectly fine in her bubble of solitude and spending her days holed up in a library with a sleeping, old woman.

Her attitude takes a complete turn the instant Jude Davis, a military brat, walks into her life shouting at her. Jude is everything that Brenna is not. He is outgoing, brave, and loves a good adventure. The moment Brenna laid her eyes on him, she knew that he was different, but even so, that didn’t stop the heat that spread through her body and the butterflies that erupted in her stomach.

At the start of her senior year, Brenna is presented with another challenge. Only this time, it’s not from her dad. It’s from Jude. He presents her with a bucket list and the challenge to complete everything on it before graduation. The only rule? They have to complete everything together.

Oh, and #21 on the list? Be Extraordinary.

I liked the relationship ship between Jude and Brenna and the lack of drama to the story. It is refreshing to read a book that doesn't need drama to move the story forward. I don't think that there are many books like this anymore. The majority have characters with tortured pasts or characters that have issues.

I loved the explanation of Jude's nickname for Brenna. I already enjoyed the use of the nickname because it was unique but I was surprised to find out how deep and meaningful it was. By far my favorite nickname in a romance story!!!

The only issue I found with the story is that it dragged on at a certain point. I found it hard to pay attention and keep reading even though I enjoyed the story.  I feel that it could have been shortened and still been good. I didn't need to read more about their love for each other or the dates that they went on. It had already been established that they were completing the bucket list and that they cared deeply for each other.

I wasn't that surprised by the reveal about Brenna's father but was shocked by the twist that had to do with it. I don't feel that any hints were dropped regarding this so it didn't make a lot of sense to have the story go in that direction. I was frustrated because everything that led up to that point was believable. 

I also found it frustrating that there was no resolution to Jude's issue by the end of the story although I was more understanding about that. It could have been the author's choice to leave things that way because not everything in life gets wrapped up with answers being given.

Paper Walls by Nicole Feller

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 Synopsis: 
Cole MacHendrick is all mystery and gloom. And he’s about to change Leighton’s life…whether he likes it or not.

When Leighton Tucker goes off to college alongside her best friends, Quinn and Wesley, she isn’t quite prepared for Cole—her beautiful but rude psych project partner. As Cole lets his guard slip, Leighton finds herself caring for the broken boy with a secret past.
Despite Cole’s warnings, Leighton dives in blindly, hoping to heal him the way he’s healing her. But will she ever get to see who he really is? Or will the darkness Cole carries obliterate everything?


I thought that the story was good but I didn't understand the importance of having so many points of view in one book. I think that the other characters in the book could have had their own books because I don't feel that it added much to the main story between Cole and Leighton.

I felt that Leighton started out as an okay character but she became needy and a bit clingy after a short period of time. I also didn't appreciate her reaction to Cole's
past. She had no reason to react the way that she did. It made no sense after what I had learned about her character throughout the story.

I did enjoy Cole. I thought he was a tortured character that kept people at a distance because he felt he wasn't worthy of companionship. His reactions to things made since as well as his guilt that he carried because of his past. I feel like I read a lot of books where a characters reactions to their past don't make sense but his did. I enjoyed the fact that he was so flawed. It added a sense of mystery and conflict to the story that made me want to keep reading. I think that the book might have been better if the whole thing was from Cole's point of view because he was the driving force in the book.

The Gravity of Us by Brittainy C. Cherry

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Synopsis:
Graham Russell and I weren’t made for one another.

I was driven by emotion; he was apathetic. I dreamed while he lived in nightmares. I cried when he had no tears to shed.

Despite his frozen heart and my readiness to run, we sometimes shared seconds. Seconds when our eyes locked and we saw each other’s secrets. Seconds when his lips tasted my fears, and I breathed in his pains. Seconds when we both imagined what it would be like to love one another.

Those seconds left us floating, but when reality knocked us sideways, gravity forced us to descend.

Graham Russell wasn’t a man who knew how to love, and I wasn’t a woman who knew how to either. Yet if I had the chance to fall again, I’d fall with him forever.

Even if we were destined to crash against solid ground.


The Silent Waters will probably always be my favorite when it comes to the elements series but I think that The Gravity of Us just took second. This was such a good book! I don't know how Brittainy C. Cherry manages to make each book in the elements series so unique and moving in different ways. I love her for it!!!

I thought that Lucy was an awesome character! Yes, she was a hippie but I didn't find that annoying like I have in other books. It was probably because she wasn't the type to rub it in peoples faces. She was not afraid to show her emotions and I found her to be a very strong character with an optimistic outlook. I loved that she was so unique and not ashamed to be herself.
I also liked Graham. He may have been a jerk but I could understand why he acted the way that he did. I found his growth as a character believable and enjoyed his character arc.

I thought that the characters balanced each other well which I don't feel is done well very often. Brittainy C. Cherry is always able to do this and I appreciate that aspect of her writing style. Lucy allowed Graham the freedom to be the best version of himself and Graham grounded her and gave her a sense of home.

The story had an excellent flow to it and believable issues in it. I loved how none of the characters were perfect. They were each quirky in their own ways and had their own ways of coping with issues.

Too Much by Ella Miles

                                               🌟🌟🌟 1/2 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis: 
A romance that starts at the end, and ends at the beginning.

He's not coming.
He promised.
He swore.
He said he would always be here for me.
Except this time, when I really need him to be here, he isn't.
He isn't f**king here.

Quinn met Hunter five years ago at age eighteen. It wasn't love at first sight. In fact, it was the complete opposite. But they did make a promise that day. If times ever got sh**ty again, all either of them had to do was text each other for help. For five years, they had always been there for each other until...they weren't.


I thought that the author chose an interesting way of showing the passage of time in the book. The book was backwards and ended with the present. I haven't read a book quite like it before. Usually, authors will just use flashbacks once in a while to explain a characters actions.
I'm not sure that I liked either one of the main characters. I found it hard to connect with them because I didn't find them relatable. Too much was a solid book and a good story. I found it to be frustrating because I didn't really receive any answers until the end. It was a bit of a slow burn in that way. It also felt a bit fractured and I would have to review certain parts of the book before continuing on because I would get confused.
I would still recommend it simply for the creative way that it was written and how it is so different from other books out there right now.

Slip of the Tongue by Jessica Hawkins

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Synopsis: 
Sadie Hunt isn’t perfect—but her husband is. Nathan Hunt has her coffee waiting every morning. He holds her hand until the last second. He worships the Manhattan sidewalk she walks on. Until one day, he just…stops. And Sadie finds herself in the last place she ever expected to be. Lonely in her marriage.

When rugged and sexy Finn Cohen moves into the apartment across the hall, he and Sadie share an immediate spark. Finn reveals dreams for a different life. Sadie wants to save her marriage. Their secrets should keep them apart, not ignite a blistering affair. But while Sadie’s marriage runs colder by the day, she and Finn burn hotter.

Her husband doesn’t want her anymore. The man next door would give up everything to have her.

Slip of the Tongue is a stand alone forbidden romance. Please note it contains adultery themes that may be triggers for some people.


This book was difficult for me to read. I had to continuously take breaks while I was reading it because not only was the relationship between Sadie and her husband painful to read but also the relationship between Sadie and Finn seemed inappropriate and wrong to me. However, I found myself sympathizing with Sadie and wanting her to be happy with her life. It seemed like Finn made her happy which made me feel conflicted as I read it. I had already read another book that of the author's that has ties to this one so I already guessed how this book would end. I was still able to enjoy it though. 

I didn't fall in love with any of the characters like I would with other books but I think that made me appreciate it more. All of the characters in this book were flawed  in such a way that I wasn't really sure that I was rooting for anyone. I wanted the conflicts to be resolved so that different characters could have closure. I thought that Nathan's actions were suspicious during the majority of the book so I wasn't able to call him innocent in everything that happened over the course of the book or root for him either.

 It was an interesting book and very different from other things that I have read. I feel that I was able to understand why the characters made the choices that they did even if I felt that they made poor ones. I have read other books that involve cheating and this was not the case. In those books, it seemed as if the characters had an extreme case of lust and "can't keep it in their pants syndrome".  

This book is a lot to take in and it makes you think about the topic of marriage and the things that might need to be worked on in your own relationship. To be honest, I'm still digesting it.

A Sky Full of Secrets by Briana Pacheco

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Synopsis: 
Months after getting kicked out of college my senior year, I made a split decision and moved in with my best friend and his roommate, Nix.

I never thought I'd try the whole 'friends with benefits' thing with Phoenix, but he didn't seem to mind when I offered up the idea.

We promised no feelings would get involved.

We lied to each other, to ourselves.

In his eyes, I wasn't just the deaf girl or the family burden. I was beautiful and smart and a bit crazy with some anger issues which he overlooked because to him, I was normal.

We were never supposed to be more, but you can't fight that pull when the stars align.

We are fire and water.

Stars and the moon.

Phoenix and Luna.

This is the story of how a man who loves everything showed a girl how to love herself.
  

I feel that I should start off by saying that my first taste of reading a book that had a deaf main character in it was Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover and I loved that! I feel that this book is just as good as that one but in a different way. I believe that this book talks about a difficult subject matter that includes the treatment of people with a disability. 

The author delves into what makes Luna, the main character, tick. Her life has not been one filled with sunshine and roses. She has been ostracized by the majority of the people around her including her own family because she became deaf when she was a young girl. I hated how she was treated and could not for the life of me figure out why people would be so cruel to such a wonderful person. I was able to connect with Luna because I think we all know what it feels like to feel alone but also yearn for love. Luna was amazing to me! I don't know if I could have gotten through half the things I did in my life without my family. She got through so many things on her own...the fact that people were so cruel over something she couldn't control...argh!

This book really makes the reader think about the weight that words hold for the people that we say them to as well as the beauty of silence. Luna is able to affect the other characters in the book for the better when she is not even speaking.

I loved Phoenix as well! He has similar qualities to other male leads from other books that I have read but he is also very different in that he is a hopeless romantic. I enjoyed how that was explored throughout the book. It created an interesting dynamic in his relationship with Luna. I loved how sensitive he was because I feel that we don't see that side of men very often in books.

This was a beautifully told story about the damage that can be done when those around us are cruel and unsupportive but also the love of good people that can heal that damage and fill the holes that are left behind. I believe that it is also a story about gathering the strength and confidence to love yourself because every person has worth.

Who Needs Air by Cassie Graham

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Synopsis: 
They fell in love at thirteen.
He wrote a book about it at twenty.
She watched him walk away at twenty-three.
And he made the New York Times Best Sellers list at twenty-four.

Campbell ‘Cam’ Potter stood idly by as August Wyatt took over the world one word at a time. Chapter by chapter, people fell in love with the story he created – the events she lived. And now the book was being made into a movie, it was only a matter of time before August was back in their small hometown in Georgia.

The problem was, when August left five years ago, Cam made a promise to herself. The ending in his book would be the conclusion to their story. There was no sequel, no second chance, no possibility of ever seeing him again. He obliterated her heart and she was determined to never let it happen again.

That is, until Cam gets a late night text from the heartbreaker himself.
New chapters are written, fresh storylines are explored and Cam and August find a familiarity in one another.

I love the cover and the title of the book but I'm still not sure how either one fits with the story. Based on what I just read a better title might be who needs water because it is repeatedly said that Cam is August's air. I love how abstract the cover is but it seems like it is portraying two sides to the same woman which I don't feel that I saw in the book. I could also be over-analyzing it. Haha!

The book was good but I didn't connect with it the way that I wanted to. The characters were good and the story seemed to have a good timeline to it but something felt off about it for me. It could be that Colleen Hoover wrote a similar book entitled November 9 or that the conflict between the main characters has been done before in other books in the same genre. 

I didn't understand the motivations of the characters' actions if they claimed to be in love with each other enough to get married. Why did August leave in the first place? Was it part of his contract for the book to relocate to New York? I could have missed that when I was reading. Secondly, when their world/relationship is blown apart again, why aren't they communicating instead of drifting apart again?!? I found their decisions incredibly frustrating at times throughout the book! 

The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson

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I knew when I immediately began reading this novel again the morning after I finished it the first time that I would have to give this book five stars! I loved every page of it!

It had everything on my checklist for a great book! The chemistry between Killian and Vera leapt off of the page from the first moment that they meet each other. The author was able to pull me in with that alone. She continued to add dept to the chemistry by helping the reader learn more about each character as they learned about each other during the book.

The characters were realistically flawed but both grew and changed as the story went on. There was a natural progression to the story which provided a good flow. There was never a point where I felt that the story lagged or was rushed. I also appreciated the fact that there was no unnecessary drama added to the story in order to progress the story nor was there any confusing plot points.

I'm not going to lie. I hated Killian in the beginning because he seemed like a huge jerk. He was rude and arrogant. I hated how he treated Vera because as the reader I knew more about her background than he did. I didn't want anyone to hurt her in any way and I wanted her to succeed in her goals. I kind of wanted him to be hit by a bus after he interacted with her in ways I didn't approve of!!! As the story progressed, I saw that there was more to him than met the eye. He could still be a jerk but he could also be kind and decent. I could appreciate what the author did with this character. He never completely changed but he had more depth as the story went on. 

Hickey by Cora Brent

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I didn't expect much from this book to be honest. The synopsis didn't do this book any favors in my mind because it made the book seem like it wouldn't have much substance.  I thought that it would be about two kids who attempted to play house, failed at it, and then met again years later and fell into bed even though at least one of them hated the other.

After reading the book, I can now say that I couldn't have been more wrong about the book. It was an interesting take on a second chance romance book. The two main characters are very young and immature when they make an attempt at marriage. It does not end on the best of terms because neither of them were ready to take that step with the other from the start. They were trying to forget their sorrows by using each other although they did care about each other.

It was actually a more complex story than I expected. The only point in the story that was bothersome was the reason why Cecily harbored so much anger over the years towards Branson. There was so much build up until the point where we as the readers find out what the reason is and it doesn't measure up for me. During the flashbacks in the book, it is made clear from both the main characters points of view how each of them felt during the marriage. Cecily's reason for her anger didn't match up with that.

The Fabulist by Dawn L. Chiletz

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Synopsis:
Fabulist (fabyələst): a liar, especially a person who invents elaborate, dishonest stories

After losing her job and her apartment, Samantha Wittaker takes a leap of faith when she tries out for The Fabulist, a new reality TV show promising a prize well worth the risk. Her sexy, tough as nails personality attracts more than just the attention of the producers. She also catches the eye of a couple of contestants as well as a hot, challenging cameraman.

The twists and turns of reality TV are like nothing she ever even imagined. Deception, danger, love and lust lurk at every turn. 

Sometimes people lie. They lie to save themselves or to cover a truth. They lie to protect feelings or to protect hearts. 

Not all lies are bad. Or are they?

Can Sam play the game or will the game play her?

I've never read a book that had to do with reality TV before...definitely not about a show that involves people who believe that they have the talent to see through lies that people tell them. I thought that the TV show in the book was interesting and something that I might actually watch. I don't particularly like reality TV shows but it interested me. I'm always looking to read books that are different from everything else that is out there and this book seemed to fit the bill.

I thought it was interesting that Sam felt the same way that I do about reality TV in that it is staged. I respected her as a character because she felt about things and made decisions that I thought were well thought out. She did tend to overreact at times but the majority of the time she appeared to be level headed. I loved that Sam didn't want to be the instigator of drama for the show. 

I wasn't surprised about who ended up being the fabulist. I called it as soon as the character was introduced. I saw through the trickery and lies that attempted to distract from who it was.I didn't mind that it was obvious because the story line more than made up for it.

I felt that there was unnecessary drama added to the relationship between Hogan and Sam. I understood it at times but others times as I was reading I was thinking "is this necessary when there is already something else happening?!? It was the only thing that bothered me about the book. I loved everything else about it and would encourage anyone to read it because it is a fun read.