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

                                          🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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

                                              🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
 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

                                              🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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.