Book Review - Have You Seen This Girl?

Well, it's Thursday and time for yet another book review. As always, this one will go into the 2016 Time for Books Review Team's pool of reviews. If you haven't checked those out, you simply must. There are already over thirty reviews on the list, and they're piling up fast! Check them out here.

Anyway, today I have a book I read on accident. Yep, that's right. I didn't mean to read this book. Can I just say how glad I am that I picked it up and started it? It's captivating, touchy, and dark on so many levels. Before I go off on a tangent, let me give you information about the title.

Title: Have You Seen This Girl? (Flocksdale Files #1)
Author: Carissa Ann Lynch
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Thriller
Length (print): 224 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle FREE

Blurb:
Wendi Wise is a troubled young woman who snorts her breakfast through a straw and spends more time in rehab than in the real world…

Her life is seemingly out of control.

But now she has a plan.

That plan involves a sharp set of butcher knives.

She's going back to where all of her troubles began…

Flocksdale.

Wendi was lured away from a local skating rink, at the age of thirteen, and held captive in a place she calls 'The House of Horrors.' Dumped off blindfolded on the side of a dirt road, Wendi soon discovered that she was addicted to the drugs they fed her while she was captive.

Too scared to go home, and having a new habit to deal with, she hopped on a bus, vanishing from the family she loved.

Vanishing from Flocksdale…

The town of Flocksdale is littered with fliers with a grainy image of young Wendi, and the words 'Have You Seen This Girl?' written below.

Now, eight years later, she's on a mission—a mission to find the mysterious house from her youth and the monsters who dwell inside it.

“This is the end, beautiful friend, the end…”

Now, ON to my review!

I picked up this book on Amazon via the recommendation of a friend of mine, and I only intended to read part of it and put it down. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages. Lynch has such an easy writing style, I got caught up in wanting to know what happened to the main character by page one. Yes, that's right, page one. There are sorrowful tales, and there are tales of weak women who let life beat them down as they cry out, "Poor me!" This is not that book. It tackles a touchy, scary subject, and it does it well. Before I get lost, let me give you the juicy part of my review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Intrigue, kick ass women, and a story that will keep me on the edge of my seat are some of my favorite go-to books of all time. I despise anyone who sits down and "takes it" without a fight. Dear Wendi Wise was not that girl. She has the crap kicked out of her, is scared to death, and endures an experience that would leave most people crying in their cornflakes, but she drags herself up, cleans herself off, and taps into her inner snark to find some justice. I loved her. As damaged as she is, I absolutely love Wendi Wise. Not for her damaged parts, oh no, but for the person inside she held on to through it all. Win! Pacing was beautiful, and I never found myself bored while reading. Flocksdale was well painted in my mind, but the author didn't over-describe the setting. It was just enough. I like being able to use my imagination, and Lynch let me do that over and over again.

There were times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room, but that just means I was being moved on a deep level. How deeply the corruption ran blew me away, and I never saw the twist in the end coming. It hit me like a runaway train splintering a car, and my mind exploded with the revelation.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Whoever worked on this book: Well done! I wasn't moved to mark much. One thing that bugged me was a weird inconsistency I found, and the other was something not many people would catch. 1) In chapter fifty-three, our heroine does not clean the blood off her person before leaving the house with our hero, but she talks about having the blood all over her later on. 2) In chapter sixty-one, our hero uses the zoom feature on his camera--which is supposed to be a Polariod. That was it. Not even sure most readers would've picked up on it, but I'm a stickler for the details.

Rating:
1 Star for addressing a touchy subject without fear
1 Star for pacing like a lady boss
1 Star for that twist I never saw coming
1 Star for making Wendi a tough, snarky, kick ass woman
.5 Star for editing
-.5 Star for the flubs in the storyline
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars! You'll see five clicked in my review because I round up, not down. Recommended for those who love a great thriller with invisible twists.

What do you think? Plan to pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Scarlet

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I have another book review for you all. As you know, I've been reading the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Amazing young lady. Love this series so far, and I'm only two books in. I can't wait to see what's coming in Cress. I own it, now I just gotta read it! My tangible books get read alongside my digital ones, and I usually read more than one at a time (as evidenced by the long list I'm now writing reviews for). Anyway! Enough of my goings on and on.

How about we get to the fun stuff, eh? Starting, as always, with details about the book on the chopping block for today:

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA Fairy tale Adaptations - Sci-Fi
Length (print): 512 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback $5.72

Blurb:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Now for the review!

Okay, so I read Cinder and loved the new twist on an old tale (what can I say, I'm a sucker for anything having to do with a fairy tale). I couldn't wait to dive into Scarlet. I ran out to BAM and bought it. Really wanted the hardcover, but they didn't have any in stock, so the paperback is what I ended up with. Someone, somewhere, told me these were going to be a movie (hell yeah!), and I truly hope that's the case. I'm in literary love with these characters and the stories going on. Anyway, now that you know where and why I picked up Scarlet, let's get on to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
I was completely entranced by the twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood. Scarlet is my kind of chick. She grew up on a farm, can work on cars, and believes in the people she loves even when the whole world is telling her otherwise. Win. I loved Cinder in this story, too. She's becoming one of my favorite literary characters of all time. These young ladies are tough, emotional, and willing to do whatever they have to in order to set things right in the world. Interconnection between the storylines is what really intrigues me. I love finding little bits and pieces of how one character's tale impacts another. It's almost as though Meyer sat down with a huge drawing board and sketched out how many different ways she could throw the reader for a loop. Fascinating. World building is well done, and seeing Earth so far in the future is mesmerizing. I could picture everything happening with perfect clarity. Pacing was a little slow at times, but never dragged on for more than a chapter.

From an Editor's Perspective:
This being a trad published book, I expected fewer run-on sentences, comma splices, and dialogue/action tag mix-ups than my usual reads (Indie). I was shocked at the number of oopsies I found. However, there were no storyline snags. See below for rating impact.

Rating:
1 Star for bringing a whole new level of awesome to RRH
1 Star for connecting Scarlet and Cinder so well
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing and imagination run amok
.5 Star for no plotline holes
-.5 Star for grammatical errors
Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars. I round up, not down, so you'll see 5 stars on my review. Recommended if you're a fan of fairy tale twists!

Have you read the series? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Bed Wife Chronicles

Happy Tuesday! Today, I have a review for you all from my 12 Days RR event back in December. Before I get to the review, I'll recap all the winners thus far and remove the ones I did reviews for last year. Ready? Let's get going! As a surprise, the author also wanted to do a giveaway for my readers/followers. It'll be at the bottom of the post.

This review will go into the 2016 Time 4 Books Review Team pool as well.

Suzanna Lynn - The Bed Wife Chronicles - Collector's Edition - REVIEW BELOW

Sahara Foley - The Secret of Excalibur 2.99

Morgan Reeves - Free to Fly (Never Ever After Book 1) 2.99

Mary J. Williams - If I Loved You (Harper Falls Book 1) 0.99

Andi O'Connor - Awakening (The Dragonath Chronicles Book 2) 5.99

Heidi Angell - Elements of a Broken Mind (The Clear Angel Chronicles Book 1) 4.99
Sylvia Stein - Chasing Clarity 2.99

Marissa Campbell - Avelynn: A Novel 9.99

Danielle Mathieson Pederson - Lasera: Book One of the Mer Archives $4.99

Martina Mcatee - Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things 2.99

A.B. Funkhauser - Heuer Lost And Found 3.99

Christina Benjamin - The Geneva Project - Truth FREE

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
 Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

Now, about the book I'm gonna review:

Title: The Bed Wife Chronicles - Collector's Edition
Author: Suzanna Lynn
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Length (print): 396 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $4.99 (as of the date of this review)

Blurb:
PLEASE NOTE: This story contains mature themes and sexual situations. It is intended for adult readers.

The Bed Wife Chronicles: Love brought them together. Would tradition tear them apart?

Once inseparable childhood friends, Luana and Baylin are now grown and living in two separate worlds. Luana, the daughter of the town drunk, cares for her family’s goat farm to make ends meet. Baylin, Prince and future King of Grasmere, is off combating the evils that lurk in the Kingdom.

However, Fate intercedes with a time-honored tradition that has been custom for the past five hundred years. Luana’s life is now forced into the hands of her long-lost childhood friend.

In the midst of it all, Baylin is forced to choose between his love for Luana and his fealty to his father and the Kingdom – knowing that his decision could potentially set the Keld Kingdoms against each other during a savage war.

All the couple wishes for is to be safe and happy together. However, constant struggles make it seem as though contentment is impossible. Trials and tribulations strain the delicate core of their relationship.

Will Luana and Baylin be able to overcome the demands of the Kingdom and find happiness? Or will resentment, hurt and duty consume them?

Now, on to my review. Please keep in mind this is a whole trilogy, so the review will be constructed a bit differently.

I grabbed this book during my 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog at the end of last year. Authors pitch their books, I grab samples, and I choose a handful of them to review over the next twelve months. Well, The Bed Wife Chronicles got me from the sample, and I ran right over to Amazon and bought it. I usually don't buy a whole trilogy at once, but since the omnibus is what was pitched, that's what I ended up snagging. Since I'm reviewing three books at once, I'm going to do this a bit differently. Stay with me. Let's get into the meat of the review, shall we?

From a Reader's Perspective:
The Bed Wife - Part one grabbed me with the flowing writing style and setup of the story from the start. I loved Luana. She was painted as a gentle soul who cares about labels, right from wrong, and the people around her, but she was also tough as nails (and I adore strong women). World building was done exceptionally well, and I found myself in the setting of the Keld kingdoms. There was never a boring moment. It was either Luana getting attacked, or Baylin running to her side every second. I have to admit, there were a few times I wanted to smack some of the characters because of their behavior, but that just tells me I got hold of a great read. Only thing that bugged me in part one was the repetitive nature of some of the dialogue. But it was easy to file away and forget about.

The Heir - Part two starts off about three months after part one comes to a close. I liked the second part because it really gets the action going. Grasmere goes to war with a neighboring kingdom, and Luana starts to get an inkling of what it's like to be with a king. Oh, there were characters that were absolutely despicable in this part, and as tough as Luana is, I was surprised she didn't do more. Flashbacks take a more central roll in this part, and you see more about how Baylin and Luana got to know one another when they were children. Oh yeah, there are twists and turns that will keep you wondering what the heck and dying to find out. By the end of this part, I saw the reveal in the third part coming. World-building continues, but there's not a lot of action outside the palace. I fell in friend love with Meg. I'd want her on my side in a tough time. Several of the situations being "resolved" were a bit too convenient for my taste, but I'm a fan of strife, so it may not bother many folks.

The Queen - Part three picks up right where two left off. There was no time gap there. This is the part where all the questions raised in the previous two are answered. I have to admit, there was one big reveal that I didn't see coming. No way was I given any inkling in the previous two books to tell me that was going on. People I despised got what was coming to them (how else would a romance novel end?), and people I liked were justly rewarded. Oh, and Ferric! Be still my beating heart. I may like him more than I do Prince Baylin. Ferric was one of those characters that pops up and refuses to be ignored. He was the true hero, in my opinion. I mean, by this point, you'd think Baylin had learned to stick to his values and ideas. Nope. But dear Ferric is there to handle things (thank goodness). I enjoyed the conclusion, and the HEA, even though I was secretly hoping otherwise. I did tire of hearing, for the billionth time, how Luana's hair was silvery, but again, description is something I'm not a fan of where others are.

From an Editor's Perspective:
The Bed Wife - Not a lot of grammar issues in this part. I think I only found six glaring errors, and none of them were storyline.
The Heir - This part is where it starts to go a little downhill. Storyline glitch around chapter four. One of the characters is supposed to be gone, but he suddenly reappears and is having a conversation with no inkling of when he returned. And the author seems to have a bit of trouble with shone and shown.
The Queen - Several errors, repetition runs amok, and another storyline oops in chapter seven concerning how one of the characters (who is already supposed to be on their way) is requested to travel. Is it something a typical reader would notice? Probably not, but it deserves a mention.

Rating:
The Bed Wife
1 Star for giving me a main character I could root for and not making her a simpering, whining little snot
1 Star for excellent world building
1 Star for setup of the situation and giving me hints of what's coming
1 Star for excellent pacing
1 Star for editing
The Heir
1 Star for giving me new characters I loved to hate
1 Star for action and deepening the plot well
1 Star for discovery tactics
.5 Star for writing Meg with such tenacity
- .5 Star for missing strife and an obstacle overcome a bit too easily
- 1 Star for editing
The Queen
1 Star for Ferric (really, enough said)
1 Star for a most excellent battle scene
1 Star for that one twist that surprised and excited me
.5 Star for tying up all loose ends
- .5 Star for not giving the Prince that backbone I so wished he'd gain
- 1 Star for editing
Calculation of overall rating: 5+3.5+3.5=12/3=4
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended to those who enjoy a good fantasy romance with excellent world building.

Now, you can enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you think? Want to read?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Book Review - Frenzy

Happy Monday, everyone! As you all know, this week will be filled with book reviews. On my list this week (in the order they shall be seen):

Frenzy (Frenzy series volume I) - Because I beta-read (and re-read after release)
The Bedwife Chronicles (the complete triology) - From my 12 Days RR Event
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles book 2) - Because I'm reading the series
Have You Seen This Girl? (Flocksdale Files Volume I) - It was an accident
Untamed (Splintered companion novella) - Because I read the series

This title will be added to the Time 4 Books 2016 Review Team pool. Check out those reviews here!

As you can see, today is all about Frenzy. This book just released last week, but I had the very amazing pleasure of being one of the beta-readers. Anywho, grab your cup of Jo and let's get going!


As always, we'll start with a little about the book:

Title: Frenzy (The Frenzy Series Volume I)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Dystopian
Length (print): 174 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  Paperback $9.99

Blurb:
After the world was ravaged by a viral apocalypse, Blackwater is one of the only colonies that remains. The survivors came together to create this safe haven. Nestled between a fierce river and a city’s flood wall, the well-being of its residents hangs on a long-established treaty with the night-walkers. Sounds simple enough, but lately, the people of Blackwater have been dying, and the humans believe the night-walkers are to blame.

Porschia Grant starves for more than her parents’ affection. Forced to enter the rotation, she will be given extra food rations in exchange for becoming a vampire’s breakfast and dinner for a week. The rotation has an extra responsibility as well: leave the colony and enter the dangerous forest to hunt for food. A night-walker will protect the hunters from the infected that roam the woods. But with the treaty hanging in the balance and tension between the humans and vampires rising, anything could happen in the darkness.

What would you do if your only chance at survival might kill you?

Now, on to my review!

I'm a long-time fan of Casey L. Bond, and when I heard she had a zombie/vampire mashup novel, I was intrigued as hell. I knew that if anyone could pull off something of this magnitude, it would be Casey. Not only did I get to beta-read this book, I also bought it when it hit the shelves so I could read it after it was edited. Enough of my gabbing. Let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I liked the sassy main character, Porschia. She made me feel like there was hope when I was pretty sure none existed. There she sits with no technology, a broken world, and people surrounding her she can't trust. Yet, she's driven, sees the silver lining around the storm cloud, and loves unconditionally. I'd like to know her in real life. World building was amazing. I could picture the small village with its simple inhabitants who've been forced back to the ways of the pilgrims. There was never a dull moment, and I often found myself gripping the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. Pacing was perfect. This is a shorter story that you should be able to read in one sitting. Did I see the end coming? No. No I didn't. I was left with my jaw on the floor. I can't wait to read Frantic.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There are several tense jumps, comma splices, and run-on sentences, but nothing that threw me out of the story, and they were scattered out enough that I could ignore them. Most readers probably wouldn't even notice. Story line is consistent throughout.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a truly unique story.
1 Star for keeping me guessing.
1 Star for awesome world building.
1 Star for pacing and that amazing ending.
.5 Star for consistency.
-.5 Star for tense jumps and grammar issues.
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars. I always round up, not down, so this book gets a 5. Recommended for those looking for a new twist on a couple of old genres.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

New Release - Frenzy

Happy Friday! *squeals* I hope you all had a fan-frikkin-tastic week! I'm here to tell you all a little about an awesome zombie and vampire crossover novel that hit the shelves yesterday. I beta-read this book, and MAN, the story! You'll lose your mind! Anyway, get comfy, grab a cup of Jo, and let's get going!

First, I'm gonna start you out with an awesome teaser, and I'm gonna tell you this book is only NINETY-NINE CENTS! I don't know how long that'll last, so I suggest you get it while the getting is good.

Now, more about the book.

Title: Frenzy (The Frenzy Series Volume I)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Dystopian
Length (print): 174 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  Paperback $9.99

Blurb:
After the world was ravaged by a viral apocalypse, Blackwater is one of the only colonies that remains. The survivors came together to create this safe haven. Nestled between a fierce river and a city’s flood wall, the well-being of its residents hangs on a long-established treaty with the night-walkers. Sounds simple enough, but lately, the people of Blackwater have been dying, and the humans believe the night-walkers are to blame.

Porschia Grant starves for more than her parents’ affection. Forced to enter the rotation, she will be given extra food rations in exchange for becoming a vampire’s breakfast and dinner for a week. The rotation has an extra responsibility as well: leave the colony and enter the dangerous forest to hunt for food. A night-walker will protect the hunters from the infected that roam the woods. But with the treaty hanging in the balance and tension between the humans and vampires rising, anything could happen in the darkness.

What would you do if your only chance at survival might kill you?

~~~~~~~

It's such a unique twist on your typical vampire OR zombie novel. Man... I can't tell you more than that. Go read it!

I bought it so I'd have a copy forever (paperback - which isn't here yet - UGH, and Kindle - because I couldn't wait). Ha!

Next week will be book review week here on the blog. I've read a ton this year, I just haven't written any reviews (bad Jo). Great news: One of the authors I'm reviewing has offered up a prize pack for me to give away! How amazing is that?

So, go pick up Frenzy and be ready when my review comes next week!

Oh, you want to know the books that are coming? Sure!

The Bedwife Chronicles (the complete triology) - From my 12 Days RR Event
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles book 2) - Because I'm reading the series
Have You Seen This Girl? (Flocksdale Files Volume I) - It was an accident
Untamed (Splintered companion novella) - Because I read the series
Frenzy (Frenzy series volume I) - Because I beta-read (and re-read after release)

Yep, that's FIVE reviews headed your way. Let's see if I have the strength to pull it off.

Did you snag Frenzy? What are you most excited about?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Quick Poll - Reader Survey

Happy Thursday, everyone! *dances around the room* It's allllmost the weeeeeekend! So! Yesterday, I was having a discussion about the general reader audience. We want all the information! As you all know, I'll share the results here on the blog once everything is said and done. I just need you to click buttons, if you don't mind. *grin*

I'm thinking I'll keep this totally anonymous poll open for one week.

Let's find out some stuff about your reading habits, shall we?


Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse

Are you eager to see the results? I know I am!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thunderclap Me - Emancipation

Happy Wednesday, everyone!! I don't know about you, but my week has been kinda crazy. Do this here, do that there... I'm so happy it's hump day! Today, I have a wee little request for a smidgen of help. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

As you all may know, Emancipation goes live March 22, 2016. We're doing a Thunderclap to help spread the word.

If you'd be so kind as to help support it, I'd be ever so grateful.

Just click here. Then, enjoy a teaser! *grin*

For a little fun, I'm giving away an awesome wall clock in the event on Facebook. You can check it out and enter here.

I'm also giving away an advance hardcover copy of Emancipation on my Facebook page here. That link will take you directly to the post.

Don't forget to enter the Goodreads giveaway, too! Two signed copies up for grabs!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Emancipation

by Jo Michaels

Giveaway ends March 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Thank you ahead of time for all the things you do to help a sister out!

How excited are you for this book?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo