Books Read-2017 – Page 2 – Cindy's Love Of Books

Review/ Paper Hearts by Ali Novak

Posted on November 8, 2017November 30, 2017 by Cindy

Paper Hearts (The Heartbreakers Chronicles, #2) by Ali Novak
Format: Paperback
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on July 4th 2017
Pages: 384
Goodreads

“I’m sorry,” he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. “It’s just…I didn’t want you to think of me any differently.”
Somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn’t accept that he was the person looking down at me.
“My real name is Alec.”
Felicity has her entire future planned. Ever since her older sister ran away, she’s had the full weight of her mother’s expectations on her shoulders. So she works hard to get straight As and save for college.
Except sometimes the best things in life are unplanned—like when Felicity meets a handsome, masked stranger while she is volunteering at a charity masquerade ball. She never thought he’d flirt with her. And she certainly never thought he’d turn out to be a member of the world-famous band the Heartbreakers.
Then Felicity uncovers a shocking family secret. Suddenly, she, Alec, and her two best friends are off on a road trip to find Felicity’s missing sister. And she’s about to discover that unexpected turns have a peculiar way of landing her right where she needs to be…

This is the second book in The Heartbreaker Chronicles. The third book called Heartstrings is currently in the works and no release date has been said yet.

Paper Hearts can be read as a stand alone since its not a continuous story line. I did read this right after I read The Heartbreakers.

If you read my previous review then you know that The Heartbreakers are a band and each book focuses on a different band member/couple. Stella and Oliver do make appearances in the book but if you were to read it as a stand alone it would be fine. They don’t play a major role in the story line.

Paper Hearts focuses on Alec and Felicity. I have to say that right now Alec is one of my favorite band member, he is quiet and private. I think Felicity compliments him well even though she has gone through more then any person should. Her life is like a soap opera with all the drama but through it all she sticks with it and plows ahead.

Felicity uncovers a secret that has been hidden and the truth wasn’t told so she is determined to find her sister and Alec is there every step of the way to help her find her even if it means a road trip. She even brings along her BFF’s Aisha and Boomer. She soon realizes that this trip is more then she bargained for with all the hidden secrets coming out. Can she handle the truth or will it be too much?

This was another super quick read and I can’t wait to continue this series.

Review/ The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak

Posted on November 7, 2017November 30, 2017 by Cindy

The Heartbreakers (The Heartbreakers Chronicles, #1) by Ali Novak
Published by Sourcebooks on August 4th 2015
Pages: 336
Goodreads

When I met Oliver Perry, I had no clue he was the lead singer for the Heartbreakers.
And he had no idea that I was the only girl in the world who hated his music.
Stella will do anything for her sister—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD…for three hours. At least she met a cute boy at the Starbucks beforehand. A blue-eyed boy who looks an awful lot like…
Oliver Perry. Of course Starbucks guy is the lead singer for her least favorite band. Thanks, universe. But there may be more to Oliver than his world-famous charm, because even after she insults his music—to his face—he still gives her his number. Seriously, what is her life?
But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver—dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band—when her sister could be dying of cancer?

This past summer I was cleaning up my book shelves to get ready for summer, so that I could figure out what I wanted to read and I stumbled up The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak and I am embarrassed to say that this has been sitting in my TBR since I picked it up at BEA in 2015. Yes I do still have a few books sitting on my shelf that I picked up at BEA.

This is the first book in The Heartbreakers Chronicles and it was a fairly quick read,

Our main character is Stella Samuel, who is a high school graduate with a passion for photography. Stella is also a triplet. She has a sister Cara who has cancer and is a cheerleader and a brother, Drew who is the joke of the family.

When Cara has diagnosed with cancer, Stella puts her life on hold and stops pursuing her passion of going to college in NYC. Cara is obsessed with a boy band called The Heartbreakers, a band that neither Stella or Drew share the same passion for. Cara basically lives and breathes this band and fears that she will never get to see them perform live.

Stella and Drew come up with an idea of traveling from Minnesota to Chicago to obtain the bands autograph as a surprise gift to Cara. You can tell how much the siblings love each other and what they are willing to do to make their sister happy.

Finally arriving in Chicago. Stella makes a pit stop into Starbucks for her morning coffee, she bumps into a cute guy, Oliver, who buys her coffee, thinking nothing of it she goes about her way because she has no clue what the boys in the band look like until she bumps into them at the hotel. Stella makes it well known that she doesn’t like the band or their music but still Oliver gives her his number and he slowly picks away at her until she starts to like the music and the boy.

Little did Stella realize but this trip was so much more then just getting an autograph for her sister its also making her realize that she needs to move on with her life and do things she wants to do but will she do it or will she remain behind to take care of Cara?

I loved how Oliver was able to get through to Stella and watching their relationship develop was cute. This was a fun read to break up the normal reading routine.

So after attempting to write my review I discovered that this is suppose to be a four book series and each boy in the band will have his own book and encounters with love. I have to say that as cheesy as these books are i want to read them and live my teenage life over again when I used to crush of a boy band and wish I was dating one of the members. Didn’t we all do that?

Review/ Beyond Love

Posted on November 3, 2017November 3, 2017 by Cindy

Beyond Love (Beyond, #2) by D.D. Marx
Published by Beyond Dreams Publishing Group on November 7th 2017
Pages: 184
Goodreads

After trusting in her beloved friend Dan’s guidance from above, Olivia is finally on the path to realizing her destiny. Staring at a blank canvas after ditching her raucous corporate life and meeting the love of her life, Finn McDaniels, a hot, widowed, celebrity chef, she is ready to begin anew. When she arrives back home to tie up the loose ends in Chicago, she receives more frightening news further delaying her journey with Finn. Unable to control the outcome, she begins questioning her trust and faith in Dan once again. She distracts herself the only way she knows how, by diving head first into a new project. What seemed like a time killer may actually be the thing that saves her and catapults her into a world she never dreamed of.

When Olivia and Finn finally reunite, a deep dark secret is uncovered threatening to ruin the relationship she has waited for her entire life. Olivia is forced to decide whether to tell Finn or let it live in the past forever. Is their relationship strong enough to weather the storm or will it cause them to part ways for good?

I quickly want to thank Laura from iReadBookTours for allowing me to be a part of the tour for this series and for sending me copies of the book to read for my honest and sincere review.

This is the second book in the series and it picks up where Beyond Believing ended. You can click HERE to read my review of that book.

Once again the book is told in two points of view and that is of Olivia and Finn. I was excited to start this because I wanted to know what our lovely couple was up to. This book did not disappoint and I should warn you in advance this is another one that you should have tissues on hand because there were a few moments I was crying a bit.

This was also a super quick read and I have to thank spraining my ankle last week for allowing me to read this pretty much in one sitting. It felt strange being able to curl up on the couch and read during the day. Its been awhile since I have done that.

I should say that I wouldn’t read this as a book on its own and that you really should read the first book to get the full story line. I am excited to see where the third book will go with this.

Anyways back to the book. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil it and because its the second book in the series. But what I will say is that Olivia and Finn have decided to move in together so she is in the process of selling her condo so that she can move to California.

One her way back from being with Finn she is on the airplane and discovers that her seat mate is related to one of her best friends from college and before long they are all hanging out. This makes you realize how small the world really is.

Beyond Love comes with all kinds of twists and turns. Just when you think you are living the life and things are going good you are suddenly reminded that its not all a bed of roses. Thats exactly what happens once Olivia gets back to Chicago. Without going into to much detail she gets some bad news that literally shakes up her world and leaves her questioning things and Dan. Whenever there was a problem or situation that came up she turned to Dan for guidance and he would some how convoy the message that things will be okay but with everything that is happening she is questioning if Dan is really there for her. Questioning why he would send her someone only to have him possibly taken away from her.

When Olivia and Finn are finally able to reunite things seem good but then a secret from Olivia’s past has come to surface and she is struggling about what to do. Does she keep it hidden? Or does she come clean and possibly risking her future with Finn?

I can’t wait to read the third and finally book, Beyond Forever to see what happens to Olivia and Finn. Be sure to come back in early December to read my review of that. I am actually just about ready to curl back up on the couch to read it now.

Review/ Seven Days of Us

Posted on October 21, 2017September 28, 2017 by Cindy

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
Published by Berkley Books on October 17th 2017
Pages: 368
Goodreads

A warm, wry, sharply observed debut novel about what happens when a family is forced to spend a week together in quarantine over the holidays...
It's Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew's elder daughter--who is usually off saving the world--will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she's been told she must stay in quarantine for a week...and so too should her family.
For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity--and even decent Wi-Fi--and forced into each other's orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems.
As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.
In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who's about to arrive...

Before beginning my review I have to quickly thank Berkley/Penguin Random House for providing me a eARC of the book so that I could review it.

This is a debut novel and one that I really enjoyed reading. It was a pretty quick fun read.

The first thing that sucked me into the book was the synopsis. We can all imagine what it would be like to be stuck with your family during the holidays but image if you were quarantined and you literally had no place to go because you had to stay inside? No one could come in.

I think I would be somewhat okay but I am sure I would crack at the seams eventually. So I have my fingers crossed I am never in that situation but at least I would have my books to read right?

The main character is Olivia and she is a doctor who will be coming home for Christmas after several years of being away. Now Olivia was in a highly infected area that is dealing with the haag virus. Its a deadly virus that has taken many lives. They have many strict rules while they were there and needless to say you know that Olivia managed to break those rules by having a relationship with another dr there.

Olivia’s sister Phoebe still lives at home and you can tell they don’t have the best relationship so having Olivia there puts a kink in her plans. She is newly engaged and in the midst of planning her wedding so being quarantined puts a major kink in her plans.

Another twist is Olivia’s mother. She hasn’t been feeling well and the news isn’t good but she is determined not to say anything to the family because she wants to enjoy this Christmas with the girls because she doesn’t know when it will happen again.

This was such a great read and like I said earlier I really enjoyed it. There is so much more to the book and I think this was a fantastic debut novel. It just goes to show not everyone is perfect and that everyone has secrets no matter how big or small they are. Things like that can only bring a family together or tear them a part.

Review/ There’s Someone Inside Your House

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Cindy

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Format: Hardcover
Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers on September 26th 2017
Pages: 289
Goodreads

Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

I had to admit before getting into my review that I have not read Stephanie Perkins first books and I am not quite sure why because I have them sitting on my tbr but after reading this I really think I want to haul them off and binge read. I know those first books are a completely different genre but still I am now curious to read them.

I really enjoyed reading this one, I was hooked right away and had a hard time putting the book down at times.

This is completely outside my normal reading genre as you may notice and the reason I don’t read horror is because I have an over active imagination so these kinds of books I don’t usually gravity towards because I am up half the night being paranoid and worried. I do have to say that this isn’t a really horrifying book, I mean yes there was blood and killings but it wasn’t like watching Scream.

I am going to try and be careful with my review because I don’t want to give too much away but if you read the description you get a good feel for what the book is about.

Our main character, Makani, has moved from Hawaii to live with her grandmother in a small Nebraska town. She has no real relationship her parents and I was always wondering why and why did she move to live with her grandmother and that is slowly revealed as you read the book because you know there is a secret there. This secret still haunts her to this day and she has kept in guarded.

We are introduced to quite a few characters such as Alex, Darby, Ollie, Haley, Caleb, Rosemarie and a few others. At first I thought it was going to be too much to keep track of but it was easy to keep track of who was who and the part they play in the story. With the kids that are killed it would have been nice if they had a little more of a story line apart from when they were being killed if that makes sense. It was almost like characters were quickly introduced then killed. I think I might have enjoyed it a lot more had this been the case and they had a stronger storyline.

As for the killer I liked how it was built up because you didn’t really have an idea who it was (I had no idea who it was as there was no introduction of this character before hand) and I wish it would have lasted a bit longer or at least offered a few clues as to who it could be before hand. As for the reason why the killer killed was a bit of a let down. ‘

Over all it was a good book and I had no idea what to expect when I started to read it and I did enjoy reading it and its actually made me think about hauling her other books off my TBR to read.

Have you read this? What did you think?

Review/ The Lost Causes

Posted on September 13, 2017September 13, 2017 by Cindy

The Lost Causes by Alyssa Embree Schwartz, Jessica Koosed Etting
Format: ARC
Published by Kids Can Press on September 5th 2017
Pages: 344
Goodreads

They're the kids that no one knows --- or no one wants to know. The rich depressive, the OCD chick, the hypochondriac, the drug abuser, the athlete with anger management issues. All chosen for intensive group therapy because they're out of other options. They're lost causes, the therapist tells them. She promises this support group will help them heal.
There's only one problem. She's not a therapist. And that water she offers? It contains a dangerous serum that gives each of the kids a psychic power.
Suddenly, they can think clearly, speak to ghosts, see the past, even move objects with their mind. Their earlier problems have vanished, but their new freedom comes with a price. Sabrina, Gabby, Z, Justin and Andrew are to help the FBI solve the grisly murder that has rocked their small town. Their new powers will help them uncover clues and follow leads that have eluded the authorities. Their outsider status gives them the perfect cover.
But the same traits that make them top investigators also make them vulnerable. As they close in on the murderer, they expose a much larger conspiracy that puts them directly in harm's way and makes them wonder who --- if anyone --- they can trust.

You probably have noticed that I have been doing quite a bit of reading once again and I have to thank blog tours for getting me back into reviewing as I need to review the books so its been a win win situation.

Before beginning this review I quickly want to thank Rockstar Book Tours for allowing me to be on the tour stop for The Lost Causes and to netgalley for allowing me to download this book and finally to kids Kids Can Press for approving me to read this.

When I started to read this I quickly thought of my all time favorite movie, The Breakfast Club with the mix of quirky characters who probably wouldn’t be thrown into a situation like this. I should say this is in no way a remix of the movie but when you read it you instantly think of it.

I really enjoyed reading the book. It was a pretty quick read and did it with a few days. I have to say that that I don’t know if this is something I would have picked up on my own because I didn’t hear much about this book before seeing it in my email but once I read the description I had to give this book a try and I am happy that I did. Plus this book was right up my alley with the mystery and suspense.

As I was reading the book I loved how you were kept in suspense because you had no idea what was coming next and I love books like this because as you are reading its nice not having the predictable things happen. I thought it was the perfect pace and one that you can absorb it all before something happens.

The Lost Causes is centered around 5 teenagers who are from all walks of a normal high school life, the jock with serious anger issues, a rich depressive, an OCD chick, the hypochondriac and the drug abuser. This kids might pass each other in the hall and not really pay attention to each other until the FBI brings this group together to help them solve the mysterious death of a local resident.

Can this group manage to help the FBI solve this mystery?

Each of the characters are far from perfect and I think that as once of the nice things about the book because even though you have the jock who has it all in reality he doesn’t and I think that makes the book more relatable to the teens who will read this.

I really hope that there is a book two coming out because there was so many things I am left questioning and I still have a lot of feelings about the characters in the book. I want to know what happens next.

Review/ Black Bird of the Gallows

Posted on September 11, 2017September 11, 2017 by Cindy

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel
Published by Entangled Publishing on September 5th 2017
Pages: 300
Goodreads

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.
Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.
What's more, she knows something most don't. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

Before being my review I have to thank Chapter By Chapter for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and to Entangled Publishing for sending me a eArc of the book to read for my honest review and participation in the tour.

I personally have to admit that I love taking part in book tours because you can always find a hidden gem in them. The past few months I decided that I really wanted to branch out in my reading genres and the book tours have been allowing me to do that.

Black Bird in the Gallows is not within my typical reading genre as its described as fantasy, mythology with I would say some touches of mystery and romance to it as well. In the past I would have looked the other way but I am really happy I took a chance on this debut novel and I will definitely pick up future books that Meg writes.

It was a pretty quick read although it did take me a few days to read. So there was no breezing through this one this time. Even with reading it a few days ago I am still thinking about this book. I have no idea what to compare it to and I think this is a good thing, right?

Our main character is Angie/Sparo (who I have to say I loved. She came off like a girl next door that you could see yourself being friends with.) has living in a van with her mother for quite some time and Angie is trying to get use to living a normal life with her dad and friends. I loved the relationship she had with her dad because it was so real and how he is so involved impressed me. Angie is just a typical girl but is insecure and at the same time she is a kickass girl who doesn’t back down to anyone even though she is basically being bullied and I think thats how a lot of readers will be able to relate to her. As you get to know her she is a girl of many hidden talents.

Then Reese moves in next door and he seems like a strange character at first because he has a flock of crows that come with him. I thought that was a little creepy at first because I always have associated crows with bad things. I know Reese comes off like I am the man but deep down I could see he wanted to trust Angie and welcome her into his world. I love how he never forced Angie do anything she didn’t want and he let her have a voice.

I think Angie and Reese are my current favorite couple. Their relationship was sweet and innocent and not rushed. I loved watching this develop into something and that Meg didn’t give them a smooth ride in this relationship both over came a lot bumps in the road.

All I can say is you must read this because I can’t describe it in words without wanting to tell you all about the book and that will mean giving away spoilers.