House Aretoli by K. M. Butler

Caught up in a rebellion on Venice’s territory of Crete, Niccolo Aretoli returns as a hero after saving the governor’s life and evacuating the loyal citizenry. Yet despite his new fame, not all is well in Venice. While he was away, Niccolo’s beloved Rosalia entered an arranged marriage with Niccolo’s brother Flavio, to safeguard her family from ruin. And that is not the only problem in House Aretoli. From brothel to Senate, through marriage and loss, the sons and daughters of House Aretoli struggle against spies, treachery, and assassination. Chased on land and sea by enemies and betrayed by his closest allies, Niccolo must overcome a conspiracy that threatens his survival, the lives of his family, and the very existence of the republic itself.

This book started off slowly but stick with it – it’s worth it. I don’t put spoilers in my reviews, but there is one life-changing event in the story that starts the fast progression of the plot. I loved reading about the family dynamics within House Aretoli and how things change as jealousy and political intrigue take over. The story is beautifully written and filled with action and suspense. I definitely can see this book as an epic movie or sweeping mini-series. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes historical fiction.

Thanks to LibraryThing, K.M. Butler, and Fawkes Press for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Above the Fold by Corrina Lawsen

Trisha Connell is a crime reporter in 1980s New York City. She is relentless, confrontational, and honest. She charges into the story of a sensational theft at an art museum, she discovers a murdered guard is someone she knew, a former foster kid who was adopted and supposed to be living a good life. She finds an ally in Edmund Grayson, a security expert assigned to the museum, who’s driven by his own guilt in failing to stop the murder. Chasing the story puts Trisha in danger and it will take all her street skills to survive.

This book had me hooked from the start. I found it difficult to put down. The characters are likeable, and I would love to learn more about them. The romance was a big part of the book, but it was not the sole focus of the book. I enjoyed the mystery, and the book was action-packed. This is supposed to be the first book in the Trisha and Grayson mystery series, and I can’t wait for the next mystery.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

I thought I would love this book, based on the highly rated reviews on Amazon. I found the character of the husband-murder suspect annoying, to say the least. His mother Elenor never has a positive thing to say about anyone other than her son. Why the husband, on trial for the murder of his mistress, would agree to have his wife defend him is beyond me. It didn’t make sense that the sheriff allowed the attorney for the defendant to be a part of the murder investigation. The ending was not surprising. Did I hate this book? No I wouldn’t say that. However, it took me way too long to get through this book. It just was not a good book.  

Star Rating: ⭐⭐1/2

Murder So Foul by Larry Enmon

The smell hit Detective Rob Soliz as soon as he left his car. It did not prepare him for the murder scene he was about to encounter – it was too much for even seasoned police force veterans like himself and Frank Pierce to take in. It was the bloody newspaper clipping at the scene that made Frank’s blood run cold. Battling against bureaucratic turf wars, the two detectives must race against time to find the monster responsible.

This book had me hooked from the start. I found it difficult to put down, eager to see how Pierce and Soliz would solve the case. Would they figure it out it time before the person killed again? I liked that Enmon added some background on the killer, adding some depth to that character. The descriptions of the crime scene were well done, not excessively detailed to border on grotesque.  The book does reference some events from a prior book, so it may be a good idea to read that book first, but it is not necessary to enjoy this story. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes true crime books or thrillers.

Thanks to LibraryThing, Larry Enmon, and Fawkes Press for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

Taking place in Seattle during the 1920s during Prohibition, Zora Hough seems to be doomed to a life of poverty. Zora helps her mother bring in extra money as a seamstress. But Zora has incredible sewing skills and a mind full of clothing designs. She can envision how a simple fabric and needle and thread can create an outfit that looks beautiful on each person. Tragedy strikes the family, a tragedy that forces Zora out into the world, away from her family. However, this opens Zora’s eyes to the possibilities available to her both in career and in love.

Salazar’s writing paints a picture of life in Seattle in the 1920’s. It is so easy to imagine Zora’s life throughout the various stages as she leaves her family and gains independence and empowerment. Salazar does a wonderful job of describing scenes without making it dull. The reader can imagine sitting in mansions and speakeasies, scenes filled with music and fashion. Salazar does a great job focusing on Zora’s growth and independence, rather than the setbacks. For each setback Zora faces, she seems to come through the other side stronger for it.

While this book was fun to read, I would have liked it if Salazar spent more time on the conflicts that arose between various characters. It might have been nice if Salazar explored the supporting characters a little bit more. However, I recommend this book to historical fiction readers, especially those who enjoy reading about the Prohibition era.

Thanks to Net Galley, Noelle Salazar, and MIRA for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Stoic Mindset by Mike Tuitert

For twenty years, Mark Tuitert has used the principles of Stoic philosophy to become a gold-medal winning Olympic champion athlete, successful entrepreneur, as well as to deal with the challenges in his professional and private life. In this book, Mark lays out the ten practical lessons through which everyone, in any situation, can develop a Stoic mindset.

Recently I’ve heard people mention Stoicism as it applied to their lives. Stoicism is a school of thought from ancient Greece and then adopted by the ancient Romans. As Tuitert explains in the book, “… Stoic philosophy focuses on a power hidden within every person. The external factors are not what’s important – it’s that you get the best out of yourself and do good by others.” Tuitert does a nice job of explaining the Stoic masters throughout history. He also does a good job writing about Stoicism as he applied it in his life, both as an Olympic-level athlete and as an entrepreneur.

Tuitert explains Stoicism in a way that is easy to understand and apply to your daily life. He simplifies the Stoic philosophy into ten actionable steps and ends each chapter with an exercise that the reader can use to apply the lesson from that chapter. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is just starting to research Stoicism to determine if it is something they can apply in their own lives.

Thanks to Net Galley, Mike Tuitert, and St. Martin’s Essentials for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Get It Together by Puja Rios

I am not one to pick up a motivational or mentoring book. I appreciate how helpful those types of books can be – it’s just not my cup of tea. However, I was intrigued to see this book was written by a woman, so I wanted to see if she would have a different spin on the idea of success. Rios focuses on personal development, goal setting, overcoming setbacks, making progress, and achievement. I enjoyed that Rios achieved this by sharing practical advice, personal experiences, and anecdotes. I also liked that she looked at goals as achievable goals, not things to aspire to but are nearly impossible to achieve. She helps you look at the big picture, including saying “no” to things that sap energy or that don’t fit in with your goals. I did find that the book centered itself on sales, as that is the bulk of Rios’ experience, but I found the lessons she imparted could be used in any field.

I liked Rios’ writing style and found the book enjoyable. I liked her different approach to goal setting and would recommend her book to others. Thanks to Net Galley, Puja Rios, and Forbes Books for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Scythe by Neil Shusterman

“… we must always be vigilant, because power comes infected with the only disease left to us: the virus called human nature:”

The world is now a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity conquered all the “bad things”, including death. Now a group of people called Scythes are tasked with the job of ending life, all to keep the size of the population under control. The Scythes follow a strict set of rules – but what happens when a group of Scythes no longer wants to follow the rules?

I’ve had this one on the TBR list for a while and I wanted to take a short break from reading ARCs, so it was about time I took this book off my TBR list. I heard the hype around this book a few years back, but that has not influenced my opinion one way or another. I haven’t read much dystopian-type fiction, and this book had a different concept that certainly drew my interest.

The book is a young adult book geared towards 12–15-year-olds, but as an adult, I still found this book enjoyable. The writing was smooth and flowed easily. It was written from the point of view of the two main characters but was never confusing. There was a hint at a romance, but it was not a central part of the story. The politics in the world of Scythes is intricate and realistic and well done. The plot progressed at a nice pace, although it slowed a bit in the 2-3 chapters before the climax of the novel. I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chaos and Crowns by S. C. Grayson

As a television reporter and double amputee, Odelle is used to having to prove herself. But fighting against the physical incarnation of evil for the fate of the world certainly raises the stakes. If she can’t help defeat this evil, the Shadow will gain the power to engulf all that she loves.

Chaos and Crowns is the second book in the Defenders of Light Series by S.C. Grayson. Odelle is the main character and happens to be a double amputee. I enjoyed that the author referenced Odelle’s physical disability from time to time, but Odelle’s personality did not revolve around it. Also, the rest of the characters did not reference her disability. It was never questioned whether Odelle could achieve anything she wanted to do. Odelle was simply a person in their lives, and she happened to wear prosthetics. It was a refreshing change from other books where a character’s disability may become a focal point in the story.  

I do recommend reading the first book, Spears and Shadows, before reading this book, as it does reference some events from the first book. I did not read the first book prior, and I think it did have a slight impact on my rating of this story. However, I still found the book enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone that loves to read romance novels with some action thrown in. Thanks to LibraryThing, S. C. Grayson, and City Owl Books for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

My Goodbye Girl by Anna Gomez

When Tessa Talman first meets Simon Fremont, not only is she attracted to him, she is intrigued by how different his life is from hers. He’s a dedicated scientist, practical and grounded. She’s a “live-in-the-moment” romance author. Simon is in a hurry to settle down, but Tessa is enjoying her freedom and her success. Neither is willing to give in, but as each goodbye gets harder, Tessa begins to wonder whether fame is the path to happiness, or if she has everything she needs in Simon.

My Goodbye Girl by Anna Gomez is a cute romance with an “opposites attract” couple in the creative Tessa and the analytical Simon. They encounter bumps along the way during their long-distance romance, among them different lifestyles and backgrounds. For the most part, the book is well-written and engaging. I will admit that I raced through the middle chapters to find out what happened next.

I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, I found Tessa a slightly unlikeable character. I wanted to root for her, but I found it maddening how many obstacles to happiness she created for herself.  Her refusal to commit to Simon over and over became repetitive to me. I understand that there was trauma in her background that made Tessa rather flighty, but she just came across as shallow as a character. In addition, after Tessa and Simon experience a tragedy that could drive them apart, I felt that the book kind of rushed through those events. Once again, we don’t get to experience Tessa as a full character and her story comes across as a bit thin, and not fully flushed out.

I still found the book enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone that loves to read romance novels. Thanks to LibraryThing, Anna Gomez, and Rosewind Books for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2