Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake – Book Review

Author: Mazey Eddings

Publication Date: September 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martins Press for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Book Summary:
Lizzy Blake’s most desired thing is to be accepted and loved, but living with ADHD has made it difficult to be in long-term romantic relationships. After being stood up, and having a chance encounter with a hot Australian guy she meets on the same night, she ends up… pregnant!

Can Lizzy and Rake co-parent without the hot, steamy roll in the sack they had when they met? Isn’t that a loaded question!

My Thoughts:

I really liked this one. It’s a fun, easy, and super-steamy read that had me rooting for the couple from the beginning. I liked Lizzy and all her quirks. ADHD is well represented and provides insight into what it’s like living with it for those unfamiliar with the diagnosis. Rake is the perfect guy all around, sometimes a little too perfect even. But his little mishap at the end helped to ’round him out’.

There are a lot of detailed sexual scenes, so if reading about that makes you uncomfortable, stay clear, otherwise, enjoy!

Four Stars!

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Book Review: The Stars Forgot Us

Title: The Stars Forgot Us

Author: R.J Garcia

Publication Date: March 30th, 2022 by Midnight Tide Publishing

Genre: Paranormal, Suspense, Young Adult

Rating: Five Stars!

Book Summary: Fifteen-year-old Jacob returns to his hometown with his mother and brother to start over. When strange things begin to happen, Jacob questions what is real and what he’s simply imagining. After discovering a teenage girl named Ary, secretly living in his house, Jacob takes it upon himself to help her, even if it means going against his mom and the authorities.

After spending some time together, Ary and Jacob form a connection, and Ary comes clean about why she’s in hiding and about her past. Jacob enlists the help of his cousin and friend to help him unravel the truth behind Ary’s strange predicament and the bond he and her form makes him do the unthinkable! Against his better judgment, he goes to the house where Ary ran from, the house that he knows he should stay away from.

Is Ary suffering from a mental illness, like his brother, or is she really running away from evil? Jacob stops at nothing to find out.

My Thoughts: I loved this book! It captured me from the get-go, and never let go.

This is a young adult/coming-of-age mystery full of eery suspense and creepy vibes, in a good way. It reminded me of Stranger Things, and I LOVED that show! The book is written in first-person perspective and it is mainly in Jacob’s POV, but Ary does have a few chapters where we get to dive deep into her memories to learn more about her chilling past. Jacob is sweet, good-natured, and his desire to want to help and protect Ary was endearing, especially for a boy his age. I loved the twist at the end!

I recommend this to anyone who likes paranormal, suspense, with young love intertwined. R.J Garcia has done it again with another spellbinding, twisty treat that you won’t want to put down until it’s finished, and even then, you’ll be wanting more.

Five Stars.

Happy Publication Day! This book is now available for sale.

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Book Review of: The Suite Spot

Title: The Suit Spot

Author: Trish Doller

Publication Date: March 2022

RATING: FIVE STARS

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

Summary: Rachel loses her prestigious well-loved job in Florida and relocates to an isolated island further north. Her heart is broken as she’s never been able to win the love of the father of her 3-year-old daughter, so when she meets, Mason, her new boss, she doesn’t expect to fall head over heels for him. But she does! Mason, however, has to deal with his heartache before he can let Rachel in. Will the Heartbreaks of the past prevent these two from having a future? Read on!

My Thoughts: I loved it.
This is a super sweet, feel-good romance that will curl you up into one big hug. I loved every word, every page, every chapter. Likeable and imperfect characters will keep you wanting more!  I was happy for Mason and Rachel but wasn’t ready to let them go! I need to know more. I want a sequel about their happy ever after! Somewhat predictable, and mushy, but was just what I needed.

This book is now available for purchase!

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Book Review: Haven

Author: Emma Donoghue

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy.

Release Date: August 2022
GENRE: Historical Fiction

2.5 Stars

3 religious men set out on a small boat in search of an island after their leader has a dream.

This book caught my attention because of the premise and author but I’m so sad to say it wasn’t for me. The writing is undeniably beautiful, but I just couldn’t fall in love with the characters, and with the lack of adventure, it fell short.  The characters lacked conviction and the plot lacked excitement. I just found it boring and couldn’t get excited about the story. Because the writing is superb, and I’ve loved the author’s other books, I rounded it up to three stars. You might like it more or even love it if you don’t mind a slow plot.

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Book Review: As Seen on TV

Title: As Seen On TV

Author: Meredith Schorr

Three Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy of this book.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 2022

Adi Gellar, a journalist from New York has had it with trying to find love in the city, so she heads out to a small town hoping to research and write a master of a piece about the residents and their objection to a new development project, and maybe fall in love. But what she finds is that the small town is unlike the other Hallmark small towns she’s used to from her romanticized movie obsession. But what the town has is the dreamy and delicious Finn who works for the developer.

There’s instant chemistry between the two, but when family obligations get in the way, Adi must decide what she really wants and what she’s willing to forgive, all while struggling to find a new angle to her story.

Overall, I didn’t love it as I hoped I would, but I liked it. The ending for me saved this book. I finally found that deep connection that I was looking for throughout.  What I struggled with the most was that the book just didn’t capture my attention for the first half. I found the characters a tad boring to follow in the beginning and it really wasn’t until the second half that it picked up, and I became more invested. Once that happened, I fell into an enjoyable rhythm, rooting and cheering them on.

An easy read with characters you’ll grow to enjoy.

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Review Of: Fake it Till You Bake it

By: Jamie Wesley

Publication Date: June 2022

Four Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Advance Review Copy.

Jada, a rich, spoiled 25 year old is forced to work at a cupcake shop to prove she’s responsible before her grandmother releases her trust fund to her.

Donovan, the owner of the cupcake shop is a professional athlete and plays for the team that is owned by Jada’s grandmother.

The only problem is they’ve already met when she insulted him and his cupcakes! A spontaneous move on Jada’s part one afternoon has them fake dating in order to save Jada from a recent scandal and to try to increase cupcake sales. While ‘pretending’ to enjoy each other’s company, true feelings surface but they try hard to ignore them.

I loved this book. It was cute, fun, and while predictable, a gripping romance story full of tension. I even bought all the ingredients to make cupcakes as I read! I disliked Jada in the first couple of chapters. Her bullying and arrogance worried me, but once she showed us her vulnerabilities, she was a much more likeable character. Overall, she had a fantastic character Arc.  I loved her Grandmother’s and Donovan’s support. GREAT characters!

The only issue that prevented me from giving it 5 stars was the many sudden, unexpected POV shifts within the same paragraph! It pulled me out of the story each time and had me thinking about who’s head I was in at that moment. There were a few dialogue scenes that confused me as well. Mainly because it either didn’t fit or I wasn’t sure who was speaking. I hope these are addressed as part of final edits and cleaned up. Other than those two points, it was spot on and enjoyable.

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks · 2 Comments

Book Review: Reecah’s Flight

RFBook Title: Reecah’s Flight
Book 1 in the Legends of the Lurker Series
Author:  Richard H. Stephens
Genre: Fantasy

Book Summary: Reecah is a young girl with hopes and dreams of flying. She is loved by her Grandparents, having lost her own parents, that is until she too, loses them as well. Left on her own to survive in a time when dragons roam the town and threaten the livelihood of many townspeople, Reecah’s journey begins as she unwillingly unravels her family’s secrets, and an unlikely friendship with dragons develops.

 

My Review: This is an epic fantasy book about not only dragons, but talking dragons, talking birds, trolls and witches.  I enjoyed many aspects of this book, the main character Reecah herself, Raver her bird, the story line, and the writing style.

I loved the opening line:

“Poppa, do you think I’ll ever be able to fly”?

“Of course, little poppet. You can do anything you set your mind to.”

This line was more than just an opening line, it offered insight into the relationships explored in this book, and it hinted on some of the themes. I was hooked from that line on.  I would have finished this book in less than the week it took me to read, but life gets busy, and I had to force myself to put it down at times to go do the much needed household chores. I read the majority of the book, however, in one sitting.

The pacing was smooth, not too much action all the time, allowing the reader to connect to the everyday struggles that Reecah goes through, but when needed, the author knew how to amp up the adventure, taking the reader on a well travelled epic journey.

The final battle at the end has left me with many questions. The ending was typical of a series in that there was some closure, but not much, so I am excited to read book 2, which just released this week!   Reecah’s Gift.

I’m rating this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

 

 

 

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks · 1 Comment

Cover Reveal for: The Angolan Girl

 

I am thrilled to share the cover of my debut novel, The Angolan Girl

 

3D Anogolan Girl small

Title: The Angolan Girl

Author: Telma Rocha

Genre: Historical Fiction – Based on true life story

Publication Date: Coming July 2019 by Word Tree Publishing

Add The Angola Girl to your reading on goodreads today.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44586538-the-angolan-girl

 

Summary: Set in Angola, in the mid-1900s, THE ANGOLAN GIRL is a diverse, timeless, and heart provoking novel, but at heart, it is a coming of age story about life, struggles, choices, and escape from a war-ridden colony into Canadian soil.

In 1935 Lobito, Angola, Rosa is a quiet, naive, six-year-old girl who has much to learn about life, and she dreams of security and a family of her own. Forced from her current home, she goes to live with her aunt in Luanda, and during these years, and the years following her return home, Rosa suffers a great deal. She endures much loss in more ways than one, struggles with mental health, and feels alone and isolated.

During a time when the outlook on life is grim, she meets Leo, and together they embark on their journey. Rosa and Leo raise a family of their own, and soon, Rosa has everything she has ever wanted for her future, love, family, a home, and security.

Rosa rises above a difficult childhood, but can experiences alone give her enough courage and strength to pull her family out of chaos, and into safety when it all changes in 1974 and a Civil War breaks. During this time, Rosa’s life is once again tossed into turmoil and fearful situations. Rosa and her family are no longer safe, so they must flee their home and beloved country or risk everything they have worked for and remain prisoners of war.

Posted on by Turnthepageofbooks

Review of: Beautiful Bad

41Gw7FXtfwL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_
Author: Annie Ward
Publisher: Park Row Books/Harper Collins
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Genre: Thriller

*I received an advanced review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Summary: Maddie and Ian met overseas. She was a travel writer, and he worked for the army. After much drama, they fell in love, and eventually, the pair got married and created a life together in the United States. But this reunion has not always been easy going for the couple. There is history of PTSD, an unexplained accident during a family camping trip, and the new writing therapy sessions with a therapist. These events build and build, over time, right up until that dreadful afternoon, the afternoon of the 911 call that leads to the end, or possibly the beginning.

My Review: This book is extremely interesting in so many ways.  Like most thrillers, it has the usual build-up, anticipation, and multiple points of view that most thrillers have, but it also has much more.

This book has something that not many other thrillers have, and that is a deep, engaging backstory into the lives of the main characters, Maddie, Ian, and Maddie’s best friend, Jo.  The back story deals with real issues that hook you in just as much as the plot twists and main action does.

The story was well paced and flipped back and forth several times from present day to past, but this was done seamlessly and effortlessly. The ending, well, I thought I had it all figured out about halfway through, and I was sure proven wrong.

My only issue with the book was that the ending left me wanting more of a resolution. Not all aspects of the story were tied up and this left me in somewhat of a cliff-hanger. This would have been fine if I knew there was a second book, but I really do not know that at all. Perhaps there is one planned and a reader can only hope.

I rated the book four stars on my good reads.