Author: Fredrick Backman

Genre: Contemporary Drama

Synopsis: This book is an emotionally charged drama, telling the story of an older man called Ove. His life is detailed both past and present.  Ove is specific, organized, honest, predictable, and extremely grumpy.  He thinks everyone around him is incompetent, he finds faults in almost everything everyone around him does and says.  He is easily irritated.  He hates cats, people in suits, people who cannot use their hands to perform daily housework repairs, store clerks, and that is just naming a few. In general, he dislikes all his neighbors.   However, this is only one side of Ove.  Ove is also a loving husband, an honest co-worker, and a hardworking employee.  He will put himself in jeopardy rather than risk ratting out a fellow employee who he knows is guilty.

Ove has had enough of life, and is ready to move on, but suddenly, one day, when a pregnant woman with 2 kids and a husband that Ove does not care for much, moves in next door, his plans change, and his life is forever altered.

My Review:  I really liked this book, and I had so many emotions while reading this story.  I started off laughing within the first few pages, and then cried, and then laughed some more, and cried again. This was the cycle with this book from start to finish.  Its emotional beyond anything I have read lately.  It’s sad, and funny all at the same time.  I both laughed, and was irritated over the same situations that Ove gets himself into.

Needless to say that I loved and was bothered by some aspects of this book.

The story jumps around a lot between past and present with no clear indication of where in the time line you are in while reading, but the time-frame is made clear in each chapter fairly quickly, regardless of the lack of disclosure in the chapter titles.

I especially enjoyed the stories of Ove’s past, his life as a little boy with his dad and then later as a teenager. The stories of the past helped for me anyway to shape his character for the preset.  The past stories, allow the reader to get to know Ove well, form a kindness and compassion towards him, and provides the reader insight into the type of man Ove later becomes.   There was a good balance between past and present.  Had the book been written specificity in the present day, it would not have had the same allure and compassion from me.  The past stories are important to really get to know the younger Ove.  This helped to soften my opinion of him later as the story progresses.

While I loved the book and the story, I had issues with Ove himself as a character in present time.   I loved the Ove of the past, however I was not feeling that love in the present day at first.  For example:  Ove’s  strong dislike for cats in the beginning for one thing frustrated me, as I kept thinking about how upset my son would be if he had read the passage about Ove being mean to the cat.    I also felt bad at the scene where he inadvertently, but nonetheless still gives a pregnant woman a bleeding nose, and then gives her a hard time when she needs a ride to the hospital!  Those scenes hit something inside of me that really upset me, but it did not deter at all from my love of the book in general.  It’s odd that I both connected deeply with Ove and still had issues with him.  I suppose I felt sorry for him, and for all that he has endured in his lifetime, and that really sums up my opinion of Ove.

Now that I have finished the book, and I really think about how it has made me feel, I truly believe that it is the negative aspects of Ove that allowed me to fully enjoy the book.  Had Ove simply been a sweet, lovely, caring old man, the story would not have been as interesting.

I don’t feel like any of the other secondary characters were very prevalent, and as a result, I did not connect with anyone else (except for possibly the poor cat).  The other characters were simply just put there to help tell the story and shape Ove’s character.  I would have liked to have had at least one other character that was more significant throughout,  but then again this is the story of A Man Called Ove!

I did feel that the story dragged a bit in some chapters, and it was primarily with the present-day stories more so than the retelling of Ove’s past.  I wanted more of a quicker pace to help move things along faster.

The ending was not predictable at all, and I was grateful for this. I truly loved the ending, I thought it was appropriate.  I cried a lot as well, as the book wrapped up.

Closing Thoughts: In summary, I enjoyed this read.  I think the author did a fantastic job of creating a main character that has many flaws but still well liked, and one that contributes to the overall satisfaction and enjoyment of this book.  Nobody is perfect, but they can still be remarkable! Ove is a true representation of that statement!

Overall the book was well written, and the story of Ove’s life is beautifully shared with the reader.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional drama that will bring you both laughter, and tears constantly throughout.

Feel free to comment and tell me if you have read this book, and what your thoughts are.

Author: Gloria Joynt-Lang

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Series: Out of the Darkness

Publisher: Fiery Seas Everlasting

Release Date: June 12, 2018

Dr. Lexie Draden didn’t want to leave her successful career as a surgeon in Chicago, but she didn’t have a choice. Her family needed to heal, and as long as she was around, it wasn’t going to happen. While adapting to her new community, she meets Zak Tifour, a man as intriguing as he is handsome.

Most of the small-town residents view Zak as a man who likes his privacy, but to a select few, something doesn’t seem right. Long-time resident Cicily McQuay believes she has the key to the man’s odd behavior – a link to terrorism. After all, he just isn’t the type of man who belongs in her community. But to belong, you need to be welcomed; something Cicily has never extended to Zak.

Zak knows plenty of terrorists and has even lived amongst them, but not like Cicily suspects. Escaping from a lifetime of bloodshed and regrets, he attempts to distance himself from the quirky townsfolk; people unable to comprehend boundaries. It appears to be working until he encounters the town’s new attractive doctor. Even though his secrets run deep, she ends up trusting him with her heart. But trust is fragile, and when Zak gets drawn back to his old life, Lexie must decide whether he’s a dangerous man or a broken hero.

Note: I was provided a free review copy of this book from the publisher.

My Review:  I really liked it.   This is a breathtakingly beautiful story that deals with guilt of losing people close to you, and learning how to grieve that loss.  One of the main themes in this book is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  This story paints a real heartbreaking picture of what it is like to live with PTSD daily, and how PTSD symptoms are often misunderstood by many.  We learn about what PTSD is like through Zak, and his many challenges.

The story has great character building.  The point of view changes often throughout from Zak to Lexie allowing the reader to get in deep with each one.  The author does a fantastic job of introducing the main characters to the readers right away, and in such a way that I connected almost immediately to each of them.  After just a few pages in, I was already invested in their lives and in the story, and constantly wondering what Zak’s past is all about, why he left New York, why he is now hiding in this small town called Baxley, living by himself, and keeping everyone at an arm’s length, everyone that is except Lexie. Zak is not perfect, he makes mistakes, he pushes people away, and his true colors are shown a few times, but that is not a fault of his character, he has real struggles, a diagnosis that is a severe anxiety disorder.  He often re-experiences through nightmares, that painful event that led to his diagnosis of PTSD, and as a reader your heart breaks for Zak and all he goes through, both in his past, and while living in Baxley.

Lexie, has her own secrets and issues, she too is broken, and that self-loathing comes from guilt over her Niece’s death.  Her story too breaks the reader’s heart.  But unlike Zak, Lexie is also strong, and independent. When it comes time to either believe in Zak or believe the rumors that the town has formed against Zak, Lexie really comes through as supportive, loving and a true friend. Her dedication to both her job as a Dr, and to Zak is an admirable trait.   My favorite part of the book was when Lexie’s past is revealed, the story about how her niece died was so emotional, it brought tears to my eyes. I kept thinking about the choices that Lexie had to make, the choices she did make, and the impacts of those choices, long after I finished the book.

The words in this book are wonderfully written.  The story is well paced and believable.  None of the events felt rushed, nor did they drag on, it contained the perfect timing in terms of moving the story along, and events unfolding.  While the ending was a bit predictable, it also still left me with an extremely satisfied feeling.

I recommend to this book to anyone looking for a wonderfully written contemporary drama, and especially if you are interested in one that deals with Mental and Emotional disorders.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic, well written book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

BUY HERE:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DMBG5T6/ 

About the Author:

Gloria Joynt-Lang was born in Ars-Laquenexy, France and spent her childhood experiencing the vast landscapes of Canada. A graduate of the University of Alberta with a degree in Criminology, she devoted her career to working in the criminal justice system. She now splits her time living in rural Alberta, Canada as well as Southern California with her husband and their two dogs, a Maltese named YaHoo and Yorkie named Smookie Bijoux. Why the Yorkie has a stripper name shall remain a tight guarded secret. A lifelong nerd, she is most comfortable with a book or laptop close by except when she transforms to cool biker chick, hopping on her motorcycle for a speed limit abiding ride to the nearest bookstore.

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Author: Brittany Pate

Genre:  Paranormal/ Romance

Note: I was provided a free review copy of this book from the publisher.

Synopsis: Embyr has spent most of her life protecting her true identify, and preventing her heart from becoming vulnerable.  She has had to learn how to live as a normal human, since she is after all, half demon.  Embyr is independent, extremely private, owns her own Tavern, and makes her own rules. That is until Ryder comes along, and threatens her entire existence.  Suddenly out of nowhere Embyr’s life changes, and she is caught in the middle of a dirty war.  She is forced to leave behind the life she has created for herself to try to safely unleash the power that lays dormant within her.  While attempting to harness and control this power, she continues to fight the ever so rapidly growing feeling towards a man that is known to bring nothing but havoc, harm and even death to many, a man known as ‘Death’ himself.

Ryder, has spent centuries also shutting down his heart while tracking down the vampire that killed the one and only human he has ever loved. He is thrown for a loop when Embyr suddenly starts to awaken feeling in him that he has not felt in hundreds of years.  Ryder must learn to deal with these new emotions, and he must do so while still managing a fortress, and keeping the streets safe by hunting down and killing vampires.

It is not until Embyr falls under the protection of Ryder that she learns of his true natures, the real meaning behind his escapades, and why he is known as ‘Death’  Embyr must learn to decipher what is a lie, and what is real, and she must do so while protecting her heart.

My Review: This is an excellent Fantasy/Romance!

I was not sure what I was to expect when I first started this book.  About 30 pages into the story I was so hooked with no chance of finishing anything else in my life, until this book was done.  It is a steamy read, but it’s also got that Paranormal/fantasy element to it, which adds so much more to the book then just your typical romance.

The book most delivered in its promise as a romance novel.

This is a fast read, and that is because once you start, you literally will not put this book down until its finished.  It will consume you.  The story line is so interesting with all the vampires, demons, assassins and other non-worldly creatures all at war, but the main emphasis of the story is the romantic passion between Embyr and Ryder.  This book is more about the Romance then the worlds created in the book.

I liked how the story developed Embyr and Ryder’s relationship.  The relationship progressed well, and it kept me rooting for them to be together the entire time. I even got upset at times when Lorin tried to intervene, but he redeemed himself so Lorin is still in my good books!

The connection between Embyr and Ryder is instant, its deep, and you can certainly feel their passion.  It’s a love/hate relationship as they each have things about one another that they cannot stand!  This makes it rather comical and typical of most relationships.   I enjoyed the ride alongside both them as they each discovered new feelings for each other, and learnt new things about themselves in the process.

My favorite character was Ryder.  I enjoyed learning about his past, and why he is so greatly feared by everyone who knows of him.  I think that Ryder’s mask was very import, and symbolized his protective nature.   Ryder’s mask was more than just his security blanket.  He wears that mask every day, and nobody ever sees his true identify, until of course Embyr asks him to take it off.  Removing the mask, reveals more than just his face, it also reveals, in my opinion, Ryder’s true feelings for Embyr, even though he does not know what those feeling are at first.  The only thing about Ryder’s character that I did not particularly like was the jealousy/possessiveness trait, as he often referred to Embyr as ‘mine’.  However, the possessiveness that Ryder had over Embyr made it all the more intriguing to me.

One scene involving Embyr really stands out to me.  Embyr’s pain at having to destroy the young vampire during one of the nightly escapades felt real. She was torn between having to do the right thing, even if the right thing meant she had to something that she never thought herself capable of all her life.  Her anguish over this situation was rather sad, and I felt that anguish.

I do not recommend this book to young readers due to some of the explicit sexual scenes being extremely detailed.  However, I do recommend this book to anyone over the age of 18 who is looking for a steamy, very quick, fun, and romantic read!

I did find the book to be somewhat predictable at times, but that did not take away from how great the book was.

Overall, I really liked this book a lot! A very enjoyable book that kept me turning the pages!  The ending was perfect, beautifully wrapped up in a silver bow.

Author: Paul Barrett

Genre: Fantasy

Note: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.

Synopsis: After witnessing his parents fateful suicide, 17 year old Erick is left to deal with the aftermath of what his parents left behind, and to sort through years of family secrets, lies, and accusations from the town near his manor.

Although Erick lost his parents, he is not alone, he has a small network of friends.  First and foremost, he has Blink, his ‘familiar’.  Blink is a creature that was created from Erick’s own flesh and blood.  Blink was created to be a protector for Erick.  These two share a bond that cannot be broken.  Erick also has Corby and Elissia, his two only human friends who live in the nearby town that despise Erick and his family.  Erick is unique, he is what is called a Necromancer, a special type of sorcerer.  Erick also has his ‘undead’ army to help him fight against evils, and enemy threats that come lurking often.   Erick has the ability to call upon the dead (his undead army), and he can speak telepathically to Blink.  One day hidden in his manor, Erick comes across a secret passageway that leads to a private room that Erick did not know existed inside his own home.   Here he discovers a book, but its no ordinary book, it’s the darkest book that contains the most dangerous words ever written.  The truth and story behind this book is terrifying.    This discovery and the book itself could destroy everything.  This discovery forces Erick to set out on a dangerous mission to reunite with other Necromancer sorcerers to hopefully, together destroy the evil that threatens the world.

My Review:  I loved it!  It truly was an amazing read!

When I first researched Goodreads to see what this book was about, I read a review that compared this book to ‘The Lord of the Rings’  I was immediately excited, as I am a huge fan of that series.  Well, let me tell you, that reviewer was right!  If there is anything that comes even close to this book it’s the Lord of the Ring series. It contains the same vibes, feel, and mysteriousness.  There is no lack of adventure in this story line.  At no point in time was I ever bored or waiting for the next great part, because each page was an adventure full of excitement, and anticipation that had me reading well past my regular bedtime on most nights, and I do love my sleep!

I loved the way the story was told, and the way it was written.  The writing is so smooth.  It is not very often I come across this type of book with this unique writing style that I call smooth, but when I do, I am instantly drawn into the book.  There is so much going on in this book, with all the different names for the different types of tribes/ creatures /magic, and so on, and not once was I confused, or lost with any of it.  Situations and names were so well explained right from the beginning, and constantly throughout as well. If I ever questioned anything, it seemed it was answered for me in the next pages.   I especially enjoyed the beginning part of each chapter, injecting insight from different perspectives as it provided a deeper glimpse into the story itself.  This is not a fast-paced book.  If you are looking for a fast paced, quick read, then this is not that type of book.  This book takes you through long journeys, and battles.  It is best enjoyed when read slowly.  Some books I can read very fast and can get through quickly, this is not one of those books.  You do need to slow down to enjoy all of what it has to offer.

All the characters were developed well as the book progressed.  The deeper I got into the story, the more I enjoyed reading about each one of them.

Corby is portrayed as a true, loyal friend.

Elissia is strong (both emotionally and physically), and she is fierce! I liked how it is Elissia, a female who often plays the part of protector.

Erick is a brave soul who loses so much early on.   As he learns about his father’s secret past, he quickly matures, and responsibly takes on the dangerous challenge he is faced with.

This book is extremely well written and its obvious that a lot of thought went into this story and the construction of it in general.

I love the fantasy genre, and this book beautifully captured the essence of what fantasy novels are about and why I love that genre.  I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the Necromancer series when its ready.

Author: Dani Pasquini

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Synopsis:  Imagine being in your 40’s, and discovering that you have a past life that was ripped from you when you were a teenager, and you now have no recollection what so ever of this other life you used to live. That all the memories you have a child were implanted and are fake. Sounds intriguing? Well this is Lily’s painful story. After experiencing the worse kind of tragedy and loss, Lily is left completely broken, chattered to pieces. Lily can no longer cope with life, and she therefore attempts several suicides to try to escape herself, and the only life she thought she ever lived. This last suicide attempt changes everything for her. Suddenly, Lily discovers another life from her past that had been taken from her. She painfully learns that the childhood memories that she has are not real. Her childhood did not happen the way she remembers. She discovers she was genetically modified by a secret government agency as a child to have special abilities in order to help destroy enemies of war. She can manipulate the wind, fly, see into others internal bodies, create fire balls, and she is telepathic. Lily does not know how to use these abilities at first, and she must relearn everything that was a part of her forgotten past. Memories are soon returned full force and Lily discovers that she is not alone in this. She has a special link to another human that is stronger than any other relationship she has ever experienced. This connection is with Jona. Together, Lily and Jona fight through thick and thin, searching for long lost answers. Will they each find what they are looking for?

My Review: I really liked this book a lot.

It is refreshing to read an adult sci-fi with a mature main character female lead. I find most Sci-fi books that I have read lately have been Young Adult. It is nice to know that with maturity, the story line, plot and interest in the story are not scarified.

The story is told through Lily’s perspective. I connected instantly with Lily, her character is one that is real, has substance, and as a reader, you could almost feel her pain seeping through the pages. This pain that Lily carries, changes throughout the book to anger as she begins to learn truths, and its interesting to go through the different heavy emotions alongside Lily. Jonas as a major supporting character is well written, and I liked him too from the start. He is protective of Lily, and loves her with all his might, but not in a romantic sort of way, the love and connection these two shares is sibling like. They could not be any closer if they were twins.

My only questionable part of the book is the relationship between Lily and Jona. While I understand the closeness was to emphasize a sibling like love, I thought it was rather odd that the two would at times exhibit romantic gestures, such as sleeping in each others’ arms, and showering together. While this perfectly acceptable as children, I found those actions to be odd given they were both adults in their 40’s. In my opinion, I think this was all meant to be symbolic of their relationship, and nothing more.

This book is deep, some parts are sad, others invigorating. The plot is different from anything I have ever read.

The book is mostly Sci-fi but I do consider there to be some fantasy elements written in as well, particularly with the flying, and wind manipulating abilities. The story line is well constructed, and well written. It was not until the last page that I realized this was not a stand-alone book, and that there will be a book two, so I am extremely excited to read the next one!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton