The Sinner by Emma Scott

Thank you for Emma Scott and Valentine PR for giving me an ARC to read and review!

Once again I had the privilege to read new Emma Scott -book beforehand. I am incredibly thankful! 

The Sinner is a paranormal romance. I rarely, very rarely, read those, but I love the way Emma Scott writes so I had to give this book a chance. Once again the words she wrote left speechless. 

I have no idea how much I can actually write, because I am afraid that I might spoil this book. I didn't read the blurb before I started reading the book. But I read the blurb just now hoping it might give me some guidelines with this review. 

I believe for something. I don't know if it's God or karma or just some major force that's bigger than us, but I truly believe that there's something out there. That something is definitely good. But I also believe in bad. We see so much of the bad everyday. We see it in ourselves, we see it in our fellow people. Emma Scott used a term inner demons in this book and I totally believe in those, too. They are all our insecurities and I listen them way more than I listen any other people. 

I have been a bit in a reading slump for a while. But this week (it's Sunday now) I finished Hush, Hush -series by Becca Fitzpatrick (review coming soon!) and there were same themes as there is in this book. Yesterday my kid, the one with the special needs, wanted to watch the movie, Coco. You know that one, where the kid goes to the land of the dead? So, somehow my this week has been consumed with the greater questions. Maybe this is the time when I am open to think about all these things.

Okay, back on track. I read this book in a day. It's so addictive. I couldn't put it down. I felt myself in Lucy in so many ways. She is an introvert, shy and has very simple life. She listens her inner voice that calls her "silly Lucy". Then one day there's a dead man outside of her apartment. But as it turns out, he isn't dead and maybe he isn't a man at all. 

I don't want to give anything more away from the story. You need to read and experience it yourself. But I will tell you that once again Emma Scott has written a beautiful book that will break your heart. I cried, my heart ached for these lovers who seemed to be doomed to live in loneliness from one life to another. Sure there twists I could see coming, but it didn't bother me, since all was very well written. I bet that Emma have needed to done a great deal of background work for this book, but it have paid of, since all felt real. 

I liked that there was mentioned a character from other Emma's book. I liked that this book really made you think on what you believe. I liked how Lucy has named her house plant. I liked the side characters. I loved the main characters. I liked that there wasn't too much violence. 

I am grateful that I had the chance to read this book. I have read Emma's books since 2017, not for a long, but long enough to have learned to love her work. It feels like I'm repeating myself in here, but I love the way she writes, it's so beautiful. I am grateful for so many things tonight. Thank you for this book, Emma Scott! There are no words to describe how much your written words mean to me!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sinner by Emma Scott

2021

 

It's Raining Men by Julie Hammerle

Thank you for the author and Grey's Promotions for giving me an ARC to read and review!

I really liked the cover of the book. I think this kind of covers are popular these days in rom-coms, at least it seems that way, because so often you see them. But yeah, the cover of the book is nice. The blurb seemed promising, too. 

Dr. Annie Kyle sent a drunken text to all men in her contacts. The text stated that she's more than ready to get married and is looking for a husband to share her rare moments of outside of work. She's a doctor and her work is her priority. She gets few answers, but there's also someone else in the picture.

This is a age-gap romance, which I didn't know. I usually don't read those, but this time it was okay. And that's how I feel towards the whole book, it's okay. 

Some scenes felt unreal and I hated Annie's relationship with her best friend. I was furious, it seemed unhealthy and childish considering that these characters are in their forties. In my opinion we didn't get to see these characters to solve these problems. I would have liked to see, how they got to the point where they were at the end of the book.

Annie's dates with different men left me with a question why she actually went to the dates. After the beginning I was a bit afraid that this will be a love triangle book, but luckily it isn't one. 

The things I liked in this book. The first POV. The trigger warning in the beginning of the book. Joanne. Dax. The trivia-moments. 

After all, this is a fast read with some good moments. You can easily pass time with this book, it won't leave you with a book hangover.

⭐⭐⭐

It's Raining Men by Julie Hammerle

Entangled: Amara

2021

Broken Hearts by Rebecca Jenshak

Thank you for Valentine PR for giving me an ARC to read and review.

I have read Rebecca Jenshak's books before, at least one or two of them. But I have not read any previous books of Campus Nights -series, which would have been great, because one of the things that frustrated me while reading were the side characters.

I liked the blurb of this book. I had high hopes. I really love sports romance -books. But in some ways this book just wasn't for me. This was a fast read, but I didn't feel the connection with the book. The drama felt forced for me. 

The side characters. There were so many of them. After a while I stopped even trying to understand who's dating who and who's related to who. It felt a bit messy, but maybe reading the books in order you have known the characters beforehand. 

The things I liked in this book. The sports aspect was great. I loved how much they really spent time with their sports. You can call this a sports romance, because there really are sports in this book. I liked Sienna's name and adored her best friend. 

I really wanted to love this book and I feel sad, that I don't.

⭐⭐⭐

Broken Hearts by Rebecca Jenshak

2021

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne

Thank you for Lauren Layne, NetGalley and Valentine PR for giving me an ARC to read and review.

I just want to say that this was the book that got me out of my reading slump, at least for temporarily. The book lured me in with great story line and good writing. I missed sleep, because I couldn't put the book down, but it was worth it.

To Sir, With Love is sweet, happy and charming romance novel with great characters and story line. This is a perfect book to read in a beach. It leaves you with a warm feeling about true love and how you can find it when you least expect it. To Sir, With Love is almost like a fairy tale for adults. The story line is great and the story moves forward smoothly without much drama. 

Gracie is in her mid-thirties and has set her dreams aside to keep her fathers dream alive. She flirts with the Sir, but they've never met, since all the flirting happens through the dating app. At the same time Gracie meets obstacles at the business side and every day it keeps getting harder to keep the business alive.

I really liked this book, it left me happy feelings. There was almost not drama at all. I liked Gracie, how she seemed to believe that she knows when she meets "the one".

Over all, this was a good read with great story line and likable characters!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne

Gallery Books

2021

 

Not You Again by Terri Osburn

Thank you for Grey's Promotions for letting me read and review this book.

Not You Again by Terri Osburn is a mix of womans fiction and comedy. The book has so many laughing out loud - things happening, but then again there are few moments when you can almost feel your heart breaking. 

This was my first time for reading a book by Terri Osburn. The book was funny and heart warming. It was fast to read. The banter between main characters makes you smile. I think that the best word to describe this book is cute. I liked how the characters had their own demons to battle and how the battle isn't always visible to others. 

This is a book for sunny Sunday and some cool drink. Imagine for sitting in the sun and reading a book, this is the book that occasion. 

⭐⭐⭐½

Not You Again by Terri Osburn

Macie Rae Publishing

2021

The Butterfly Effect by Kelly Elliott

Thank you for Grey's Promotions and Kelly Elliott for giving me an ARC to read and review.

This was my first book by Kelly Elliott. I am hoping to read more books by her in future. 

I fell in love with the cover of The Butterfly Effect. The cover is just so gorgeous, it melts my heart. I liked the blurb, too. For once I actually read the blurb. 

The Butterfly Effect is a first book of a brand new series, Boggy Creek Valley. The book is set in small fictional town in New Hampshire. The book is well written, the story flows forward on it's on own pace. Nothing feels rushed. The characters made mistakes and felt real most of the time. The story itself was okay for me, I am not a big fan of small-town romances. 

Willa is newly divorced mom of a baby boy. She manages her family's Apple Orchard and she's almost perfectly happy with her life. One night she meets Aiden again. She has loved Aiden since she was 15 years old. Now they might have a new chance to find each other again. 

This romance has many reasons to read it; a war-hero, best friends sibling/siblings best friend, single mom. I liked the dual POV, loved the Apple Orchard and military hero. There were few things that didn't fit me, but over all it's a solid read. So three stars for a story and the fourth for the Apple Orchard. 

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Butterfly Effect by Kelly Elliot

K. Elliot Enterprises, INC

2021

Back in the Burbs by Avery Flynn & Tracy Wolff

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Valentine PR, NetGalley and authors Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff for giving me an ARC to read and review!

Back in the Burbs hit my Kindle at 9 pm in Thursday night. I started reading it immediately and couldn't put it down until I had finished reading it. Luckily I didn't need to work today, so I could sleep in. 

In the book we meet Mallory, who has lost herself in past years. She hasn't been living the life she had wanted. So when the opportunity to move comes she takes her chances. She moves to suburbs to her a house that her great-aunt left her. First time in a long time she doesn't do what everybody around her wants her to do, but does what she wants to do. 

The house is in far worse shape than she thought, but luckily she meets a contractor who's willing to help her to get the house fixed. There's also a hot neighbor, who is very active to pointing out all the HOA violations her house is having. 

Slowly, but surely Mallory is getting back on her feet. She battles with too tall grass, she battles with her ex about divorce, she battles with her parents, she battles with income and she battles with her feelings towards men around her.

I believe that there are tons of Mallorys out there. Those people who have lost their selves in order to make someone else happy. That's a sad thing. I was incredibly happy to see how Mallory finally stood up for herself. I liked the way how Mallory found herself again. It made me happy.

This is a romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud. It gives you joy and melts your heart. You feel warm and happy after reading. It's a quick summer read. The characters are well written, the story flows forward. The authors manage to get some feelings out of the readers, feelings like announce towards Mallory's family, happiness because Mallory is finally doing what she wants. That's a sign of a good book. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Back in the Burbs by Avery Flynn & Tracy Wolff

Entangled Publishing

2021