BLOG TOUR: She's Faking It by Kristin Rockaway

I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for She's Faking It by Kristin Rockaway. I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Kristin Rockaway for letting me be a part of this fun tour!

Title: She's Faking It

Author: Kristin Rockaway

Published by: Graydon House

Released: June 30, 2020

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: You can’t put a filter on reality.

Bree Bozeman isn’t exactly pursuing the life of her dreams. Then again, she isn’t too sure what those dreams are. After dropping out of college, she’s living a pretty chill life in the surf community of Pacific Beach, San Diego…if “chill” means delivering food as a GrubGetter, and if it means “uneventful”.
But when Bree starts a new Instagram account — @breebythesea — one of her posts gets a signal boost from none other than wildly popular self-help guru Demi DiPalma, owner of a lifestyle brand empire. Suddenly, Bree just might be a rising star in the world of Instagram influencing. Is this the direction her life has been lacking? It’s not a career choice she’d ever seriously considered, but maybe it’s a sign from the universe. After all, Demi’s the real deal… right?

Everything is lining up for Bree: life goals, career, and even a blossoming romance with the chiseled guy next door, surf star Trey Cantu. But things are about to go sideways fast, and even the perfect filter’s not gonna fix it. Instagram might be free, but when your life looks flawless on camera, what’s the cost? (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: Fun, Fun, Fun! I really liked the whole vibe of this book. It was very entertaining to read. It also gave me those summertime feels.

I really enjoyed the premise of this. An instagram influencer who hits it big, but real life isn't as glamorous as her online persona. I am a bookstagrammer, and while I'm not internet famous or even close to it or will ever be it, I can definitely understand showing what you want to show on the internet. They see what I want them to see, and it's like you develop a part of yourself online. It's a real part of you, but you're not showing everything. I'm having an awful time at trying to put it into words, but I do feel like this is what Bree is going through.

I have never really understood though how people can make a career out of instagram fame. It just seems to be a very strange life. I enjoyed seeing Bree get the highs and lows of internet fame. And I liked seeing the chaos of reality.

I really enjoyed She's Faking It. It was a nice summertime read. The social media aspect was a lot of fun, I liked the romance, and I liked the realness. I'd say give it a read.

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker and recovering corporate software engineer. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of code. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, browsing the aisles of her neighborhood bookstores, and trying to catch up on sleep.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for She's Faking It by Kristin Rockaway. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Kristin Rockaway for having me on the tour.

BLOG TOUR: In the Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for In the Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby. I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Young Readers and Nicole Melleby for letting me be a part of the tour.

Title: In the Role of Brie Hutchens

Author: Nicole Melleby

Published by: Algonquin Young Readers

Released: June 30, 2020

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: Introducing Brie Hutchens: soap opera super fan, aspiring actor, and so-so student at her small Catholic school. Brie has big plans for eighth grade. She’s going to be the star of the school play and convince her parents to let her go to the performing arts high school. But when Brie’s mom walks in on her accidentally looking at some possibly inappropriate photos of her favorite actress, Brie panics and blurts out that she’s been chosen to crown the Mary statue during her school’s May Crowning ceremony. Brie’s mom is distracted with pride—but Brie’s in big trouble: she has not been chosen. No one has. Worse, Brie has almost no chance to get the job, which always goes to a top student.

 Desperate to make her lie become truth, Brie turns to Kennedy, the girl everyone expects to crown Mary. But sometimes just looking at Kennedy gives Brie butterflies. Juggling her confusing feelings with the rapidly approaching May Crowning, not to mention her hilarious non-star turn in the school play, Brie navigates truth and lies, expectations and identity, and how to—finally—make her mother really see her as she is. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was very cute. Brie watches a lot of soap operas and definitely has a flair for the dramatic, this flair gets her into many situations that she then has to find her way out of. It's also a story of acceptance and family.

I enjoyed it. I had fun reading it. Just watching to see what Brie was going to do next was very entertaining. It also had a very heartfelt message to it.

I'd definitely recommend this one to readers. I had a good time while reading. It also touches on difficult topics in a very understanding way.

Nicole Melleby is a born-and-bred Jersey girl with a passion for storytelling. She studied creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University and currently teaches creative writing and literature courses with a handful of local universities. When she’s not writing, she can be found browsing the shelves at her local comic shop or watching soap operas with a cup of tea.

Thanks so much for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for In the Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby. Thanks so much to Algonquin Young Readers and Nicole Melleby for letting me take part in this tour!

BLOG TOUR: The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason! I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Tim Mason for letting me be a part of the tour.

Title: The Darwin Affair

Author: Tim Mason

Published by: Algonquin Books

Released: June 11, 2019

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: Get ready for one of the most inventive and entertaining novels of 2019—an edge-of-your-seat Victorian-era thriller, where the controversial publication On the Origin of Species sets off a string of unspeakable crimes.

London, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later—and only a block away—Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin’s target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is the shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes?
Soon, Field’s investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin’s controversial On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a madman named the Chorister. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows, and the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden. 

Tim Mason has created a rousing page-turner that both Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would relish and envy. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was a fun historical mystery thriller. It was quite a ride. There was a lot going on with it. There were tons of historical figures showing up, making appearances. The mystery element of it was really interesting. I was always on my toes, waiting to see where Detective Inspector Charles Field's investigation would take him next.

This book has one of the most awful people villains I've read in a while, the Chorister. He is one scary guy.

I did think it was interesting how this book managed to incorporate On the Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin. I enjoyed it.

If Historical Mystery Thrillers are your thing, I'd definitely recommend giving this a read. It was quite the adventure, quite the case.

Tim Mason is a playwright whose work has been produced in New York and throughout the world. Among the awards he has received are a Kennedy Center Award, the Hollywood Drama-Logue Award, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Rockefeller Foundation grant. In addition to his dramatic plays, he wrote the book for Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, which had two seasons on Broadway and tours nationally every year. He is the author of the young adult novel The Last Synapsid. The Darwin Affair is his first adult novel.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Tim Mason for letting me be a part of it.

BLOG TOUR: What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin

I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin. I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and Kate McLaughlin for letting me be a part of this tour.

Title: What Unbreakable Looks Like

Author: Kate McLaughlin

Published by: Wednesday Books

Released: June 23, 2020

Source: Review Copy from Publisher through Netgalley

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: Lex was taken – trafficked - and now she’s Poppy. Kept in a hotel with other girls, her old life is a distant memory. But when the girls are rescued, she doesn’t quite know how to be Lex again. 

After she moves in with her aunt and uncle, for the first time in a long time, she knows what it is to feel truly safe. Except, she doesn’t trust it. Doesn't trust her new home. Doesn’t trust her new friend. Doesn’t trust her new life. Instead she trusts what she shouldn’t because that's what feels right. She doesn’t deserve good things. 
But when she is sexually assaulted by her so-called boyfriend and his friends, Lex is forced to reckon with what happened to her and that just because she is used to it, doesn’t mean it is okay. She’s thrust into the limelight and realizes she has the power to help others. But first she’ll have to confront the monsters of her past with the help of her family, friends, and a new love.

Kate McLaughlin’s What Unbreakable Looks Like is a gritty, ultimately hopeful novel about human trafficking through the lens of a girl who has escaped the life and learned to trust, not only others, but in herself. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This book is tough, this book is hard, but it's also very hopeful. This deals with the topic of sex trafficking as well as sexual assault. If you're okay with reading about harder topics, I'd definitely recommend getting a copy of What Unbreakable Looks Like.

Kate McLaughlin does a great job of illustrating a powerful story. Lex is a survivor. She's gone through what no teen girl ever should. Lex is not whole at the beginning of this story, because of what has happened to her, even after she's rescued, she never feels safe. There's always that feeling that this good part cannot last. I really appreciated seeing the journey Lex had to go through. It's a journey of trust, of healing, friendship, and love.

I'm really glad Lex had the support system she did around her. Her rescue was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to taking back control of her life, especially when she hard more battles to fight after her rescue.

This is a hard book, but an important one. I'm glad I got to see Lex's journey to self-love.

KATE McLAUGHLIN likes people, so much so that she spends her days making up her own. She likes writing about characters who are bent, but not broken - people who find their internal strength through friends, strife and sometimes humor. When she's not writing, she likes studying people, both real and fictional. She also likes playing board games with friends, talking and discovering new music. A proud Nova Scotian, she'll gladly tell you all about the highest tides in the world, the magical creation known as a donair, and people who have sofas in their kitchens. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and four cats. What Unbreakable Looks Like is her debut novel.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin. Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and Kate McLaughlin for letting me be a part of this tour.

BLOG TOUR: I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman! I was sent an early copy from the publisher for honest review. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and Abbi Waxman for letting me be a part of this fun tour.

Title: I Was Told It Would Get Easier

Author: Abbi Waxman

Published by: Berkley Books

Released: June 16, 2020

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: Squashed among a bus full of strangers, mother-daughter duo Jessica and Emily Burnstein watch their carefully mapped-out college tour devolve into a series of off-roading misadventures, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.
For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?
For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This is a very amusing and heartfelt mother daughter tale. I really did enjoy it. Jessica has had some personal struggles recently and is ready to take a college tour with her daughter, a daughter who she wants to get close to once again. 

Emily is ready for the freedom that college can bring, and hopefully it will give her the opportunity for happiness.

This mother daughter duo has a strained relationship and I really enjoyed watching them mend and fix that. I think Abbi Waxman did a great job depicting that special relationship and just how important that it is.

I really enjoyed the way it was written. I enjoyed all the unexpected detours and adventures. I had fun reading this one. I'm definitely going to check out more from Abbi Waxman in the future.

I also loved how it was a road trip. Road trip books are so fun and there's the added layer of it being a bunch of strangers on a bus.

Reading I Was Told It Would Get Easier just really made me cherish my mom. She's the best.

Hi there. I'm a chocolate loving, dog loving writer living in Los Angeles. I sit down if I can, and lie down whenever possible. If you enjoy my book and would like a personalized, signed bookplate to go in it, email me your name and address and I'll send you one! abbi@amplecat.com

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop of I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and Abbi Waxman for letting me be a part of this fun tour!

BLOG TOUR: Prairie Fever by Michael Parker

I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Prairie Fever by Michael Parker. I was sent a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Michael Parker for having me as part of the tour.

Title: Prairie Fever

Author: Michael Parker

Published by: Algonquin Books

Released: May 21, 2019

Source: Review Copy from Publisher via Netgalley

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis:  "Michael Parker has captured a time, place, and sisterhood so perfectly it hurts to turn the last page. A riveting, atmospheric dream of a novel.” --Dominic Smith, author of The Last Painting of Sara de Vos 

Set in the hardscrabble landscape of early 1900s Oklahoma, but timeless in its sensibility, Prairie Fever traces the intense dynamic between the Stewart sisters: the pragmatic Lorena and the chimerical Elise. The two are bound together not only by their isolation on the prairie but also by their deep emotional reliance on each other. That connection supersedes all else until the arrival of Gus McQueen.

When Gus arrives in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, as a first time teacher, his inexperience is challenged by the wit and ingenuity of the Stewart sisters. Then one impulsive decision and a cataclysmic blizzard trap Elise and her horse on the prairie and forever change the balance of everything between the sisters, and with Gus McQueen. With honesty and poetic intensity and the deadpan humor of Paulette Jiles and Charles Portis, Parker reminds us of the consequences of our choices. Expansive and intimate, this novel tells the story of characters tested as much by life on the prairie as they are by their own churning hearts. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This is a story of atmosphere and strong women, sisters. It really transports the reader to a landscape that can be harsh, but also beautiful. It's a story about relationships, what can make them stronger, and what can make them weaker.

Michael Parker has a different kind of writing style that at first can seem a little jarring, but the more you read, the more you get immersed in the story. My reader experience was the more I read, the more into it I got. 

I really liked the characterizations of Elise and Lorena Stewart. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses. This is their story as well as the man that caught both of their eyes.

Prairie Fever was just a very atmospheric story to read. I liked it.

MICHAEL PARKER is the author of five novels – Hello Down There, Towns Without Rivers, Virginia Lovers, If You Want Me To Stay, The Watery Part of the World and two collections of stories, The Geographical Cure and Don’t Make Me Stop Now. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in various journals including Five Points, the Georgia Review, The Idaho Review, the Washington Post, the New York Times Magazine, Oxford American, Shenandoah, The Black Warrior Review, Trail Runner and Runner’s World. He has received fellowships in fiction from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Hobson Award for Arts and Letters, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His work has been anthologized in the Pushcart, New Stories from the South and O. Henry Prize Stories anthologies. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, he is a Professor in the MFA Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His website is www.michaelfparker.com

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Prairie Fever by Michael Parker. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Michael Parker for letting me be a part of the tour. If this one sounds good to you, I'd definitely recommend giving it a read.

BLOG TOUR: That Summer in Maine by Brianna Wolfson

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for That Summer in Maine by Brianna Wolfson. I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to MIRA and Brianna Wolfson for letting me be a part of this fun tour.

Title: That Summer in Maine

Author: Brianna Wolfson

Published by: MIRA

Released: June 23, 2020

Source: Review Copy from Publisher through Netgalley

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: A novel about mothers and daughters, about taking chances, about exploding secrets and testing the boundaries of family

Years ago, during a certain summer in Maine, two young women, unaware of each other, met a charismatic man at a craft fair and each had a brief affair with him. For Jane it was a chance to bury her recent pain in raw passion and redirect her life. For Sue it was a fling that gave her troubled marriage a way forward.

Now, sixteen years later, the family lives these women have made are suddenly upended when their teenage girls meet as strangers on social media. They concoct a plan to spend the summer in Maine with the man who is their biological father. Their determination puts them on a collision course with their mothers, who must finally meet and acknowledge their shared past and join forces as they risk losing their only daughters to a man they barely know. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This story, That Summer in Maine, offered a really interesting family dynamic. It deals with multiple families that get bigger with the more layers uncovered. It's got secrets and acceptance. These characters have to face the past in order to have a more fulfilling future. 

I was really interested in this story. It had a lot that was going on with it. Sometimes the characters acted out and made dumb decisions, sometimes they annoyed me, but I enjoyed seeing all of their journeys.

I enjoyed this story. It dealt with some important topics in a good way. I enjoyed the writing style. If you like women's fiction, I'd definitely say give it a read.

Brianna Wolfson is a New York native living in San Francisco. Her narrative nonfiction has been featured on Medium, Upworthy and The Moth. She buys a lottery ticket every Friday.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for That Summer in Maine by Brianna Wolfson. Thanks so much to MIRA and Brianna Wolfson for letting me be a part of the tour!

Reading Right Now! (260)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

 

The God Game by Danny Tobey -- I originally got this for review through Netgalley, but then checked out a physical library copy. I don't really know how I feel about it. It's interesting. I'm curious as to what's going to happen next. I feel weird about it being a game controlled by "God." I don't like how they call it "God." It just seems sort of blasphemous to me. There were also some political jokes that just fell very, very flat for me. Jokes that have been repeated a couple of times, and I'm just over them. I'm also kind of confusing characters, forgetting which character is which, which I think is less of a me problem and more a problem that these voices aren't distinct enough. They just don't feel like high school kids to me. I think maybe I would have believed it more if they'd been college, or even older.

I mean, I'm definitely interested. I think it helps that a lot of the chapters are short. It honestly reminds me of a novel called Erebos by Ursula Poznanski, which I was a fan of. They deal with the same kind of scenario.

Something is Killing the Children, Volume 1 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, Miguel Muerto -- I also got this one for review through Netgalley, then waited too long to read it, and had to check it out from the library via Hoopla. I'm enjoying this one. It's a horror comic where kids in this small town are being killed. A mysterious girl enters the picture to hunt what is killing the children. Sometimes the art style looks a little strange, but overall, I really like it. It has almost a sketch feel to it, but it still feels finished, if that makes sense. Our mysterious girl has these weird, big eyes, which can sometimes look very jarring, and other times look very interesting, in a good way. I'm liking it. I'm interested to see where the story goes. For some odd reason, Hoopla didn't have there series together as one volume, so I had to check out the individual issues, but I'm making sure that I just read the first five, because Volume 1 contains the first five.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

BLOG TOUR: Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira Díaz

I'm very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira Díaz. I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Jaquira Díaz for letting me be a part of this tour.

Title: Ordinary Girls: A Memoir

Author: Jaquira Díaz

Published by: Algonquin Books

Released: October 29, 2019

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: “There is more life packed on each page of Ordinary Girls than some lives hold in a lifetime.” —Julia Alvarez 

Ordinary Girls is a fierce, beautiful, and unflinching memoir from a wildly talented debut author. While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Díaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and home, she found instead a life upended by violence. From her own struggles with depression and sexual assault to Puerto Rico’s history of colonialism, every page of Ordinary Girls vibrates with music and lyricism. Díaz triumphantly maps a way out of despair toward love and hope to become her version of the girl she always wanted to be.

With a story reminiscent of Tara Westover’s Educated, Roxane Gay’s Hunger, and Terese Marie Mailhot’s Heart Berries, Jaquira Díaz delivers a memoir that reads as electrically as a novel. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I don't really read a lot of nonfiction, so I wasn't sure how Ordinary Girls was going to go. I'm pleased to say that I really enjoyed it, I was caught up in the story of Jaquira Díaz's life. It was a very engaging and fast paced read. If I didn't know I was reading a memoir, I would have just thought it like all of the other fiction books that I read.

Because it is a memoir, I feel a little weird about rating it. This was someone's life, a life that I'm glad I got to read about.

This book does have a lot of darkness to it. Jaquira Díaz definitely went through a lot of stuff and came out strong. There is violence, sexual assault, depression, and mental illness. They were tough subjects to witness.

I'm really glad I got the chance to read Ordinary Girls. It offers a glimpse of a life that was very turbulent, but the author came through the other side with strength. It's definitely a memoir I'd recommend.

Jaquira Díaz was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Miami. She is the author of Ordinary Girls: A Memoir, winner of a Whiting Award, a Florida Book Awards Gold Medal, and a Lambda Literary Awards finalist. Ordinary Girls was a Summer/Fall 2019 Indies Introduce Selection, a Fall 2019 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Notable Selection, a November 2019 Indie Next Pick, and a Library Reads October pick. Díaz's work has been published in The Guardian, The Fader, Conde Nast Traveler, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and The Best American Essays 2016, among other publications. She is the recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, an Elizabeth George Foundation grant, and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Kenyon Review, and the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. A former Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, and Consulting Editor at the Kenyon Review, she splits her time between Montréal and Miami Beach, with her partner, the writer Lars Horn.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira Díaz. Thanks so much to Algonquin Press and Jaquira Díaz for letting me be a part of it.

BLOG TOUR: Crossing in Time (Between Two Evils #1) by D.L. Orton

I'm excited to be on the Blog Tour for Crossing in Time by D.L. Orton. This is the first book in the Between Two Evils Series. I was contacted through Twitter to be a part of this by TheWriteReads. I believe this book is available for free right now on Amazon (but that could change). So, I got this book free on Amazon for an honest review. Thanks to TheWriteReads and D.L. Orton for letting me be a part of it.

Title: Crossing in Time (Between Two Evils #1)

Author: DL Orton

Published by: Rocky Mountain Press

Released: April 21, 2015

Source: Review Copy from Author

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: The past isn't over, it's an opening. The future isn't hidden, it's a trap. 

If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk. 
Fall into this "Funny, Romantic & Harrowing" (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) dystopian love story and prepare to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely NO ditzes!)
When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present--and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that's a heart breaker, save the world or not.
This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it's the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn't have the proper footwear. It's a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was a fun and funny book! It had a lot of things going on in it. It was told through multiple perspectives, which I enjoyed. It had a dash of time travel and a big cup of romance. I liked it. I thought it was a good time.

This is mainly a romantic tale, the time travel takes a little bit of a backseat to that. There is also sexy times in this book.

I enjoyed the way it was told. It kept me on my toes, made me think about things. It was an adventure for sure. I'd be interested to see where it goes in the next books. It was good.

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR D. L. ORTON lives in the Rocky Mountains where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops. 
In her spare time, she's building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.
Website:
http://DLOrton.com
Twitter:
Twitter.com/@DL_Orton
Ms Orton is a graduate of Stanford University's Writers Workshop and a past editor of "Top of the Western Staircase," a literary publication of CU, Boulder. The author has a number of short stories published in online literary magazines, including Literotica, Melusine, Cosmoetica, The Ranfurly Review, and Catalyst Press. 
You can email her at dlo at dlorton dot com.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Crossing in Time by D.L. Orton. Thanks so much to TheWriteReads and D.L. Orton for letting me be a part of it.

BLOG TOUR: The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader

I'm very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader. I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the Publisher. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Molly Fader for letting me be a part of this tour.

Title: The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season

Author: Molly Fader

Published by: Graydon House

Released: June 9, 2020

Source: Review Copy from Publisher through Netgalley

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: Three generations of women come together at the family orchard to face secrets from the past and learn to believe in the power of hope and forgiveness.

In cherry season, anything is possible…
Everything Hope knows about the Orchard House is from the stories of her late mother. So when she arrives at the northern Michigan family estate late one night with a terrible secret and her ten-year-old daughter in tow, she’s not sure if she’ll be welcomed or turned away with a shotgun by the aunt she has never met.

Hope’s aunt, Peg, has lived in the Orchard House all her life, though the property has seen better days. She agrees to take Hope in if, in exchange, Hope helps with the cherry harvest—not exactly Hope’s specialty, but she’s out of options. As Hope works the orchard alongside her aunt, daughter and a kind man she finds increasingly difficult to ignore, a new life begins to blossom. But the mistakes of the past are never far behind, and soon the women will find themselves fighting harder than ever for their family roots and for each other.  (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was very sweet, cute, and heartwarming. I really enjoyed it. It was a book all about family, secrets, hard times, and how we get through them. It was just a book that made you feel good.

I loved the setting of Orchard House and how it helps heal and help these characters. Hope was really going through some hard times and I liked that she could come to this familial place and find her way back to safety.

I also liked getting Aunt Peg's story. She's stayed at Orchard House and we see how that decision has come to shape her life.

Also, cherries are delicious. There is a cherry tree that grows in my yard and every year, I probably get to enjoy three or four of them. I wish I could eat more, but the birds get them before I do. Fresh cherries are so good though. Reading this story made me crave cherries.

I had a good time reading The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something that will make you feel good. The story and writing were just really comforting and I enjoyed my stay at Orchard House.

Molly Fader is the author of The McAvoy Sister’s Book Of Secrets. As Molly O’Keefe she is the USA Today Bestselling author of over 50 contemporary romances. She lives in Toronto Ontario with her husband, two kids and rescue dog.

Thanks so much for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Molly Fader for letting me be a part of it.

Review: The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman

Title: The Remaking

Author: Clay McLeod Chapman

Published by: Quirk Books

Released: 2019

Source: Library

Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, this supernatural thriller for fans of horror and true crime follows a tale as it evolves every twenty years—with terrifying results.

Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot’s Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot’s Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them—until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise’s burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses.

Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it’s told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a ’70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot’s Creek. Amber’s experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the ’90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber’s best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her—or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again…  (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I love the cover and the concept of The Remaking, those are the things that first drew my eye. I love the idea of a dark past inspiring so many different storytelling mediums. It's just a really cool concept for a book.

I wish I had liked the inside as much as I liked the idea. I just didn't fall in love with how the story was told. It kind of had a long-winded quality to it and I wanted something faster.

I didn't really feel for any of the characters either. They were all kind of distant or hard for me. I wanted to like Amber, but I never really did. She was just kind of there.

I also wanted more from the ending. It didn't really give me any closure or end. For all the build-up, I just wanted more.

I loved the idea of The Remaking, but the story just didn't blow me away.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.4/5

Scary Little Ghost Girl