Acquired is a dystopian romance with a good dash of erotica. The story dives right in with Zinnia and Cy meeting and forming an irregular sexual relationship, meant to be a one night experience. These scenes are especially spicy and possibly traumatic with Cy in an experienced, dominant position and Zinnia in an inexperienced, submissive position. I actually thought I started the wrong book since there was nothing about a pandemic; however, these scenes set up the dynamic for Cy and Zinnia in the future. The story then jumps into the future with Zinnia working as a nurse when the pandemic breaks out. I was very interested in the unique target of the pandemic with just women falling victim. I do wish there was a little more information about the pandemic, how it spread and how civilization disintegrated without women. The writing focused on Zinnia's character and her experience as one of the few remaining women in society, constantly on the lookout for her safety, learning to live off the land and defend herself. Zinnia's strength was the focus as she was transferred to the first facility and onto a second with the aid of Cy. I was confused about Cy's intention during all of these moves as well as the power dynamic between him and Zinnia. I feel like any potential romance would have been broken with the abuse incurred. Zinnia was able to persevere through horrific treatment as well as deal with a confusing romance. I was happy with the ending and definitely want to continue the series.
A mysterious pandemic has swept the world only affecting genetic females and has wiped out most of the female population. Zinnia Browning and her daughter seem to be immune and go into hiding along with her son to escape the roving bands of men trafficking women and experimenting on them. When they finally do find Zinnia and her family, one of the men is none other than Cy, Zinnia's first love and the father of her children. Cy is discharged from the Army Special Forces and now working as a private operator. When he saw Zinnia's name among the list of women, Cy knew he had to claim her once again. Zinnia and her daughter are removed and placed into a barbaric shelter. When Zinnia and a few other women stage a coup in the shelter, she is once again removed by Cy to a different facility. Within their time at the facility, Cy learns more of Zinnia's strength and will to survive and Zinnia learns of Cy's unyielding need for her.
Acquired is a dystopian romance with a good dash of erotica. The story dives right in with Zinnia and Cy meeting and forming an irregular sexual relationship, meant to be a one night experience. These scenes are especially spicy and possibly traumatic with Cy in an experienced, dominant position and Zinnia in an inexperienced, submissive position. I actually thought I started the wrong book since there was nothing about a pandemic; however, these scenes set up the dynamic for Cy and Zinnia in the future. The story then jumps into the future with Zinnia working as a nurse when the pandemic breaks out. I was very interested in the unique target of the pandemic with just women falling victim. I do wish there was a little more information about the pandemic, how it spread and how civilization disintegrated without women. The writing focused on Zinnia's character and her experience as one of the few remaining women in society, constantly on the lookout for her safety, learning to live off the land and defend herself. Zinnia's strength was the focus as she was transferred to the first facility and onto a second with the aid of Cy. I was confused about Cy's intention during all of these moves as well as the power dynamic between him and Zinnia. I feel like any potential romance would have been broken with the abuse incurred. Zinnia was able to persevere through horrific treatment as well as deal with a confusing romance. I was happy with the ending and definitely want to continue the series.
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The summer before her senior year of high school, Sage is recovering from an abusive relationship with a controlling boyfriend that resulted in Sage having panic attacks in crowded areas. With the help of her best friend, Naomi, she is steadily recovering. Neb is new to town, moving across Oregon to live with his mother after the unexpected death of his father. Neb is adjusting, but misses his father and his avid love of science and outer space. Neb is looking forward to the upcoming total solar eclipse, but it will be a bittersweet experience without his father. Neb's friend throws him an epic bonfire to get to know some friends before the start of the school year along with a group text of everyone invited. Through the group text, Neb gets to know Sage, but she opts out of the bonfire. Through continued texting, Sage finds herself connecting strongly with Neb, but her fear of a new relationship stops her from going too far. When an opportunity to view the eclipse on a school trip pops up, Neb jumps at the chance and Sage is convinced to come along. When Neb and Sage finally meet, they see stars; but will Sage be able to overcome her trauma and will Neb be able to fully experience the eclipse without his father? Chasing the Sun is a cute young adult romance centered around the 2017 total eclipse. This character driven romance included strong male and female leads as well as an amazing supportive cast of friends. Sage is strong willed and knows herself well, but has been shaken to her core by manipulative boyfriend, Pax. Neb is caring and resilient but coming to terms with missing watching the eclipse with his father. Their relationship forms very naturally, getting to know one another through text without ever seeing one another. When Sage and Neb finally do meet, it is a moment of kismet. With the backdrop of the approaching eclipse, there is magic in the air as the new couple is able to get to know one another over an epic three day date. I loved all the space jokes and their easy nature with one another. Sage and Neb's relationship showcased healthy relationships, respect for each other's boundaries and freedom of expressing yourself. Sage and Neb's friends are also super supportive of each of their quirks and needs. Overall, an amazing young adult romance with spectacular characters and settings. Klara is a middle aged archaeologist who has found her place teaching at a small university in Maine. Klara makes a living studying other cultures' history, but has never thought to look into her own Polish-Jewish heritage due to her mother's aloofness and father's abandonment at an early age. When Klara's mother unexpectedly contacts Klara about reparations from the Polish government for her father's death, Klara jumps at the chance to connect with the family she never knew about in Poland and finds a deep curiosity to seek more knowledge about her roots. Klara's Truth is a story of finding yourself and overcoming trauma. I felt strongly for Klara as her whole world was changed as her mother divulged that the father she believed abandoned her died when she was a young girl. Klara's trip to Poland was eye opening in many ways. First of all, this trip allowed Klara to grow past the hurt of her mother's treatment and lies. Klara found connection with her family and culture with her Aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel was an amazing character, offering Klara what she needed most, but also helping her understand the impact of her showing up after so long with no contact and not knowing why. Klara's new connection with her cultural heritage and family history is another important aspect of the story. The history of the Jewish Polish population is one of tragedy and resilience. Filip's character, a Jewish cemetery caretaker, helped Klara foster this connection and introduce her to the deep history of Poland's Jewish people. As Klara explored Poland, she saw the strength of her ancestors and how people rebounded and used those principles in her own life. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. All her life, Kai Martin family and the Tyler's have been a tightly knit unit. Kai is best friends with Stephanie Tyler and has always dreamed of marrying Stephanie's older brother, Josh. Kai is fiercely protective of her twin brother, Kade and looks to her trusting and gentle mother for advice. As she grows, Kai notices some cracks in the family's foundation. Both her father and the Tyler's dad drink a lot when they are together, sometimes the dads get violent as well, especially the Tyler's dad. Kai also notices her and Kade grow apart and struggle. as they develop their own interests. As Kai goes through several tragedies, she learns to rebuild and move on, although not always with the greatest coping strategies. Now, both adults Kai and Josh find themselves together once again and Kai is willing to change herself to fulfill her dream of being with Josh. However, like many other things in Kai's life, her time with Josh is anything but perfect. All I Know is a raw look at the realities of life. Told through Kai's point of view, the author brings us on an emotionally charged journey through several life changing events. The writing handles all of these events with tenderness yet still communicating the matter-of-fact points of alcoholism, abuse, depression and abortion. Following Kai from childhood to adulthood, her journey is one of finding yourself and not losing hope. I do wish some of the other characters would have been a better source of strength in Kai's life. Kai's mother was amazing, always offering advice and a steady emotional state, telling Kai what she needed to hear even when it was difficult. I was glad that Kai pursued therapy and reading Kai's letters to Kade were some of my favorite parts. Josh was an interesting character, he seemed to be a constant for Kai, but was definitely fighting demons of his own that resulted in creating more turbulence for Kai. In the end, I think Kai made the best decisions she could for herself. Three women with complicated and varied histories come together and clash over abortion rights. Sylvie is a mother and Tony award winning director blindsided by a divorce. Struggling for work and to find herself, Sylvie accepts a job at Linden College in upstate New York teaching playwriting. While at Linden, Sylvie volunteers as an escort at a family planning clinic, assuaging some of the guilt from not being able to support her sister previously. Caroline is a devout Catholic whose time within the church as a youth left her with unprocessed emotions. Caroline loses contact with her children after her daughter came out but has found solace in lobbying for Pro Life and protesting at the family planning clinic. Meg is an adopted and troubled teen turning her life around at Linden after a terrible accident who now must face another life threatening choice. This Was Not The Plan is a realistic, heartfelt and engaging delve into abortion. Each character is introduced one at a time, digging deep into their past and complete story, growing empathy and understanding. Each of these characters are thrown off balance from where they thought their life was going. Much like Sylvie's character teaches in her class, the reader is able to see and identify with each character through their own unique lens. The writing brought these characters together slowly, creating suspense for their ultimate collision. As the story continues, interesting relationships are created as the characters grow and change making way for humorous situations even with such a heavy topic. Some of the best moments were when all three of the characters were together as they navigated the tricky path they have found themselves on. With an amazing ending that makes sense for each character, This Was Not The Plan weaves a genuine look at the realities of abortion. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Long ago, a group of vampires went down with Atlantis in order to guard the monsters that Atlantis keeps imprisoned. To help the vampires sustain themselves, previous leaders have enslaved the human Descendants of Atlantis to feed them. Current leader, Ian believes differently. When Ian gets word that one of his prisoners, Norgis, has escaped to Miami, he takes action and returns to the surface to hunt Norgis down. Ian picks up Norgis' scent immediately along with the scent of his brother. Ian also detects an irresistible scent of a woman, Katherine, that Norgis has targeted for an artifact that she has. Now, Ian is trying to protect Katherine, track down Norgis and stop his brother's plot to rule Atlantis. Vampires of Atlantis is a fast paced paranormal romance. The story dives right into the action with Norgis escaping. I felt a little lost or like I had missed something for the first half of the book with no knowledge of how Atlantis worked, why anyone was down there and why it was so important to find the monster and Ian's brother. Regardless, the story is action packed and fun as Ian and his team track Norgis, come into contact with other dangerous groups and try to protect Katherine while she finds out the truth about herself. Ian and Katherine have an insta love romance aided by vampire blood and a few steamy scenes. I had a hard time with Katherine's character as she seems to blindly follow Ian and doesn't seem to have anything attaching her to her life. Katherine does redeem herself a bit when she realizes several times that she might be being held prisoner and fights back. Once the team returned to Atlantis, missing pieces started to fill in and I enjoyed learning about how and why the vampires lived at the bottom of the ocean. The ending was exciting and amped up the danger. Overall, an exciting and enjoyable vampire read. King Solomon has died suddenly at his family home, dubbed the Kingdom. The Kingdom is an heir property, family land jointly owned by descendants of a deceased person from the time the Solomon family worked the land as slaves. Now, King's children, Junior, Mance, Tokey and Cece return to the Kingdom to deal with King's death, each carrying a heavy secret of their own. The siblings learn that the Kingdom comes with a complicated path forward as large corporations swoop in on vague legalities to take the Kingdom's land. While trying to save their home, each sibling is also trying to save themselves. Junior is finally figuring out his sexuality while trying not to alienate the family he has built. Mance is dealing with his aggression while learning of his son's disability. Tokey is fighting an eating disorder while wondering why she doesn't quite fit in with her family. Cece is worrying about the consequences she will have to face from embezzling thousands of dollars from her law firm's clients. Each sibling will have to face their individual problems in order to move ahead with saving the Kingdom. Long After We Are Gone is an emotional family drama. Told from alternating points of view of each sibling, the characters, their secrets and how they work through them take center stage. I do wish there was a better delineation between each sibling's viewpoint through each chapter. I was very interested in heir properties and how families used this to keep their property within the family only for it to become a tenuous legal situation down the road, one more issue keeping land from African American families. I was very interested in how each of the siblings dealt with their problems in secret while having strong family bonds. I didn't particularly care for more than one sibling more than another and they weren't particularly sympathetic characters, however, they were very realistic and each had interesting journeys. Long After We Are Gone examines how secrets can create larger problems and feed into generational trauma. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Sixteen year old twins Sabine and Blythe have just lost their father to a brief but intense illness. After their father's death, their mother uproots Sabine and Blythe's life to move to a ramshackle mansion in the small, historic community of Thornewood with a man named Charlie. The girls don't know exactly who Charlie is, but he seems close to their mom and remains a mystery to be solved. Blythe happily settles into their new life and the academic rigors of their new school. Sabine, however, is rolling with anxiety and the mystery of Charlie is not helping. Sabine is determined to get some of her life back, starting with solving the mystery of Charlie. Wider Than the Sky is an emotional, contemporary, young adult story. From the beginning, I was engaged with the mystery of the death of Sabine and Blythe's father as well as who Charlie was to him. As soon as that becomes apparent, the story turns to an emotional rollercoaster of dealing with grief, family secrets and finding yourself in turbulent times. The story is told mostly through Sabine's point of view and her character stands out with her quirky poeting and finding her footing with new friends and relationships. Sabine reacts to the situation as I would expect any 16 year old girl to react, with shock and push back. Blythe's character seems to react oppositely with blind acceptance of their strange situation. I was more surprised at their mother's approach of just keeping everything a secret and thinking that two sixteen year old girls wouldn't figure things out. I liked Sabine's transition to acceptance of the large change in her life and the meaning of her parent's relationship. Blythe's character highlights the fragility and resilience of the teenage spirit as she comes to find herself. Eddie Logan is one of the nation's leading standardbred horse trainers and racers. He has a passion for the horses he works with and the race. However, Eddie has been noticing that the sport is losing integrity. There is rampant cheating in multiple ways, Eddie notices that horses are being drugged, some to the point of death. He also begins to notice racing being fixed so owners can bet on certain horses finishing at certain places. Eddie can't compete with the horses on drugs and other drivers boxing him in and is losing money, Tom, his business partner, is not happy. Eddie's wife, Jean realizes that she'll have to bring in some extra money to keep the household and stable going. Jean takes a risk, and places multiple bets using her insider knowledge. At the same time, Tom encourages Eddie to do what he can to win. Refusing to drug his horses, Eddie suggests taking a good horse to several different tracks and holding him back a little bit before letting him race at full capacity to create a bigger payout when a bet is placed. When all else fails, Eddie puts all his hope into his colt, Skipper Creek and is determined to win on his own. The Last Horseman is a realistic fiction story of standardbred horse racing and the people who truly love the sport. I have always loved horses and grew up with them and spent some time at our local racetrack. The author did a wonderful job of describing the racetrack, the horses and their care, the crowds and the anticipation and excitement before the race. I did have a difficult time placing the time period the story was supposed to be in, at first I thought the setting was potentially in the 1970's as the women spoke about how to dress at the racetrack and some racetrack rituals, but it soon became clear that we were in the present with mention of cell phones and other technology. The pacing of the story was up and down for me with growing excitement during a race and when Jean was placing a bet and lulls in between the races. The story was very interesting with all of the behind the scenes cheating and gambling, but did not develop the characters that well. I did feel like I knew Eddie's colt, Skipper Creek and his personality pretty well. Overall, an intriguing story of horse racing and gambling. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Three of Trina Leigh Dean's beloved snakes have gone missing from her serpentarium. Trina knows the culprit, her troubled sister, Chelsea and contacts her friend, Fletch who is an officer in St. Augustine. On the same night Trina's snakes go missing, a missing person report is filed for Gethin Jacobs. Gethin always introduces himself as someone who likes music, hiking and snakes. He is also a recovering drug addict. Gethin's sister, Serena and his girlfriend Rocky search for Gethin with the help of Jazz. Jazz knows Gethin from school, but has an ulterior motive since he has had a crush on Serena, not to mention his current unhoused status or the fact that he is not taking his meds. Jazz helps Serena unravel some of the mysteries behind Gethin's disappearance and his connection to Trina's snakes, but during this time, he forgets to take care of himself. Snakes of St. Augustine is a heartfelt, emotional novel of companionship, friendship, family and mental health. With depth and focus, each of the characters is fully formed with insight into their thoughts and actions. Chapters alternating between their points of view of Gethin, Rocky, Serena, Jazz, Fletch and Trina make the story move quickly and deepen the mystery. I enjoyed the insight into everyone's innermost thoughts and could easily empathize with the different views. None of the characters were perfect, but were all trying their best. Serena feels obligated to be a caretaker to Gethin, Gethin's love for snakes overcomes his common sense, Rocky is doing her best to overcome a series of unfortunate events, Jazz doesn't want to be like his mother, but is resisting the treatment he needs and Fletch is just trying to get to retirement. As their stories collide, their conditions and past experiences create an explosive situation as well as new paths forward. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. |
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