Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

     Alicia Berenson murdered her husband, shooting him five times in the face, then never spoke again. Everything in her life seemed perfect from the outside. Both she and her husband, Gabriel, were well-renowned artists. He a photographer and she a painter. She loved him so much it hurt and he doted on her constantly. Why then did she kill him? Why wouldn't she speak about it? Her only hint had been a painting done after her attempted suicide which she titled Alcestis. She has now been moved the the psychiatric ward, The Grove, where every attempt to get her to open up has failed. 

    When Theo Faber, psychotherapist, heard all of this on the news he felt the need to help Alicia. Almost 6 years later he got the chance when a psychotherapist job opened at the unit Alicia was held in. Until now no one has gotten close, but Theo is sure he can bring her out of it and get the needed answers. The more he probes into the secrets of her past the more twisted things become. The line between doctor and patient is blurring and what is found there may be no coming back from.

    I downloaded this audiobook in the Libby app at the suggestion of one of my subscribers. It isn't their book, just one that they had read and enjoyed. I am always interested in crime mysteries so was instantly intrigued. As soon as I began the book I found it hard to stop. In fact, I read 25% of it that first day and 3 days later here I am, with the book completed. I needed to know what happened to Alicia. Perhaps that is because the legal spelling of my name is Alicia, perhaps not. 

    I liked how the book jumped from the point of view of Theo to that of Alicia. We had a mixture of the past and the present working our way to a common goal. Always giving details, but never the answer the reader so craved until almost the very end. The end surprised me. While the person I suspected seemed a pain he didn't, in fact, kill her husband. I wonder what would have happened if what happened with Alicia at the end hadn't. How would things have changed? It is so hard to write this without giving things away, but I want you to form your own opinions. I will say that who I suspected was one of those that Alicia suspected in her journal. 

    Now for the bad. I don't have a lot of bad to say about this book. In fact my issues with this book stem from the psychotherapy standpoint. Not if it is bad or good as therapy helps many. No, what I mean is it is says if you were not loved and nurtured by your parent you in turn cannot give what was missed in the future since you don't know how. I don't feel that way. Your past doesn't have to define who you are. Yes, I am speaking from experience, but I won't go into it. Other than that, which is delved into quite a bit, I really enjoyed the book and believe that you would as well. 

    My favorite character in this was Rose, Theo's therapist. Something about the kindly old lady vibes. Besides anyone who can put up with years worth of Theo deserves an award. When it was first mentioned that he was married I was surprised. He seemed emotionally detached from anything not involving Alicia and her case. Even then it seemed more obsession and intrigue than an emotional attachment. 

    This is a shocking psychological crime thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. There is love, loss, betrayal, and many suspects to choose from!  This book is available on Amazon for $12.50 by clicking here. 

Book Review: Reality Check by Dave McCreery (Weight of the World Book 1)

     Since WW3 there has been a global economy and everything has a safety net. Individuals are minors until the age of 25. Racing is done in the Sims. Even if you jump out of a building there are precautions to keep you from dying. Everything is...safe. And most enjoy their padded world. Except when there is no risk of getting hurt one become more reckless. This is the case with Ryan. He is an underage racer who takes risks that sometimes pay off and other times end in wrecks. Everything was going great until the Enforcer's show up with an ultimatum. Join their special program or be prosecuted for underage racing. Without a true choice his decision is made. However, the program General Matthews has in mind has no safe guards and the risk is very real. No longer are just computer simulations at risk. Instead, the fate of the Globe rests heavily in Ryan's hands. 

    I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Anyone who reads my page with some frequency, or if you are new and have played a bit of catch up, knows that I enjoy LitRPG and VR books. While this isn't a LitRPG it has a similar feel. There is a sim, or simulated reality, much like in VR. There is a virtual world and your decisions have an impact on what happens. Similar to a LitRPG.

    However, there is more to it than that. In this case there is also the ability to remotely control actual items in the real world from the safety of a sim unit. The pilot is protected and only machinery is at risk. Seems perfect. Keeps potential casualties low and you don't have to constantly retrain new recruits to replace your senior agents. I do want to let you know this book leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger. I need to know what the word was flashing on the screens!

    Beyond this, in these pages, you will find an impulsive young man at the tender age of 24. He is reckless and a bit of a wildcard and being 24 myself I have known many that age to be a reflection of this. Can't say that I agree with being considered a minor until 25. Adulthood is much better than anything I experienced as a minor, but to each their own. That being said war has the ability to age a person quickly and it was interesting to see how real time choices impacted Ryan. He took consequences hard, but I can't say that I would have reacted any differently. Getting a reality check isn't always a pleasant experience and this was only heightened by his upbringing. 

    Ryan is an interesting individual. His past is hinted at. Giving clues that he was a bit of a spoiled rich boy who had a falling out with his parents. I really would love to know what happened there, but as it wasn't pertinent to the story at this point I can understand why it was left out. However, I can't say that he is my favorite character. In fact, that would have to be Sara, Ryan's friend. She is a good racer and is in touch with reality even though she declined to be a part of the program. She is able to give some much needed advice and put things into perspective without judgement. Someone like that is rare and I hope we see more of her in the future. 

    Alright, so I have said a lot of positives in this book as well as my general impression. But, I do have a negative to say. Keep in mind this could be because the author is British, but I'm not sure. Frequently in the book the word coo is used. I originally looked this up on Google to see what kind of slang it is in Brittan, but was unable to find anything satisfactory. When I looked it up it said coo was a phrase used to express surprise or amazement. As that didn't fit with many of the instances it was used I started popping in my own word. I thought perhaps the author was using it to substitute the word shit. Maybe not a fan of cussing. This was quickly dispelled as the author does curse without hesitation (not complaining on this fact). So for the remainder of the pages I would flop between shit and idiot whenever I read the word coo. I feel this detracted from the book. If it was mentioned, even in one place, what coo meant it would have been easier to not be momentarily pulled from the story. 

    That is my only complaint for the story. Reality Check is a fast paced action book full of saving the world from invaders and a race against time. It is also a book that I suggest to anyone who is a bit of an adrenaline junky. Even if it comes from a videogame or within the pages of a book. This book is set to be released on 10/5/21 on Amazon for $4.49. You can pick up your copy now by clicking here to have it auto-delivered to your reading device next Tuesday. 

Subscriptions

     I want to thank everyone who reads my posts. I truly appreciate that you want to know what books I enjoyed and which ones I did not. I have had a subscribe option on my blog since it began and I generally do not check it considering it was an automated email subscription. However, Feedburner, which was used by Blogger has removed the email subscription feature from their site. I have now added another subscription feature to my page and if you would be so kind as to resubscribe it would be greatly appreciated so that you do not miss out on any of the reviews that I post. Thank you for taking the time to read this short notice. 

Book Review: Cold Mourning by Brenda Chapman

     Kala Stonechild transferred to the Ottawa police force in a preventive crime unit to be able to search for her missing cousin. She has always trusted her intuition to get results and hopefully this will pay off in the case her team was just assigned. A few days before Christmas Tom Underwood goes missing. The entire family seems dysfunctional and everyone seems to be hiding something.  With the director breathing down their necks about potentially closing the task force they need results fast. Will the newest member of the team be able to find out what happened to this man?

    I impulse downloaded this book from the Libby app after finishing my last audiobook. I was in the mood for a good murder mystery and I cannot say that I was disappointed. I will say that I was a bit surprised. When the book begins it talks about 2 young girls being picked up as hitchhikers and attacked by the driver. Of course the girls retaliated and hid the results. I expected the book to be about this introduction. Who the girls were. The police investigation. Then the results. This wasn't the case, although the girls do play a part in this story. 

    I genuinely enjoyed this audiobook and don't have complaints to speak of. My favorite character in this book was Rouleau. He seemed kind and caring. That and the fact that he put his feelings on hold to honor his ex-wife's wishes made him my favorite. He also gave the new girl a chance to work on her own in a new town on a priority case. I don't feel like a lot of commanding officers would do that, but I don't know a lot about police work. 

    This book talks a lot about discrimination against Native Americans, which you don't hear about as frequently as you do against other nationalities. I have no doubt it exists as people are awful, it was just interesting that this was the highlighted denomination. The book doesn't shove the racism down your throat. It is just used to show how people's opinions of someone based on their heritage colors their opinions. In Stonechild's case individuals didn't believe she was up to the task or would be an asset. I was glad to see that she proved those with prejudices wrong. 

    This book is set in Canada so the fact that it was briefly mentioned that winters don't last long there confused me a bit. I live in Indiana in the US and definitely last longer than being over after Christmas. I would think the further North you went the colder it became. If not and they have warm fronts signaling an end to winter in late December/early January that is amazing, and completely unfair. 

    I hope that we are able to find out more details of what Rouleau's father uncovers in his investigation in future books by this author, as I will be looking up others in the future. For now, this is a book I suggest you pick up. I urge you to curl up in your favorite chair with a blanket and a warm drink to best enjoy this Cold Mourning. This book is available on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here.

Blood Red Moon by Mark Allen

     Caleb has been a werewolf for the last 180 years. During that time he has avoided most notice being drawn to himself. He has been content to stay to himself for all of this time until his co-worker Russell brings him and Russell's cousin, Marla, into an ongoing police investigation. Normally a history professor would have no place hunting a serial killer, but in this case there is historical significance. The only problem? The murders are being done by other werewolves. Somehow, Caleb must find "The Master" and stop whatever is going on before wolves are exposed to humans. Can one "man" stop the plan that has been set into motion?

    The author offered me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. There were parts of this book that I loved and others that I hated. For instance, when Marla was first described on Caleb and her first meeting at a party before our story takes place the description of her made me want to hurl. Not because it was disgusting, but it is the type of description that so many female readers complain about when it comes to male authors. "Marla was mixed race, white and hispanic. Tall and slender, she had been born with a body type that would stay height-weight proportionate all her life. She had slugged her way through college on sports scholarships and part-time jobs, she still kept her raven hair short on her neck to keep it out of the way. Delicate feet, strong calves, muscular thighs, flat belly, and small perky breasts. Toned arms and shoulders. She still swam laps and ran several days a week." Spare me. To give Mark credit, this is the only time in the book he did this, but it was still annoying. 

    If that is ignored then the book is enjoyable. I feel like there is a spot in the book where Martinez states he is going to find out just what Caleb's secret is, which doesn't fit with what is learned later. That being said I didn't go back and search for that particular instance as it was a tiny detail thrown in during the first time Caleb goes to the police station. I could be misremembering things.  

    Alright, I have had my complaints. Now on to all of the things that I enjoyed about this book. Because, really, the issues can be found within two paragraphs out of a 250 page book. Completely not fair to judge based on those things alone. Caleb is a great mix of old world charm, alpha protectiveness, and new age independence. Russell is a sleeze bag, but the kind where you want to just grin and roll your eyes at his antics rather than actually be upset with or over him. Marla is in a lot of internal turmoil throughout the book, which I can't blame her for at all. The characters are well-rounded and relatable. They feel like real people, not someone who could only survive trapped in a page. 

    The backstory was engaging and tied in well with the present. The "villain" was someone that you love to hate, as all villains should be. The scenery was beautifully depicted and it was easy to image the events as they took place. Not only that, but the book was well written, outside of what was discussed earlier. For a book that has yet to be released there are very few grammatical errors or typos found within the pages. 

    This book is truly a gory, gruesome werewolf story and just up my alley. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have. Pick up your copy today at Amazon for $5.99 by clicking here. This book is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

Book Review: Bitter Almonds & Jasmine by Dominic Piper

     Daniel Beckett is a private investigator with all the perks. A classified background, fake name, and enough charm and know how to get a date plus some fun from most women he meets. During one such tirade he gets a call from someone talking in code that he hasn't heard from in years. Little did he know that this job would become as deep and disturbing as it is. But, no matter what Daniel will finish this job. No matter how sticky of a situation it becomes. Packed with origies, beautiful women, death, and a torture session or two it's hard to believe the fun could ever end. 

    I received a paperback copy of this book in the mail from the author in exchange for an honest review. It took me a bit of time to finish it, but I enjoyed it from the start. There are some disturbing moments in it, involving children, but Piper worked this well into the storyline. 

    Beckett is a bit of a horn-dog, but it isn't a book full of overly sexual scenes. I feel like if it had been I would have hated those bits of his personality more. Instead, he is upfront about how things are with females and they are as fine with it as he is. How he is getting that many stunning women to sleep with him is another matter, but I must assume he is overly attractive. Charisma can only get one so far. That being said his knowledge of so many brands of perfume was a bit boring. Just felt a little like useless facts that flit around in people's brains that we seldom voice. 

    Francie was a bit unexpected, but I liked her. I enjoyed her personality, especially her avid collection of porn. Weird about those with her family in it, though. She was sure of herself and having dated someone from North Carolina she would fit in there. That was something I was amused about considering the author is from the UK where this book is set. There are some details in this book what I didn't understand at first as they are things associated with UK, but with Google's help it wasn't hard to traverse. 

    My favorite character in this book was Liva. Just for how kooky she is. After everything she witnessed within these pages she is upbeat and knows exactly what she wants. She has a career where she is recognized and it is something she enjoys doing. More power to her if she wants to be in porn. I fell for her when she was darting around her house offering up books and giving little backstories on items that she had. It was just adorable.

    Alright, I have spent more time on the characters than I normally do so I will get right down to it. I loved this book from start to finish. I wanted to know how deep this ran and how everything was going to tie together. The dog was confusing. If you didn't know what a japanese mountain dog is then I am sure it would have played off well. But they are a medium sized dog that is beyond adorable. Unable to be a family pet? A little far fetched. If I had my way I would have a Russian Mountain dog. Which in all honesty fits the description a bit more since they could be 250 lbs. That being said I couldn't see them battling Samuri. Bears are more their style. 

    This is definitely a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting more, until everything is tied up. In some cases literally. Helpful hint. Use the Google translate on the phrases. They are a bit hilarious. Especially Salo at the end. You won't regret it. This is a great crime mystery novel that I have already suggested to more than one individual and have no plans on stopping any time soon. 

    I highly suggest you head on over to Amazon and get Bitter Almonds & Jasmine for $5.32 by clicking here. This book is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

Book Review: Accidentally Flirting with the CEO by Shadonna Richards (Accidentally Flirting with the CEO Part 1)

     Alexa had a good job at an advertising agency while going to school online. Everything was going great. She had a great job that she loved where she was working her way up and she was well on her way to getting her Master's degree. She was even getting over the death of her ex two years prior. Everything was great. That is until she accidentally emailed her sexy boss a sex scene between the two of them that she had written for her romance class. Now all she has to do is find a way to get rid of it before he reads it...

    I loved most of what I got of this book. I will start by saying that it is 1 book that they have broken down into 3 parts. Yes, anyone who has read any of my reviews knows I hate them. But, as always I impulse buy things without fully checking if the author butchered a perfectly good book. Unfortunately, because of the fact it is in parts and the other two sections are not on my Libby app I will not be reading the rest of the series. Moving on. 

    The other thing I did not like in the book was them saying "I love you." Guys. You've never so much as hinted that you have feels then all of a sudden it is "I love you." Really? The "book" would have been completely fine as just smut. No need to involve feels this early on. If you want to bring them into play a bit later after they've been romantically involved for at least a week or two then sure. But the first time? Not so much. Yes, I know they have worked together for a while, but you never really know someone by how they act at work. 

    On to the goods. Jess is sexy and has some underlying trauma. He's lost someone he was close to and, at least in his internal thoughts, isn't afraid to deal with that. He has worked hard for what he has and is still a down to Earth guy. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and has interactions with his employees at all staffing levels. He is probably my favorite character in this book, although to be fair I didn't have a lot of choices. 

    I got this book on Amazon back in 2017, but it is no longer available on Amazon. It is, however, available on Google Play Books for free. Unfortunately I am unable to add my normal link to purchase as it is Google Play instead, but just typing in the name will pop the book up. If you would like the box set it is available for $12.99 on Amazon by clicking here.

Book Review: Immersion Online: The Zealot by Evan Klein (Immersion Online Book 2)

     Mace has completed his training and is no longer a noob. Now, he is starting in the city of Granville, and he can see why his boss, Haggarty, refused to give him details. The previous Constable gave his guards no authority and havoc was being wrecked in the town. After curbing one disaster it seems that the city has more in store for him. There is a relic merchant, Rhia, to add some spice and maybe a little confusion to his life. In an attempt to complete the quests given to him by Rhia to find her missing relics there may be something much bigger at play that not even the creator of the game has a say in. A battle the likes of while Immersion Online has never before seen will soon be waged, but there is more at stake then stats. 

    This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review in the form of an ARC. After reading book 1 of the series I was intrigued with what book 2 would bring. That being said, I loved book 2 more than book 1. I finished the book in 4 reading sessions and it would have been less if one of my friends hadn't called needing me to stay on the phone with her for a long drive home. Putting down this book was a hard task to accomplish and I am sure that you will feel the same once you begin reading it. 

    There is more action in this book than in book 1, and you would easily be able to enjoy it without having read The Noob. I know for a fact that I will be needing book 3 as soon as I have the ability. I don't know if I will have to wait until release like everyone else for book 3, as I know Evan is currently writing it, but I truly cannot wait. There are so many questions that I have at the end of the book and am sure that Klein will not disappoint to have these answers as the series continues. 

    While the favorite character from book 1 was a moonshiner with a prickly past, I think I am going to have to replace that spot with Tinsie. Seriously, who doesn't love a sprite? That being said, the fact that she repeats some words three times randomly as she talks made me question if she was a NPC instead of a Starborn. I have now chocked it up to one of the random little quirks that comes with the feisty deputy, but do wonder if she has this issue in the RW as well. 

    This is a book for gamers and anyone who loves a good fantasy book. I have already been driving my aforementioned friend nuts saying she needs to get both books next week. I am sure both she and my husband are tired of hearing me try to force this book on them. My husband would love it, but he is stubborn and for some reason refuses to use the Kindle app that I downloaded on his phone. Something about it needing to be the Google Books app. Annoying male. 

I completely recommend this book. This book is available on Amazon for $1.99 by clicking here.        This book is available on Kindle Unlimited.   

Books by this author: 

Immersion Online: The Noob (Book 1)

Immersion Online: The Symbiont (Book 3)

Immersion Online: The Herald (Book 4)

Book Review: About Love by Lexy Timms (Just About Book 1)

      Kallie owned a successful employment business with her fiancé and thought everything was going great. That is until the Feds came to the office and informed her that he had been switching her employees with prostitutes and running a brothel out of her business. Before the feds were able to get him he transferred all of her money from their shared accounts and disappeared. Luckily, she had some money in savings that he didn't have access to, but Kallie's name and business were ruined. Deciding the best course of action would be to start over she took what cash she had, got an apartment, and started working at the first bar she walked into on the bad side of town. Everything at Darkness seems to be going downhill quickly and her only saving grace is the tall, sexy Russian Sasha who might just make things worse instead of better. 

    This is a book that I have had sitting in my Kindle library for years. At the beginning of it I had high  hopes. I retained those hopes as I progressed deeper into the book as I genuinely enjoyed parts of it. That being said Kallie is like a young girl who is just desperate. One second she is acting all big and bad, but she doesn't even have the guts to look into all the details about the man she is sleeping with. Not only that she jumped into bed with her boss the first chance she got. Flashing sign there, honey. No matter what was done to her or she found out all we got was the attraction was too powerful. Please. 

    Sasha is a cagey pain in the ass and I found that I hated him for most of the book. In fact, I was hoping that he wouldn't be much of a thing after-all or that something about him would be a redeeming quality. Nope. I dislike him as much at the end of this book as I did at the start. It started with the whole "I want you to be a kept woman." thing and just escalated from there. 

    The end of the book just annoyed the hell out of me and I will not be getting any more books in this series. At all. Yes, I have more Lexy Timms books, and have enjoyed some of hers in the past. So, I will not be stopping from all of her books, but this is one series I am done with after book one. 

    My favorite character in this book is Sal, although he bends over a little too easily to Sasha. He seemed like a nice enough male otherwise. 

    If you are looking for an action packed book that will leave you wondering just how deep the issues go then look no further. This book is available on Amazon for free by clicking here.

Books by author: 

Troubled Nate Thomas

Book Review: 48 Hours to Die by Silk White

     Uncle Sam is on the loose and he has one mission in mind: Make Detective Anthony Stone pay for his wife's death. It is the police's job to protect and serve. So, in order for the cops to get up and start doing their duty Uncle Sam is going on a killing spree. When that isn't enough Uncle Sam decides to make it personal. Stone has 48 hours to choose himself or his family. Who lives and who dies will be up to the detective. 

    I started this book with the highest of hopes. I loved the synopsis. I serial killer with an ultimatum? Yes please. Everyone loves a good serial killer book. Especially where they chop their victims up into tiny little pieces. That being said this book falls flat of my expectations. If you were to chop up this book the same way Uncle Sam does then you'd have about half the words and a decent short story. 

    The story has hope. If you ignore everything else. The story itself has the possibility of being a gruesome vengeance book. I am sitting here going through my lists of eBooks trying to find out where I got this book from. If it was an impulse buy then I don't feel bad about what comes next. If, however, it was an indie author who suggested I purchase their book on Amazon I am going to feel terrible. Because I love the indie authors on my Twitter and hate to leave a negative review. Especially considering I would give it zero stars if I had the option. I know I shouldn't feel the relief that I do, but this was not one of "my authors" as I like to call them. This was an impulse buy. 

    Moving on, since I have expelled everything nice I have to say about this book. It was so badly written that I wasn't sure if the author was from another country and English wasn't their primary language. Spoiler. They are from New York. No dice there. Someone needs to take away this authors right to use a comma. The amount of times they are used incorrectly baffles the mind. Seriously. Who puts a comma in the middle of a sentence? It is like they were using it as their only seasoning and they were liberal with it. I really don't even want to know how many commas are in this book. 

    Next. The overly descriptive sections. If I ever have to read the name Anthony Stone again I may stab out my own eyes. EVERY time Stone is talked about or there is a chapter about this man it is Anthony Stone. Not Stone. Not Anthony. It was infuriating. Or "the masked man" did this and continues using that phrase in each sentence of a paragraph. I don't know if there was some word count that had to be achieved and when the story just didn't cut it the author went "Let's add some descriptives!" ,but that was not the way to go. 

    I know I am not the only one who noticed how badly this book was written because there were frequently highlighted sections. Normally I don't pay these too much mind. People like to highlight things they enjoyed. However, in this case I feel these readers were doing exactly what I was doing. Which was highlighting all of the errors in the book. I know I didn't catch them all because I started skimming just wanting this torture to end. 173 in the 93 pages that make up this book. And no, this does not include every time the detectives name was used. 

    I know I have been harsh on the awfulness of this editing, but honestly while it was obviously non-existent that isn't the entire issue with this book. There is also the issue of Uncle Sam's deceased partner. At the beginning she is referred to as his fiancé and from that point thereafter she is referred to as his wife. To my knowledge you have to be married before you die to become someone's wife. But, it could just be another of the many errors in this book. It is safe to say I won't be getting any other books from this author. 

    If you don't mind your eyes bleeding then you can find this book on Amazon for free by clicking here.

Book Review: Immersion Online: The Noob by Evan Klein (Immersion Online Book 1)

     When Mace is forced to retire from the police force by his long-time friend and previous partner Haggarty after a heart attack he isn't sure what he is going to do. Let alone how he is going to help his daughter, Amber, with college expenses as promised. That is until Haggarty says that he can get him on as a constable for the VR game: Immersion Online. Mace had never been big on gaming, even though he grew up in a time when it was prominent, so this would be a new experience. Once he gets online he is immediately thrown into battle and begins earning XP. However, there seems to be more to this game than meets the eye as the NPCs are self aware and things are happening that weren't programmed. Can the skills from his lifetime help him face the new challenges of this world? 

    I was sent a physical copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

    Somehow before the past 6 months I had never read any LitRPG books. Don't ask me how considering how many books I read as well as the fact that both I and my husband are gamers. He is actually playing DND on his desktop beside me as I write this with his buddies. I have decided that it is now one of my new favorite genres. 

    This book needs some editing, but after speaking with the author last night shortly after I finished the book he told me that the eBook has already received editing. I have a physical copy (YAY ME!!!) and it didn't receive that by the time it was published. Honestly, even with the editing issues it rarely detracts from the story. I can only think of 2 instances: one was when the word apoplectic was used instead of apologetic. It confused me simply because one possible definition of apoplectic is angered or enraged. And yes, I looked up the definition because I have no shame in admitting it wasn't one I was familiar with. The second was the first time we let the pretty boy NPC. The "whilst" did it for me. I kept reading it as "while-st". This one I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but it threw me. 

    Those are the only bad things I have to say about this book. I love the full immersion in RPG games and think it would be a lot of fun to actually be able to do things like this. The auto log-off after a certain amount of time was certainly a nice touch, although one that I am sure many gamers would have problems with.  

    Our main character, Mace, is an older guy who only has his daughter left in his life after his wife died years before and he is forced into retirement. I am sure the initial betrayal stung on that one. Then, having never been a techy before, he is thrust into an online gaming world having no idea what to do and trying to fend for himself. He had discussed the basics with his friend before logging in and he had his personal assistant until level 15 in the starter town, but it is still a bit experience change. I loved that Mace treated the NPCs as lives that were worth saving instead of lines of coding. 

    This game seems to be a continuous play kind of game. So everyone has their own experiences. You don't receive the same tasks and choices made in the game actually affect the NPCs lives going forward. All in all I love the concept and the execution of this LitRPG so far. I am very curious where this will take a turn for in the future. I will be receiving the ARC of book 2 shortly as it will be released on Sept 19 and I want to have the review ready for launch. I am already excited for book 2 and hope that we see more of my favorite character, Hearn, in the future. The fact that the game had a mind of itself is great. Got to love it when technology grows sentient. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $0.99 (eBook) by clicking here. This book is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

Books by this author: 

Immersion Online: The Zealot (Book 2)

Immersion Online: The Symbiont (Book 3)

Immersion Online: The Herald (Book 4)

Book Review: Loving from Afar by Mona Ingram (The Women of Independence Book 1)

     Allison and Cole met for the first time at the tree lighting ceremony in their small town of Independence. From that moment on they were inseparable until almost a year later when things started to go wrong. First, tragedy struck with Allison causing her to have to move 4 hours away with her sister. Shortly after Cole was sent to jail with an 18 month sentence. Allison had been prepared to wait for him to find out what had happened, but when further pain is inflicted upon her which causes Cole to turn away there may be no hope for this couple. 

    Once upon a time not so very long ago I loved paranormal romances over everything else. Now, give me a contemporary romance any day. This book is sweet and a little heartbreaking. The things that happen in it are just a little too plausible and that is where the feels truly come in. I hated what Allison was going through as she was going through it, although her plight is not one that I can relate to. Cole is everything and more, although a little bit of listening never hurt anyone. Years of hurt could have been avoided, but I get it. 

    For once I don't feel like the characters were acting like children when they are adults who are almost 30. Frequently we see adults in contemporary romances have a childish attitude and it causes a sour spot in the story. When I am reading about adults I want them to act like adults, not like spoiled brats who need their way. 

    Cole is my favorite character in this story as he loves doing woodwork. Yes, there are a million reasons I could say, but that is my main one. My grandfather has done woodwork my entire life and even reading about someone loving something he does is amazing. He is my favorite person in the entire world and has described to me more than once the enjoyment he once got out of creating something with his hands and how much that he misses it now that Parkinson's disease has made that impossible. 

    This book is one I suggest reading for anyone with a love of small town romances. The ending is slightly rushed, but that is the only negative I have to say about this book. 

    Loving from Afar is available on Amazon for free by clicking here.

Book Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber (Caraval Book 2)

     After Tella was brought back to life in the last game of Caraval she found herself with the man who had played her sisters love interest in the first book, Dante. She had always been the kiss them and leave them type and expected this dark boy to be no exception, except she can't seem to get him out of her head. Unfortunately, there is no time for the infuriating young man as in order to save her long lost mother she must win another game of Caraval and learn Legend's true name. Once she gives this to her friend she will have her mother back at long last. But with Fates fighting for freedom and some secrets better left uncovered is this a game she can truly win?

    It has been years since I read Caraval, so I don't remember who my favorite character was, but I remember Dante as well as genuinely liking Julian in it. I still like Julian in book 2 and think Scarlet is being too hard on him. Tella is depicted as kissing a lot of boys, but I feel like kissing is just a way of playing down what actually transpired. None the less the book is rather clean with little hints at darkness. It is so easy to forget that Tella is only 16 years old instead of a young adult. In fact I was not reminded of her age until her birthday that came during the book. 

    I can say that I loved Dante in this book and hope for good things from our four main characters of Julian, Dante, Tella, and Scarlet in book 3. As for who legend really is I refuse to give it away. I do want to know who the empresses lost heir is, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is someone whose "empire became a little dimmer when she left." I honestly don't know who the heir is, yet so saying that is giving nothing away. 

    What happened with the fates is interesting and I am curious, with as much as the witch who trapped the Fates has been mentioned, if we will meet her. Besides, the Prince of Hearts is truly a villian that you love to hate. Can't wait to see what mischief he gets up to in Book 3 as I am sure he will not take events that happened lying down. This book and series is packed with love, loss, regrets, hope, and a dash of magic. None the less this series is one that I do and have suggested for a read and I see Book 3: Finale in my very near future!

    This book is available on Amazon for $7.99 by clicking here,

Book by this author: 

Caraval