Review : Alaskan Mountain Search Sarah Varland

Alaskan Mountain Search by Sarah Varland

K-9 Search and Rescue (#8)

Genre: Adventure, Suspense, Love Inspired, 

Goodreads: Click

Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | Walmart eBooks 

Pages: 224

Published: January 24, 2023 by Love Inspired Suspense

A missing teen, a killer on the prowl…

This K-9’s on the case.

In the Alaskan wilderness, there’s only one way to track a serial killer: a K-9. For police captain Bre Dayton, that means working with her ex, search and rescue worker Griffin Knight. With her niece missing and possibly kidnapped, Bre has to find the murderer known as the Echo Pass Hunter—fast. Even if it means trusting the man who broke her heart…and putting herself in the killer’s crosshairs.

Bre's niece is missing and she'll do everything she can to find her. Trying to enlist for her ex Griffin and his k-9 for help. Bre is aware that there is a known murderer the Echo Pass Hunter hunting people and refuses to let her niece be one of them. Problem is that he also set his sights on her now since she keeps poking around looking in his territory. 

I really enjoyed this book. You can tell the amount of love Bre had for her niece and the amount of faith she had in God to be the one out there looking when no one was really helping. I really enjoyed the suspense of it all wondering when she would find her niece and how the results would end with that whether or not she was alive because there was a murderer around. There was also the fact that the murderer kept making attempts at her life and it was interesting seeing how that was playing out. There was a spark between the two main characters but nothing that was really out there this book did remain clean which I appreciate. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and just seeing how it all played out. Highly recommend.

Alaskan Avalanche Escape

Alaskan Avalanche Escape by Darlene L. Turner

Genre: Love Inspired Suspense, Suspense, Romance, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Christian Fiction, Adventure

Goodreads: Click

Pages: 224

Published: February 21, 2023

Sabotage in the mountains…

Can this K-9 sniff out the truth?

After surviving a sudden avalanche, mountain survival expert Jayla Hoyt and her search-and-rescue K-9 discover that it was no accident—someone deliberately triggered the mountain explosion. To uncover the culprit, she’ll have to partner with Alaska park ranger Bryson Clarke, a man she doesn’t trust. But when the investigators become targets, can they capture the criminal mastermind…before they’re buried alive?

Jayla Hoyt is a mountain survival expert who has a search and rescue K-9. When an avalanche occurs leading to her friend going missing possibly dead she does everything she can to find out who is behind the Avalanche that was no accident. She works with Alaskan park ranger Bryson Clarke to figure out who is behind this and try to stay to stay alive since clearly someone doesn't want them further into these explosion/avalanches.

I really enjoyed this book there was so much going on. I love getting to know these characters and seeing how they work together to solve what was going on. Clearly someone didn't want them to look into it so there was a few attempts at their lives or at least to other people that they care about. I love seeing how the more dire the danger scenes come out as closer as they was getting to figuring out who was to find this and why. I love that while there was a bit of romance this book remain clean. This was over all a really good book, I really enjoyed it if you like mystery suspense kind of novels you'll really enjoy this one.

Review : Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

(Dorothy Must Die #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Fiction, Magic, Young Adult, Adventure, Witches,

Goodreads : Click

Pages: 452 

Purchase Link: Amazon | B&N
Published April 1st 2014 by HarperCollins

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.
They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission.

Amy is a trailer trash nobody whoes life just sucked. Then in comes a freak tornado and like the Wizard of Oz she once watched with her mother, she was no longer in Kansas but Oz. Unlike the movie there was no happy munchkins and everything seemed like crap, on top of that Dorothy is somehow the bad guy and Dorthy is under the wings of the wicked witches. Amy is some how left with one mission: Killing Dorthy.

I gotta admit I tried picking up this book many times before and this book just didnt do it for me. Then I found out that my local library had an audiobook and it was the right choice for me. Everything seemed more colorful and lively listening to the readers voice.

I loved how topsy turvey things was in this book. I loved how nothing is as it seems and I kept getting surprised with each reveal. I loved that there were plenty going on to keep me hooked. This book was a gorey and interesting at times. This book ... or audio book was hard to stop once I started it. Thankfully I have the next book with me so after this review I'm going straight forward I need to know what happens next.

All I'm going to leave you with is that this book is fantastic and I loved it. Highly recommend you lovely readers to check out this book!

Review : Stitching Snow

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis Genre: Dystopia, Retelling, Fairy Tales, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure Goodreads: Click Purchase Link: Amazon Pages: 338 Published October 14th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion Synopsis: Essie lives in Thanda that's known for its mines. To help save a couple minors lives shes fixed up a couple of droids to do the job and does cage fighting on the side for money. Things start to get complicated when a ship crash lands near by rather then getting the authorities she helps the pilot Dane so that he can leave quietly. Little did she expect to get kidnapped and sent back to her home where she willingly left with the help of a few people. There is nothing but corruptions and death by the hands of her father the King and his wife where she came from. Review: I really enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of Lunar chronicals I think you'll enjoy this book.If you enjoy a kick butt princess with brains then then this book is for you. I loved getting to know Essie's characters. I loved that even if there was the love interest Dane I wasn't over the top being a romance.I loved that when there were times of trouble she always make sure to keep her and her words of wisdom to help others. I loved that there was always something going on to keep things interesting and to keep the readers on their toes. Overall a great story I really enjoyed it!

Review : You Were Here

You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Death, Family
Goodreads: Click
Purchase Link: Amazon
Pages: 400
Published: March 1st 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis:

Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Review:

Jaycee is still going through grief of after witnessing the death of her brother all cause of a dare. She realizes that with every passing event that's one more thing her brother wasn't able to do and she'll live though. She's depressed and borderline suicidal. School is out and Jaycee and her classmates are going off to live life going to college. Jaycee seems to be going on a path very much like her brother and her friends are there to help stop her before she does something truly idiotic.

Seriously I couldn't think of anything else to describe this book. Regardless this book was a great read. For me to get into this book took a little time but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. It also took me a bit of time to get used to each character perspective of whats going on. I loved the touch of comics and pictures in the book It was a nice touch to add a bit more to the story. I thought it was interesting getting to know each of the characters and seeing how Jaycee wasn't the only person to be affected by the tragedy. Everyone played their part and some hid it better then others. Overall I really enjoyed this book I would rate is 4 of 5 stars

Review: Lumière

Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick 

(The Illumination Paradox #1)
Publication date: December 12th 2013
Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult

Goodreads: Click

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:

Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can’t stay hidden forever.

Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth is no stranger to living in the dark. She’s hidden her secret affliction all of her life—a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. After her mother is accused and executed for a crime that she didn’t commit, the now-orphaned Eyelet has no choice but to track down the machine—her last hope for a cure. But Eyelet’s late father’s most prized invention, the Illuminator, has been missing since the day of the mysterious flash—a day that saw the sun wiped out over Brethren forever.

Alone and on the run, she finds the Illuminator—only to witness a young man hauling it away. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, she ventures into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.

Review:

This was one of those books where I had no clue what the book was about but just went off the cover of the book. Based off the cover it was easy to make assumptions on how the book like being a book based on the past which normally I don't lean towards reading. I just thought that the cover was pretty and eye catching that I knew I had to see what this book was about.

On the to the content. Now that was no way to end the book. There is so much to love about the book, so much going on that there was never a dull moment.The one thing that I didn't like about the book was Eyelets character, she was rather annoying, nosy, and immature for the first half of the book and became bearable later on. Over time through the book I found myself hooked wanting to know what would happen next. Overall it was a pretty great book and I look forwards to seeing more in the next book.

Author Bio:

I'm Jacqueline Garlick, author of young adult and new adult fiction. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. (Don't you?)
I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper). I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology and would rather hang out with a dog, than a cat. I prefer creating things to cleaning things, and believe laughter is a one-stop-shop solution to all that ails you. You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (currently in my writing room), and there may or may not be a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won't find a hidden passageway, but a girl can dream, can't she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea.

My writing style has been described as edgy and rule-breaking, and by some--a touch Tim Burton-esque. Because of this, I am often referred to as the Quentin Tarantino of YA among writing friends.

In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don't ask), but more recently I've been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin's Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship.

Lumière--A Romantic Steampunk Fantasy--my debut novel, is the recipient of an indieBRAG Medallion!!! B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree October 15, 2014) I am so proud! (LUMIERE by Jacqueline E. Garlick is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!) Book II of the ILLUMINATION PARADOX SERIES, is out January 26th, now on pre-order.

Also, check out my young adult contemporary romantic/mystery serial, IF ONLY, where reluctant telepathic sleuth Kyla Cooper must embrace her powers and risks all to solve the mystery of what happened to her boyfriend Denver Munro, becoming his voice of truth, before he has no voice at all...

I love hearing from READERS! Please contact me, either at my Website, or catch up with me on twitter @garlick books, or on facebook.

I'm open to reviews and interview, requests for skype visits, guest blogs, pod casts and book club meetings! I LOVE TO HEAR FROM READERS!

You can also find me here: 

Pinterest | Goodreads | Blog

Just One Day

"We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day.  Anything can happen in one day,"

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
4 of 5 Stars
Format: Hardcover
Genre: New Adult, Adventure, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, College
Pages: 368

Summary:

Allyso has pretty much had everything set for her. Her overbearing mother constantly makes plans for her and her parents never take the time to talk to her, just at her.

For a graduation present Allyson goes with her best friend on a tour group to travel around Europe. On the last day of the tour she and her best friend sneak away from the tour to go see an underground performances of the Twelfth Night. Allyson seems to have a instant connection with a dutch actor, Willem, who performs as sebastian.

By chance, they managed to find each other and Willem convinces Allyson to go away with him to Paris for the day and for the first time Allyson takes a leap of faith and joins him  They find adventures and talk of love. By the next morning she finds herself alone, deserted in Paris.

From that one day her life would change. While searching for Willem she also learns about herself along the way.

"And that's when I understand that I have been stained. Whether I'm still in love with him, whether he was ever in love with me, and not matter who he's in love with now, Willem changed my life. He showed me how to get lost and then I showed myself how to get found. 

Maybe accidents isn't the right word for it after all . Maybe miracle is.

Or maybe it's not a miracle. Maybe this is just life. When you open yourself up to it. When you put yourself in the path of it when you say yes."

My thoughts

I swear books like this one ruin my chance of ever finding someone. Willem in this book is just perfect (except for the disappearing bit), I would love to meet him the way Allyson did and have that one day.

I would've given this book a 5 star but this book seemed to drag a bit. Allyson whiny attitude drove me nuts I just wanted to shake her! She was a bit o a downer, couldn't she just let her friend and the people who wanted to be close to her know of her story. That would've saved a lot of time. The story was very predictable. I really liked the vivid details so what was happening and how she was feeling. It was easy to immerse yourself with the characters and everything she felt, I felt.

This book has got me wanted to travel now, just reading the details of her adventure makes me want to go somewhere anywhere but here. I liked that she started off as the sheltered girl who pretty much did what she was told and went to being a girl who asserted herself and went for what she wanted. She did what she felt was right and gone for it not matter what her parents felt.

Trust me when I say, to spare your feelings wait till the next book comes out to read it. Or else you'll be like me and have to wait months till it comes out. I hate that!

Gayle Forman is such a talented author and can really get her reader so emotional with her heartbreaking and inspiring books. If you liked this book you'll love her other books: If I Stay and Where she went.

Oh yea I forgot to mention, Cliff hangers!!!! No!!!! Can't believe I got to wait till October to see what happens next. When I went to the book signing Q&A for Gayle Forman the next book is supposed to start went he left her that day and what he had to find her and what happens at the ending of this book.

"...being Lulu, it made me realize that all my life I've been living in a small, square room, with no windows and no doors. And I was fine. I was happy even. I thought. Then someone came along and showed me there was a door in the room. One that I'd never even seen before. Then he opened it for me. Held my hand as I walked through it. And for one perfect day, I was on the other side. I was somewhere else. Someone else. And then he was gone, and I was thrown back into my little room. And now, no matter what I don, I can't seem to find that door."

Requiem

"You know you can't be happy unless you're unhappy sometimes, right?"

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

4 of 5 Stars

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Adventure

Pages: 391

Summary:

After Lena, Julian and the rest of her friend go back to the wilds they realized that after all the trouble caused there will more problems on the way. The wilds are no longer safe and slowly but surely the invalids are being taken down and slaughtered.  Those who are left and those who are willing to help will try to band together and fight for their freedom and right to love. 

"But maybe happiness isn't in the choosing. Maybe it's in the fiction, in the pretending: that wherever we have ended up is where we were intended to be all along."

My thoughts:

I loved this last installment of the delirium series. It is fast paced, action packed with nearly always something going on. In this book we get Hana and Lena's POV and such a big difference between their two worlds. One talks of war and the other a wedding. On Hana's side I belive that he cure didn't fully take, I would've figured her to be more of a dull robotic type of person who does what's told and not question and do the things she did. 

With and ending like the last book Pandemonium I was hoping a little light would've been shed on the relationship between Lena and Alex. I wanted them to be together. Nearing the end I was so worried about what would happen. When it comes to these kind of love triangles either someone dies, or is left heartbroken and in the ending there was nothing. Lena and Alex relationship was infuriating, I wanted Julian to get the picture and maybe back off of her that way Alex and Lena can get back. I wish Lena would've just told Julian and Alex how she felt. During the ending I thought they were going to get together but then they cut to the ending and I was left confused. 

I'm having a hard time expressing how I feel about the ending I mean when I was reading it I loved it. It made me feel hopeful for the future of the characters thinking of the many possibilities of what the future holds. After a few moments to think about it I hated it. I felt like I was cheated. I wanted something more. Now I'm left with so much more questions. I swear, to me this is just as bad as the other cliffhangers except this one is supposed to be seen as an ending. Whyyyyyy  >_<

"We wanted the freedom to love. We wanted the freedom to choose. Now we have to fight for it."

"Live free or die."

The Mind Thieves

The Mind Thieves by Lori Brighton (The Mind Readers #2)
4 of 5 Stars
Format: Ebook
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Suspence
Pages: 228

Summery

After Cameron got out of her mysterious coma she moved to the islands with her grandma working at a bar on the beach livings a perfectly good life. That was until a stranger showed up walking straight towards her at the end of her shift. Eventually she finds that there are more like her (Mind readers) and that the man had come to fetch her to bring her to her father who was supposedly dead or was it missing? Before the guy could bring her quietly people appeared at her grandmothers also with the intent of taking her also.

My Say:

I'm not sure why I wrote 4 of 5 stars. There was a bit of love interests. Lots of chases and things going on. Plenty of bad guys appearing that may be good guys that are just misunderstood  This book was fast paced. I liked the Cameron questioned everything but it drove me crazy that even if she asked certain things nothing got answered.

I don't know what to say something about this book rubbed me the wrong way. Normally a book this interesting would get 5 stars but not sure whats up this time.  The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger but for some reason wasn't surprising. Maybe it was too predictable.