A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS By Kiera Cass

November 22, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS By Kiera CassA Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass
Published by HarperTeen on 11/29/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 576
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn’t her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon be forced into a loveless marriage for political gain.

Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people.

But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can’t possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won’t let them stay apart.

Short and Sweet Review

Annika is the princess of a nice kingdom where she lives comfortably and doesn’t have much to worry about except for keeping her people, and that involves arranged marriages to people she has no feelings for.

Miles away Lennox lives with the Dahrainian people and they’ve been struggling, but what they really want the the kingdom back. Lennox is tasked with going on a mission to find out more information about the kingdom and ends up taking Annika hostage. After this he finds that he has feelings for her and lets her go but they both know in the end one of them has to die.

This was an interesting book in that it was very predictable and because of the predictability this book could have been at least 100 pages shorter. Annika and Lennox fall for each other even though they basically need to kill each other and I wasn’t really feeling their romance or connection it kind of felt forced. The fact that she feel for him after being kidnapped was a bit like Stockholm syndrome. Anyway Annika only had her brother Escalus and her maid Noemi that were really in her corner the other characters seemed to think less of her even though she was the princess. Lennox on the other hand was more of a leader than the one they actually had in Dahrain but he was also looked down upon. They both had that in common they were looked down upon and people didn’t really believe them until they were put on the spot and could show what they could do. This book was okay it wasn’t the most original thing I think Annika was a bit similar to other female characters we see in Cass’s books. I will say I liked how we got a dual POV and Cass did a good job writing from both POVs. The ending was good again it was predictable. I will say if you like Cass’s other books then you’ll enjoy A Thousand Heartbeats.

Filed Under: Reviews

A WILDERNESS OF STARS By Shea Ernshaw

November 7, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A WILDERNESS OF STARS By Shea ErnshawA Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/29/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 397
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When all is lost, look to the stars.

Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But when Vega sees an omen in the sky—one she cannot ignore—she is forced to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. Yet the outside world is much more terrifying than Vega could have ever imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.

But Vega has a secret: she is the Last Astronomer—a title carried from generation to generation—and she is the only one who understands the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to a cure. So when locals spot the tattoo on Vega’s neck in the shape of a constellation—the mark of an astronomer—chaos erupts. Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos.

On the run from the men hunting her, Vega sets out across the plains with Cricket and Noah, in search of a fabled cure kept secret by the astronomers. But as the line between friends and protectors begins to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomers…or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.

Short and Sweet Review

When Vega sees the twin stars she knows its a sign for her to leave the valley she’s grown up in and look for the last architect. The world outside of the valley is more dangerous than Vega ever thought, people are sick and dying and will do anything to find a cure. Vega is in danger because after her mom died she became the last astronomer the only one who can read the stars. Vega also has a tattoo of a constellation on her neck that people believe is the answer to where the cure is and these people will do anything to get to Vega. While trying to find the last architect Vega meets Cricket and Noah who travel across the plains to help her find what the twin stars were hinting at. 

This book started off slow but it starts to pick up once Vega leaves the valley and goes in search of the architect. There’s a group of men hunting Vega once they realize who she is and then it becomes a game of cat and mouse. It was crazy seeing how determined these men were to get her and they were only like a few steps behind her each time. Vega was a good character she was ready to follow the path that’s been set for her. Her one flaw to me was that she would always go against better judgement and each time she did that she put the group in more danger.

This was an interesting book and after we get past the first part and things really start to pick up, everything comes together and starts making sense. This book was so different the fact that Vega was the last one left who was able to read the stars, the sickness that has affected almost everyone, and the final destination that Vega has to reach to basically fulfill her quest. This book was captivating and will have you invested in Vega’s journey from the beginning to the end!

Filed Under: Reviews

SALT AND SUGAR By Rebecca Carvalho

October 24, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SALT AND SUGAR By Rebecca CarvalhoSalt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho
Published by Inkyard Press on 11/1/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 353
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.

Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.

Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?

Short and Sweet Review

Lari and Pedro’s families have bakeries across the street from each other, Lari’s family owns Salt and Pedro’s family owns Sugar. Their families have been feuding for a long time and even Lari and Pedro are “enemies.” There’s a big supermarket that has moved into town and is forcing small businesses to close and Salt and Sugar are in jeopardy and Lari thinks the best way to save the bakeries is to team up with Pedro.

If I were going to describe this book I would say its a hot mess. We only have Lari’s POV but I found her to be such an annoying and insufferable character and not only her but the supporting characters as well. This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling and I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Lari and Pedro and the way things build up and the pacing wasn’t great. The characters are always yelling at each other the drama was over the top it was like reading the script to a very bad soap opera. Honestly Lari’s mother and Pedro’s family would have screaming matches in the street and it was too much like almost every other chapter they had something to yell at each other about.

Lari basically calls Pedro her enemy and ends up having to join his cooking club. Lari is so like defensive, she doesn’t know how to cook or bake and if anyone even suspects that she doesn’t know what she’s doing in the kitchen she’ll go off on them and I just couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t admit that she needed to learn how to cook. Anyway I’m guessing the more time that Pedro and Lari spend time together the more they start to develop feelings for each other and even call a truce. Like I said earlier the pacing in this book is off way off. It isn’t until 90% through the book that they realize that they like each other and when they come up with a solution to try to save their bakeries and everything is resolved so quickly it seemed unrealistic especially with how much bad blood was between the families.

I just didn’t enjoy this book and really had to push myself to finish it. I didn’t like the characters, the plot sounded good but the pacing just ruined it for me. Probably not a book that I would recommend.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE RESTLESS DARK By Erica Waters

September 30, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE RESTLESS DARK By Erica WatersThe Restless Dark by Erica Waters
Published by HarperTeen on 10/4/22
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The Cloudkiss Killer is dead. Now a true-crime podcast is hosting a contest to find his bones.

Lucy was almost the serial killer’s final victim. Carolina is a true-crime fan who fears her own rage. Maggie is a psychology student with a little too much to hide.

All of them are looking for answers, for a new identity, for a place to bury their secrets.

But there are more than bones hiding in the shadows…sometimes the darkness inside is more frightening than anything the dead leave behind.

Short and Sweet Review

The Cloudkiss Killer died two years ago but no one found his body after he jumped off of a cliff, now a crime podcast Human Beasties is hosting a competition to see who can find his bones and win a prize.

Lucy, Carolina, and Maggie are our main characters but we only get the POVs of Lucy and Carolina. Lucy was the last victim of the cloudkiss killer but she was fortunate enough to get away, she thinks being the one to find his bones will help her finally move on from the trauma. Carolina is there because she thinks she relates to serial killers or something strange like that mainly because her parents ingrained it into her head that she’s some kind of awful person, I will admit she is quick to flip the switch and try to get violent. Maggie is a psychology student and she’s at the competition to try and get into the heads of people who listen to crime podcast.

Weird things start happening at the camp grounds so the host decide for everyone’s safety there needs to be groups and Lucy, Maggie, and Carolina form a group. Here’s where things start going downhill. Maggie and Lucy develop feelings for each other and they basically like to gang up on Carolina and snap at her. Carolina would question them and basically be the voice of reason and those two were so awful to her it was hard to read. Lucy was weak she was easily manipulated, she wanted to prove how bad that nothing affected her that it clouded her judgement. My biggest gripe with this book was the characters, it wasn’t easy to connect with them and I really feel like their treatment of Carolina was unwarranted.

I really wanted to like this book, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought we’d see more of them searching for this serial killer and maybe read what the podcast is like but I got none of that. What I read was people losing their minds because of the fog, a lot of gaslighting, and mean girl behavior. The ending just made me mad it didn’t redeem anything, Lucy was so wishy washy it was ridiculous, Carolina was probably my favorite but she was a little crazy in the head too, Maggie was straight up off of her rocker but she was able to charm her way into making people think that she was just using psychology on them. Anyway this book was hard to get through and it was not what I was expecting at all and I mean that in a bad way.

Filed Under: Reviews

RUST IN THE ROOT By Justina Ireland

September 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

RUST IN THE ROOT By Justina IrelandRust in the Root by Justina Ireland
Published by Balzer + Bray on 9/20/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 440
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young queer mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker.

But four months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.

As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.

Short and Sweet Review

Laura moved to New York to follow her dreams of opening up a bakery but unfortunately she’s down on her luck because New York isn’t so kind to new comers. Laura is getting kicked out of the current place she’s living and she needs to find somewhere to go asap, which is when she meets a unicorn that suggests she gets a job at the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps. Its here that Laura can actually use her magic without getting in trouble, Laura has the gift of using the potential in something like a seed and making it into something new. Laura meets the Skylark a powerful mage who takes Laura on as her apprentice. Together they’re sent on a mission to a blight and there’s more going on than what they were briefed on.

A little backstory, America is divided: those who can use the mystic arts and those who can’t. There was an event called the great rust which was catastrophic and now America is trying to rebuild. The world building is great once you understand what’s going on. There is different magic that can be used and we see most of them like talking to animals, healing, and necromancy. Laura is different because she’s able to dabble with all of them but she has to keep that to herself because its not really allowed.

Laura and the Skylark and joined by others in the colored auxiliary and sent to the Ohio Deep Blight to try to figure out what’s going on there and what happened to the team that was sent before them. This is where things get really interesting because things are not right in Ohio and team members start to be attacked one by one and its looking like someone on the team is in on it. Everyone has some type of magic that they’re able to use and in Ohio it seems like simple things are draining them and they’re not able to do even half of what they can when they’re not in the blight. I will say its kind of eerie like what is going on in the blight that there’s creatures roaming around and people going missing.

This book was so different from anything I’ve read involving magic before. I will say that the way that magic is being used in this book takes some getting used to and there’s more than one mystic art. The Skylark also had a journal or case notes where she documented everything that happened and I will say that threw me for a loop because I wasn’t sure what to trust. Laura is strong and I don’t think she truly knew her potential until the end of the book and I loved her, she never backed down. This is a book I won’t forget about anytime soon and I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a book that’ll keep you engaged from the first page until the last page!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD By Tiffany D. Jackson

August 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD By Tiffany D. JacksonThe Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 9/6/22
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Retellings, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 411
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation . . . Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she's dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High's racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school's first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it's possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren't done with her just yet. And what they don't know is that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost them all their lives.

Short and Sweet Review

The town of Springville, Georgia is small and doesn’t have a lot of residents and the number of residents is about to get smaller after Maddy is through with them. After prom the only thing that people remember is that Maddy did it, but what led her to cause all of that destruction?

Madison Washington is biracial but she’s light enough that she can pass as white and that’s exactly what her father wants, and her years of hiding that she’s black are about to come to an end when a rainstorm shows the actually texture of her hair. Maddy hasn’t been treated well by her fellow classmates but things get worse after it comes out that she’s black. Madison is mainly tormented by Jules and her friends one of them being Wendy. Wendy has a black boyfriend named Kenny and I think he only fits into their friend group because he’s the star of the football team. Anyhoo Wendy starts to feel a little bad but she still has her own motives to make herself look good so she decides to suggest that for this years prom instead of their usual segregated prom they throw an all together prom and that Kenny should take Maddy. Maddy obviously think she’s being punk’d these kids have been awful to her and all of a sudden they want her to go to prom. Maddy has also been working on learning how to use her telekinesis which usually comes into play when she’s in fight or flight mode. Maddy has had a difficult life, her mother is gone, her dad is super religious and abusive, and she’s been hiding who she really is. So its easy to see why Maddy is the way she is. As the story progresses we see Kenny start to fall for Maddy which I didn’t like because first of all, he already had a girlfriend and second, it just seemed like he was infatuated with Maddy and it got a little weird. Well at prom we see that some kids have one last prank in store for Maddy, but little do they know its going to be the straw that broke the camels back.

This was such a good book! I loved the podcast aspect and the interviews and how Michael the host of the podcast was trying to piece everything together to see what took place on prom night. Maddy is a good character you just want to root for her and see her win because she did not deserve the way the kids at school were treating her. This is a carrie retelling and we all know what happened there and I was just waiting for Maddy to get her comeuppance. The book has a few different POVs but it doesn’t take away from the book it just adds to the story telling. This book had so many layers and the build up had me on the edge of my seat. The Weight of Blood does not disappoint, run to your nearest book store and get this book in your hands immediately!

Filed Under: Reviews

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD 2: FRENDO LIVES By Adam Cesare

August 8, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD 2: FRENDO LIVES By Adam CesareClown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare
Series: Clown in a Cornfield #2
Published by HarperTeen on 8/23/22
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 414
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

After barely making it out of the Kettle Springs cornfields alive, Quinn’s first year away at college should be safe and easy. All she wants is to be normal again.

But instead, Quinn finds that her past won’t leave her alone when she becomes the focus of online conspiracy theories that claim the Kettle Springs Massacre never happened. It’s a deranged but relentless fantasy, and there’s nothing Quinn can do to get people to hear the truth—not even on her own campus or in her own dorm room.

So when a murderous clown attacks Quinn at a frat party while another goes after her father in Kettle Springs at the same time, Quinn realizes that the facts alone are never going to save her. Her only option is to go back into the cornfields, back where the nightmare began, to set the record straight the only way she knows how. Because when the truth gets lost in the lies, that’s when people start to die.

Short and Sweet Review

After making it out of Kettle Spring during the night of the massacre, Quinn is trying move on with her life and now she’s in her first year of college in Philadelphia. Back in Kettle Springs Quinn’s dad, Glenn is now the Mayor and he has a lot of things to clean up. In Philly Quinn’s friends Rust and Cole come up to visit and at a party they see someone dressed as Frendo who is specifically looking to attack those three. Funny enough there’s another Frendo in Kettle Springs who attacks Mayor Glenn. After these attacks Quinn knows she has to go back to Kettle Springs to figure out what’s going on and end it once and for all.

Obviously all the characters have been through something terrifying and Quinn, Rust, and Cole make it their mission to know how to defend themselves and also stay away from people who seem like fans or people who would want to attack them. So when these Frendo’s start popping up again and demand that the three turn themselves in everyone is wondering what’s going on. I’ll tell you when a whole bunch of conspiracy theorists get online and go on a forum and see people who believe the same things they do, things get wild. In this case it gets intense and crazy. There’s a group of Frendo’s who believe that Quinn, Rust, and Cole were in the wrong that night in the cornfields and now the Frendo’s are demanding justice. This book delivers the gruesome and bloody scenes just like the first and still has the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat. It was hard seeing the three get split up because these Frendo’s were relentless, but we get to see how resilient the three have become and they’re done putting up with nonsense.

At first I thought the book started of slow and I wasn’t into all the POVs, but once we see the first attack the ball really gets rolling. This book had everything the first had, and if you loved the first book you’ll love the sequel. I loved the ending and seeing Quinn go on her own little mission for vengeance. This book will keep your attention and this new group of deranged Frendo’s will really make you wonder what is wrong with people. I enjoyed this sequel and who knows maybe there will be a Clown in a Cornfield 3, I wouldn’t mind seeing Quinn and friends go around taking down some clowns.


Filed Under: Reviews

THE TIMEMATICIAN By Steven Bereznai

July 26, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE TIMEMATICIAN By Steven BereznaiThe Timematician by Steven Bereznai
Published by Jambor on 8/2/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 194
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The Genetic Wars have left the planet an apocalyptic wreck. All it needs is one final push from mad genius Doctor BetterThan to finish the job.

With his unique time abilities, he has all the power he needs to thrash pesky superheroes intent on thwarting him—and make them pay for decades of disrespect. “Triumphi!”

Destroying the world solves everything. Until she comes along.

On the cusp of total victory, fellow tech maniac Mairi Lin Monroe plays her surprising hand, and sparks fly as she and her cybernetic lady-matons threaten to transcend Doctor BetterThan's grand plan.

Can he achieve new depths of deceit to defeat her and be the last person standing? Can he become THE TIMEMATICIAN?

Or has he finally met his match?

Short and Sweet Review

The Timematician is about Doctor BetterThan, his plan is to be the only person on the planet and it’s going well until Mairi Lin Monroe comes along. Mairi Lin and her cybernetic lady’s plan on thwarting Doctor BetterThan’s grand plans.

I read the first Gen M book and this one is supposed to be a prequel/sequel or can be read alone. I don’t think it makes sense as a prequel or sequel I don’t see how it would fit. I think Doctor BetterThan is a character from the first book I can faintly remember a character that shares the same attributes but I don’t remember his name. Honestly this book was ridiculous. Its basically just Doctor BetterThan trying to be the last man standing but he meets Mairi Lin and learns that she’s not going to let him be and they end up battling and falling in love. Doctor BetterThan wasn’t a good character he was supposed to be smart but he acted like a child and when he didn’t get his way he would stomp his foot and it was just too childish. The story was boring it was just Doctor BetterThan and Mairi Lin going back and forth and it was predictable. The only thing that was redeemable was the fact that this was a short book.

Filed Under: Reviews

MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE By Alex Light

July 12, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE By Alex LightMeet Me in the Middle by Alex Light
Published by HarperTeen on 7/12/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 378
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Eden had her best friend Katie—she didn’t need anyone else. But then there was Truman.

Katie’s older brother, the artist. The recluse. The boy with the innocent smile and the dangerous eyes.

Eden had never really known Truman—not until the night of Katie’s accident. That was the night they’d finally let each other into their orbits—only to have the sky come crashing down on them.

With Katie in the hospital and Truman fleeing from his grief without a word, Eden is left alone to grapple with her own pain. But when Truman returns to the city, can Eden let him back into her life knowing that their first kiss is what tore their world apart?

Short and Sweet Review

Edens best friend is Katie and all Eden needs is Katie, but Katie is in a coma and now Eden needs to navigate life without her best friend. Truman is Katie’s older brother and after her accident he left for a couple of months but he’s back now and Eden is trying her best to avoid him. Both of them are dealing with guilt but what they really need is someone who understands. But can these two be in the same place long enough to talk about everything that flipped their world upside down? 

The book goes back and forth between Eden and Truman’s POVs. I didn’t connect with either character, I think that was mainly due to how they talked to their friends and people who cared about them, Eden could have been a lot better to her roommate Ramona. I don’t feel like a lot happened in this book. We see Eden try to go through life day by day and we see that she’s either thinking about Katie or Truman. Truman on the other hand is back in town and he’s an artist so the book explores that.  The romance between Eden and Truman fell flat for me, it’s the basic girl has a crush on her best friends brother, but what made this worse is that after the accident Eden says she wants nothing to do with Truman but she can’t stop thinking about him. I didn’t like the back and forth between this relationship and there were too many negative feelings involved for this relationship to ever work out. Eden also works at a restaurant with a guy named Manny and that restaurant was one of the main settings. Manny and Ramona start a project towards the end of the book and I was upset to see that it wasn’t mentioned ever again. 

Overall this was an okay book. I feel like it covered the characters grief well and it was interesting to see how Eden dealt with Katie being in a coma vs. Truman. I just wish the characters didn’t feel so flat there was no character growth and the back and forth romance didn’t work for me. 

Filed Under: Reviews

RIDE WITH ME By Lucy Keating

June 25, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

RIDE WITH ME By Lucy KeatingRide With Me by Lucy Keating
Published by Clarion Books on 6/28/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 318
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

As a driver for her local ride share app, Charlie Owens loves what the open road gives her: freedom, extra cash for an epic road trip, and a path to getting out of her sleepy town of Chester Falls, Massachusetts. She’s seen her fair share of mysterious passengers and explosive break-ups in the backseat of her car, but Charlie lives a no-strings-attached lifestyle and never gets involved.

But when a routine post-party pick-up ends with Charlie crashing into Andre, her school’s notorious party boy, she’s forced to make a deal to drive him anywhere he needs to go, anytime, until his car can be repaired. Suddenly Charlie and Andre are stuck together, and they couldn’t be more different. But Andre’s charm wins over Charlie’s passengers, and she soon finds herself at risk of breaking her most sacred rule: don’t fall in love.

Short and Sweet Review

Charlie is a driver for a ride share company, she loves her job because of the freedom it gives her and the extra cash isn’t so bad either. But after a pick up ends in Charlie hitting someones car she has to think fast, which is when she offers the owner of the other car, Andre rides anywhere and anytime.

This book was not what I was expecting from the synopsis. I was expecting more car rides and learning about the passengers, but what I got was some car rides with Andre and Charlie’s other customers and a big focus on Charlie trying to impress an architect, and her obsession with leaving her small town of Chester Falls. So Charlie and Andre are very different I would describe Charlie as uptight and by the book, she’s been a ride share driver and one of the top rated but we learn she’s not very personable. Andre is a party boy and laid back, he on the other hand has the ability to relate and connect with Charlies passengers and even gives advice. Charlie and Andre buttheads a lot so I didn’t really feel the romance between the two especially towards the end where Charlie jumps to conclusions and wouldn’t even hear Andre out. The other subplot was Charlie trying to impress Ava and get an internship so Charlie try to find projects she can rework to show Ava for her portfolio. Charlie has great ideas its just that she doesn’t listen to what her clientele would want. Charlie is also obsessed with leaving Chester Falls because she doesn’t think there’s anything for her there, she even criticizes her parents for being there and basically not doing anything with there lives. When she blew up on her parents and Andre I just knew I didn’t like her. Honestly Charlie wouldn’t really listen to people and would come up with her own conclusions and that was her biggest downfall as a character.

Overall this book was okay, it was a fast read, it wasn’t what I was hopping for but it was enjoyable.

Filed Under: Reviews