BOOK REVIEW: Lifeline by Abbey Lee Nash

Lifeline

Author: Abbey Lee Nash
Publication Date: April 7th, 2018
Publisher: Tiny Fox Press
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction / Coming of Age

Book Description:

Popular high school senior Eli Ross has the perfect life. He’s captain of the lacrosse team at LionsHeart Academy, and he’s dating Savannah, the hottest, most popular girl at school. But that life comes crashing down when he overdoses at a party and is sent to LakeShore Recovery Center, an inpatient substance abuse treatment program where he’ll spend the next twenty-eight days.

It's there that Eli meets Libby, the sharp-edged artist, whose freshly tattooed scars mirror the emotional scars Eli tries his best to ignore. Eli soon learns that if he's to have any chance at a future, he'll first have to confront his past.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Popular high school senior Eli Ross has the perfect all American life: he's captain of the lacrosse team at LionsHeart Academy, and he's dating the most popular girl in school. Things couldn't be better for Eli. Eli's perfect life disappears in a split moment, however, when he overdoses at his friend's house party. Seeing her son at rock bottom is the incentive Eli's mum needs to admit him to LakeShore Recovery Center on a 28-day treatment program.

The book started off well. It grabbed my attention right away as it was dealing with a very important subject matter that many people, high school students in this case, find challenging and stuggle to cope with, so I found it intriguing that it was delving into this topic. Once rehab started, however, the story became a cliche, and it was borderline dull. I still read on as I found it had a lot of potential. It could have been a lot better than it turned out to be, and I think the major reason it wasn't as enjoyable for me as it should have been was because of the protagonist. Eli was an unlikeable character throughout most of the book. I barely tolerated him. He was just a whiny character who snaps at everyone trying to help him. It wouldn't have been bad if there had been some alteration to his character by the end of the book, but I didn't see any change at all. Libby was even a less favourable character than Eli, so I didn't see the significance of her character, other than for the purpose of adding an edge of romance, which seemed somewhat forced within the context of the story.

It was an okay read - at least, the first quatre of the book. Had the characters had more impact on me, I might have enjoyed the story a bit more.

VERDICT

Award: Bronze

Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Source: BookSirens

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Rule of Many by Ashley Saunders

The Rule of Many

(The Rule of One #2)

Author: Ashley Saunders & Leslie Saunders

Published by: Skyscape

Publication Date: May 7th, 2019

Genre: YA Dystopian

Book Description:

Born to a death sentence in a near-future America, rebellious sisters herald a revolution—if they can survive.

Twins Ava and Mira Goodwin defy the Rule of One simply by existing. The single-child law, ruthlessly enforced by Texas’s Governor Roth, has made the sisters famous fugitives and inspirations for the resurgent rebellion known as the Common.

But the relentless governor and his implacable Texas State Guard threaten that fragile hope, as Roth consolidates his power in a bid for ultimate authority.

As Ava and Mira relinquish the relative safety of their Canadian haven to stand against Roth, new allies arise: Owen, a gifted young programmer, impulsively abandons his comfortable life in a moment of compassion, while Zee, an abused labor camp escapee, finds new purpose in resistance.

The four will converge on Dallas for a reckoning with Roth, with nothing less than their destinies—and the promise of a future free from oppression—on the line.

Disobedience means death. But a life worth living demands rebellion.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Then Came You by Kate Meader

Then Came You

(Laws of Attraction #3)

Author: Kate Meader

Published by: Loveswept

Publication Date: May 7th, 2019

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

In the courtroom, they’re rivals. In the bedroom, they’re . . . divorced. But could the road trip from hell lead to a second chance at love?

“I love Kate Meader’s books!”—Kelly Jamieson

Aubrey Gates is the hottest divorce lawyer in Chicago, a barb-tongued stiletto with legs that go on for miles. When her cool gray eyes meet mine across the battlefield, I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone or anything. Then I remember who she is: the woman who brought me to my knees. The woman who destroyed my faith in relationships.

The woman I used to call . . . wife.

And she needs a favor from me, Grant Lincoln.

It seems my ex forgot to mention the demise of our marriage to her dear old grammy, and now we’re both expected to attend her ninetieth birthday party. In Boston. And because it isn’t already awkward enough, Aubrey and I are driving there together from Chicago. That’s more than a thousand miles of tension, heartbreak, and barely concealed lust.

A little piece of paper might say we’re over, but this road trip is the true test. I intend to get my wife back . . . and I won’t stop until “I do.”

Kate Meader’s super-sexy Laws of Attraction novels can be read together or separately:

DOWN WITH LOVE • ILLEGALLY YOURS • THEN CAME YOU

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Google Play

Cover Reveal - Cruel by Trisha Wolfe

Cruel

(A Necrosis of the Mind Duet, #1)

Author: Trisha Wolfe

Publication Date: October 8th, 2019

Genre: Adult Psychological Thriller / Romantic Thriller

Book Description:

I was born a psychopath. But he made me a killer.

Revenge is a lucrative business, and for Blakely Vaughn, it’s more than just profitable, it’s fun. Until it becomes personal.

Alex Chambers has a secret life—one he’s worked hard to conceal from a judgmental world.

Blakely and Alex have one thing in common: the desire to make Royce Travers suffer.

A quest to avenge an innocent victim sparks a dark and deadly obsession, where a dangerous union of cruel minds raises the question: How far is too far?

Buy Links:

Apple Books ¦ Barnes & Noble

Book Blitz & Giveaway - In Other Words by Jennifer Woodhull

In Other Words

Author: Jennifer Woodhull

Publication Date: April 30th, 2019

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Dexter

We became close friends in college. When Sinclair returns home to Dallas after two years in New York, I introduce her to my best friend Cole. The good-looking playboy ballplayer is the perfect kind of guy for the woman I’m sure would never be interested in me…even if seeing them together breaks my heart.

Sinclair.

He was the nerdy PhD candidate. I was the cheerleader. We made unlikely friends. Moving back home after two years away, he looks hotter than ever. When I start dating his ballplayer best friend, things get complicated. He doesn’t see me as girlfriend material…but I can’t get him, or my feelings for him, out of my head.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Google Play

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Of Shadow and Light by Ebony Olson

Of Shadow and Light

Author: Ebony Olson

Publication Date: May 1st, 2019

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Book Description:

She will be the one to take his coldness,

She will unveil the Unseelie darkness and show them light.

She will unite what should never have broken.

The daughter of the moon will teach him love and the radiance of the sun.

Her inner light will purify the tainted ones,

And she will guide the fey by wisp-light.

‘Prophecy of the Dark Prince’

Messina Doe was just looking for a warm place to spend the night. What she discovers is a place the human race had long ago buried and forgotten.

The dark Fey haven’t forgotten humans. The throne room of the Unseelie court is the hottest underground nightclub around, but if you step through the wrong door, there is no going back.

No one ever escapes. Never.

Once, someone did.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - I Spy the Boy Next Door by Samantha Armstrong

I Spy the Boy Next Door

Author: Samantha Armstrong
Publication Date: May 25th, 2019
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Four p.m. spy sessions are the highlight of Mallory Taylor’s day. Observing the boy next door—one with a body and an attitude to match—has her perched beside her window so often it can’t be healthy.

When she finally convinces her mom to let her go to public school, Mallory comes face to face with her neighbor, Troy Parker. And he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. His rejection awakens a newfound tenacity and maybe even a touch of recklessness. But when Troy starts to show up when she needs him the most, Mallory can’t help but wonder if there’s more to him than he’s let on.

Taking chances, breaking rules, and following her heart is all new to Mallory. And no one warned her just how fickle hearts can be. When she discovers that Troy isn’t at all the guy she imagined him to be, secrets rise to the surface that will change her life forever.

**This is a standalone mature YA/new adult contemporary romance.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

eBook Sale Promo - $2.99 or less

$0.99 eBooks

Delta

Book Description:

Lottie Madison has an almost idyllic life in Delta, until the state decides to destroy the village to create a reservoir. As friends and neighbors move away, their houses are reduced to rubble. Lottie’s parents hang on, convinced an old magic will protect them and their family home. All magic comes with a price. Lottie fears if the magic is real, the price will be her own life.

Download Link        

                

$2.99 eBooks

The Monarch Mission Files: Conspiracy

Book Description:

Mari Yosoto has been keeping a dark and dangerous secret from everyone for the past three years. No one would believe her anyway, her ex-fiancé had seen to that. When a young girl goes missing on Mars, Mari must work with an old acquaintance and an eclectic group of people to complete the mission. Can she keep her secret safe or will her past traumas put the whole team in danger?

Download Link

CBY Easter Trivia Contest

In celebration of Easter, CBY is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner.

Enter the contest and answer the trivia questions correctly for a change to win the prize.

HAPPY EASTER!


***GIVEAWAY***

Enter for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card (INT).
Ends 30th April 2019.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW: Ethereal by Addison Moore

Ethereal

(Celestra Series Book 1)
Author: Addison Moore

Publication Date: June 3rd, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:

Sixteen year-old, Skyla Messenger is a dead girl walking. When her newly remarried mother moves the family to Paragon Island, to a house that is rumored to be haunted, Skyla finds refuge in Logan Oliver, a boy who shares her unique ability to read minds. Skyla discovers Logan holds the answers to the questions she’s been looking for, but his reluctance to give her the knowledge she desires leaves her believing Logan has a few secrets of his own. Skyla’s bloodlines may just be connected to the most powerful angelic beings that roam the earth, and the more she knows, the more danger she seems to be in. Suddenly an entire faction of earthbound angels want her dead, but Skyla is nowhere near done living—and she's not going down without a fight. It's on.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

16-year-old Skyla Messenger and her family just moved to town for a new start, but, unbeknownst to her, the only thing that awaits her is danger and death. Her new house happens to be haunted by a dead girl named Chloe, whose life Skyla soon starts to emulate, starting with becoming best friends with Chloe's best friend, Brielle, and then engaging in a useless love triangle with the same cousins Chloe had a love triangle with, Logan and Gage. On top of all the excitement in her life, Skyla has a major secret: she can read minds. And she isn't the only special person in town. Her new love interest, Logan, can also read minds. It turns out there's a lot more to Skyla than meets the eye. This sounds like an interesting story, I know. Unfortunately, I didn't care enough about the character or her story to finish the book.

I will not shy away from the fact that I did not like this book. There was a complete lack of structure; characters bahaving in certain manner without explanation made for an inconsistence story. The characters actions did not inform the plot, so I ended up not caring for Skyla or her story. There was no depth to her character whatsoever. About three chapters in, I predicted this was not going to be the book for me, and I was more than right. I got so frustrated with the illogical, clumsy plot and unlikeable characters that I stopped halfway through. While I hadn't read the reviews prior to delving into the story, I did see the high ratings, thus I anticipated a good read. Obviously, I was wrong, which was disappointing as it had all the ingredients to be a good story; it just wasn't executed well.

As I stated, this could have been a good book, but there was just far too much focus on the sexual attraction between Skyla and Logan and Skyla and Gage that the plot suffered greatly.

VERDICT

Award: Bronze

Rating: 1 out of 5 Stars

Source: own copy

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Come A Little Closer by Chrissy Brown

Come A Little Closer

(Georgia Boys #2)

Author: Chrissy Brown
Publication Date: January 13th, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Book Description:
Sophie was the love of my life. Okay, we were twelve the last time I saw her but still. I’ve tried everything to move on—whiskey, women, weed. Nothing seemed to fill the void. Now, ten years later, she shows up out of the blue. The problem, I’m not the boy she used to know. I have a reputation that could ruin everything. Still, I have to try. Even if nothing happens between us, having Sophie in my life as a friend is better than not having her at all.Come A Little Closer is the second installment in the Georgia Boys Series. It can be read as a standalone novel.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad by Cookie O’Gorman

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad

Author: Cookie O’Gorman

Publication Date: April 25th, 2019

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is tired of being a good girl.

Her Career Aptitude Test results say she’s ideally suited for a career in the clergy (aka a nun), and on top of that, she receives yet another rejection. An aspiring dancer/choreographer, Sadie dreams of being featured on Dancer’s Edge—but they say she’s too sweet, needs more life experience. Her BFF, Kyle, and her oldest friend, 79-year-old Betty, agree: Sadie is in desperate need of a life makeover.

But she’ll need a coach.

Sadie doesn’t lie, cheat or steal–heck she doesn’t even curse (part of the reason she hasn’t checked off anything on her “Carpe Diem List”). Sadie doesn’t know the first thing about being bad. But Kyle’s twin brother, Colton, does. And he’s willing to teach Sadie on one condition: she has to do everything he says for the next month.

A dazzling first kiss, two smokin’ hot brothers and a bet that changes everything. In this enemies-to-more YA romance, Sadie learns:

Breaking the rules can be fun—especially when it leads to happily-ever-after.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Cover Reveal - Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson

Pawsitively Poisonous

Author: Melissa Erin Jackson

Publication Date: June 10th, 2019

Genre: Adult Cozy Mystery

Book Description:

Every town has its secrets, but no one has a secret like hers.

Amber Blackwood, lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon, has earned a reputation for being a semi-reclusive odd duck. Her store, The Quirky Whisker, is full of curiosities, from extremely potent sleepy teas and ever-burning candles to kids’ toys that seem to run endlessly without the aid of batteries. The people of Edgehill think of the Quirky Whisker as an integral part of their feline-obsessed town, but most give Amber herself a wide berth. Amber prefers it that way; it keeps her secret safe. But that secret is thrown into jeopardy when Amber’s friend Melanie is found dead, a vial of headache tonic from Amber’s store clutched in her hand.

Edgehill’s newest police chief has had it out for Amber since he arrived three years before. He can’t possibly know she’s a witch, but his suspicions about her odd store and even odder behavior have shot her to the top of his suspect list. When the Edgehill rumor mill finds out Melanie was poisoned, it’s not only the police chief who looks at Amber differently. Determined to both find justice for her friend and to clear her own name, Amber must use her unique gifts to help track down Melanie’s real killer. A quest that threatens much more than her secret …

About the Author

Melissa has had a love of stories for as long as she can remember, but only started penning her own during her freshman year of college. She majored in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at UCDavis. Yet, while she was neck-deep in organic chemistry and physics, she kept finding herself writing stories in the back of the classroom about fairies and trolls and magic. She finished her degree, but it never captured her heart the way writing did.

Now she owns her own dog walking business (that's sort of wildlife related, right?) by day ... and afternoon and night ... and writes whenever she gets a spare moment. The Microsoft Word app is a gift from the gods!

She alternates mostly between fantasy and mystery (often with a paranormal twist). All her books have some element of "other" to them ... witches, ghosts, UFOs. There's no better way to escape the real world than getting lost in a fictional one.

She lives in Northern California with her very patient boyfriend and way too many pets.

The Forgotten Child is her debut, the first in a paranormal mystery series. Her next book, Pawsitively Poisonous, releases June 10th, 2019.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Instagram ¦ Twitter

Cover Reveal Organised by:

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Rookie by Abigail Owen

The Rookie

(ire’s Edge #2)

Author: Abigail Owen

Published by: Entangled: Amara

Publication Date: April 22nd, 2019

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Book Description:

Playing with dragons will only get your burned.

To escape exile, Aidan Paytah has had to prove himself worthy. Every second of every damn day. He fought with everything he had to earn his precarious place on the Huracán team of dragon shifter enforcers. He can’t fail or afford distractions, no matter how temptingly sweet. Total loyalty to the clans and dedication to his team is the only way.

Sera Morrison lost her parents and her husband in short order, leaving her a single mother running her family winery alone. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the discovery that she’s a destined dragon mate. But once she finds out, there’s only one man she wants—the one who walks away.

However, the Alliance Council has its own agenda. They want to use her as a political pawn and force a mating that could ultimately kill her to save the High King. Aidan has no choice but to kidnap her, even if it means their close proximity reinforces their own mating bond. And mating with him could end up being a far worse fate for Sera…

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Google Play

BOOK REVIEW: Timothy Mean and the Time Machine by William A.E. Ford

Timothy Mean and the Time Machine

Author: William A.E. Ford

Genre: Picture Book

Publication Date: January 16th, 2019

Book Description:
With Timothy Mean’s amazing imagination and time machine, anything and anywhere is possible!

Join Timothy on a magical rhyming adventure as he skips through time and pranks with pirates, gets daring with dragons, and even teases a T-Rex!

“It’s Monday. Hip hip hooray! Where shall we travel in time today?

With Timothy Mean, every day is a rhyme in time!

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

This was an enjoyable read, full of imagination, creativity and adventure. My favourite thing about the book is the illustrations. They are so detailed and engaging. The rhyming scheme was well placed, and it drew my attention to the story even more.

What a great imagination young Timothy had. I think this book will inspire kids to explore their minds and broaded their imagination. I'm not certain what exactly Timothy learned on his adventures, but I can surely say he had fun. The different time periods could prompt kids to ask questions, thus inviting a discussion between kids and their parents.

A very good read for kids, but it can also be enjoyed by the whole family.

VERDICT

Award: Gold

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Author

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Faithful by Frankie Love

Faithful

(The Mountain Man’s Babies, #10)

Author: Frankie Love

Publication Date: April 18th, 2019

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:
The moment I saw her I knew.

Knew that we would have a future, a family, a forever.

Her father says she’s too young, too naive, too innocent.

But she is more than he knows.

She’s the love of my goddamn life.

Then she’s gone in the blink of an eye.

But this mountain was made for miracles, and I’m fighting for ours.

I have faith in the impossible.

Faith in us.

And nothing will stop me from being the man she needs.

Dear Reader,

FAITHFUL is the epic conclusion to the most romantic series to ever land on your Kindle.

I didn’t hold back with this one.

Suspense. Secrets. Steam.

But most of all, babies.

I promise you, Jonah is the baby-daddy of the year.

Get ready, sweetheart…

This trip to Miracle Mountain is gonna be one heck of a ride!

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK