Book Review: The Deadbringer Book 1 of the Ellderet Series by E.M. Markoff/Dark Fantasy

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of The Deadbringer, Book 1 of the Ellderet Series by E.M. Markoff.

Title: The Deadbringer, Book 1 

Series: The Ellderet Series

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Author: E.M. Markoff

Publisher: Tomes & Coffee Press
Publication Date: May 22, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 298 pages
Meet the Author: E.M. Markoff
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In the aftermath of the Purging, the Deadbringers are no more. The Ascendancy has positioned itself as the land’s dominant power by exploiting the people’s fear of the Deadbringers’ innate abilities to summon souls and reanimate the dead. 

Yet its hold is not complete, for in the North the Bastion stands in the way of the Ascendancy and its iron-willed elite soldiers, the Sanctifiers. But, somehow, a single Deadbringer has managed to survive. Kira Vidal, a boy of fifteen, has remained hidden, living peacefully with his uncle in the northern city of Opulancae under the Bastion’s protection. 

But it seems their luck is at an end when rumors begin to spread, and a strange man shows up at their door, seeking the forbidden services of a Deadbringer. Aware of the dangers should word of his nature reach the Ascendancy, Kira makes a promise to himself to protect his beloved uncle at all costs, even if it means pursuing the limits of his powers … and learning painful truths.

My Thoughts

I loved it. A very different story, well-developed characters and a fantastic world building. Loved the characters and the dialogues. Something about the character's interactions that gives the story a very special touch. 

The Author does a pretty good job at showing us this world and these characters that after the first few pages I was totally invested in the story and the journey Kira and all the other characters go through. There are very specific scenes that took my breath away and I just wanted to keep reading and know what was going to happen next. Some others were very emotional and made me feel closer to the characters. Something else I like, the character's names, very unique. A debut Novel which I totally recommend not only for those who like Dark Fantasy but also for people looking for unforgettable characters and a unique story. Can't wait for book two. 

Many, many thanks to the Author, E.M. Markoff for kindly sending a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #46: July 26, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, another Mystery and Thriller release. One that I can hardly wait to read. You Will Know Me: A Novel by Megan Abbott.

Title: The Woman In Cabin 10: A Novel 

Genre: Mystery and Thrillers

Author: Megan Abbott

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: July 25, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages
Meet the Author: Megan Abbott
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The audacious new novel about family and ambition from "one of the best living mystery writers" (Grantland) and bestselling, award-winning author of The Fever, Megan Abbott.

How far will you go to achieve a dream? That's the question a celebrated coach poses to Katie and Eric Knox after he sees their daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful, compete. For the Knoxes there are no limits--until a violent death rocks their close-knit gymnastics community and everything they have worked so hard for is suddenly at risk. 

As rumors swirl among the other parents, Katie tries frantically to hold her family together while also finding herself irresistibly drawn to the crime itself. What she uncovers--about her daughter's fears, her own marriage, and herself--forces Katie to consider whether there's any price she isn't willing to pay to achieve Devon's dream. 

From a writer with "exceptional gifts for making nerves jangle and skin crawl" (Janet Maslin), You Will Know Me is a breathless rollercoaster of a novel about the desperate limits of parental sacrifice, furtive desire, and the staggering force of ambition. 

Wendy

Book Review: Maestra by L.S. Hilton/Mystery-Thriller-Erotica

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Maestra by L.S. Hilton.

Title: Maestra

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery-Thriller-Erotica

Author: L.S. Hilton

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 
Publication Date: April 19, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 320 pages
Meet the Author: L.S. Hilton
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"This year's most erotic novel . . . Bound to be the It beach book of the summer." —New York Post

"[A] shopathon travelogue thriller that has billionaires, art world scheming and a sociopathic heroine who can unfasten belt buckles with her tongue." —The New York Times

Judith Rashleigh has worked hard to make something of herself. A put-upon assistant at a prestigious London art house, she's well-educated, well-groomed, and impeccably behaved--the darker desires she indulges on nights off are her own little secret. But when Judith uncovers a dangerous heist, her carefully created life is shattered and soon she's on the run. Armed just with her wits and a talent for self-invention, she makes her way from the French Riviera to Geneva, Rome, and the nightclubs of Paris, determined to take back what is rightfully hers.

A pulse-pounding, sexy thriller and the beginning of a darkly irresistible trilogy, Maestra follows the rise of Judith, a woman whose vulnerability and ruthlessness have left readers worldwide begging to know: where do you go when you've gone too far?

My Thoughts

After seeing this was called the most shocking Thriller people will read this year and being compared to other very well known books as Gone Girl and adding the fact that I have been reading a lot of mystery, thrillers/psychological thrillers lately I was very excited about this book, however, it was not what I was expecting. 

I have to say I finished it in the hopes of it to get better at some point but never happened, at least not for me. Even though I found the writing and the story line to be a very interesting proposal but didn't feel it was well developed. Some parts did not make any sense and others I found them unnecessary, disorganized and when the erotic element was supposed to be a fundamental part to engage the reader it felt excessive and without adding anything important to the story. It felt almost like the Author was putting a lot of effort to make it work, to be good. i could not connect to the characters, the story, this world the Author wanted to show but the way the story is written did not help to build that connection. I wanted to like it so bad but ended up with a lot of disappointment. 

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #45: July 19, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, another Mystery and Thriller release. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.

Title: The Woman In Cabin 10: A Novel 

Genre: Mystery and Thrillers

Author: Ruth Ware

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Publication Date: July 19, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages
Meet the Author: Ruth Ware
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author of the “twisty-mystery” (Vulture) novel In a Dark, Dark Wood, comes The Woman in Cabin 10, an equally suspenseful and haunting novel from Ruth Ware—this time, set at sea.

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10—one that will leave even the most sure-footed reader restlessly uneasy long after the last page is turned.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #44: July 12, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, the #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, soon to be a major motion picture is out on Paperback, The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins.

Title: The Girl on the Train: A Novel 

Genre: Thrillers and Suspense

Author: Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publication Date: July 12, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 336 pages
Meet the Author: Paula Hawkins
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, soon to be a major motion picture.

 

The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

 

“Nothing is more addicting than The Girl on the Train.”—Vanity Fair

“The Girl on the Train has more fun with unreliable narration than any chiller since Gone Girl. . . . [It] is liable to draw a large, bedazzled readership.”—The New York Times

 

“Marries movie noir with novelistic trickery. . . hang on tight. You'll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend.”—USA Today

 

“Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages.”—The Boston Globe

“Gone Girl fans will devour this psychological thriller.”—People 

 

 

EVERY DAY THE SAME

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Wendy

Book Review: One True Loves: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid/Fiction-Contemporary Romance

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of One True Loves: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Title: One True Loves: A Novel

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Fiction-Contemporary Romance

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Washington Square Press 
Publication Date: June 07, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 352 pages
Meet the Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Named a Best Book of Summer by Cosmopolitan * InStyle * Redbook * Us Weekly * PopSugar * Buzzfeed * Bustle * Brit+Co

“No one does life and love better.” –InStyle

“Earth-shaking…you will flip for this epic love story.” –Cosmopolitan

“Reid's heartwrenching tale asks if it's possible to have multiple soul mates.” —Us Weekly

From the author of Maybe in Another Life—named a People Magazine pick—comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

My Thoughts

Listened to this on Audio book, in one sitting and loved it. The Narrator does a pretty good job and gives the story a very unique and special touch, makes it more interesting and powerful in my opinion. 

One of the best books I have read this year. I loved every minute of it, I cried a lot, a very sad and heartbreaking story but at the same time, extraordinary, a story that will remain with me forever. This book has had such an impact in my life, I will always cherish these characters and how after reading Emma and Jesse's story, I had the chance to see life from a different perspective. 

One True Loves follows the story of Emma and Jesse. High School Sweethearts, they  get married, start building a life together, love traveling and spending as much time together as possible, cant see life without each other. However, on their First Wedding Anniversary, a day they are supposed to spend together and celebrate all what they have accomplished, an unexpected trip comes up and Jesse has to travel, agreeing to make it up to Emma when he is back. But little they know this trip will change their lives forever. The plane goes missing, just like that Emma finds herself, without Jesse, without the love of her life. 

After a few years and having given up on the idea of her seeing Jesse again , she happens to run by her old High School friend Sam who tried to date her back then but it was clear to Sam who Emma had decided she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. However, Sam and Emma start to spend time together and at one point they decide to get their relationship to the next level and get serious, Sam convinced Emma is the girl he wants to share his life with and Emma attempting to re- build her life and move forward from Jesse. But one day Emma receives a phone call that changes everything and she finds herself again facing a big change, knowing she will eventually have to make a decision.

One True Loves, a story about finding our path and purpose in life, about true love, family, overcoming obstacles, pain, about how sometimes in life we have to make hard decisions which may hurt the ones we love but a at the end are these decisions what define us and brings us happiness. A story which has the power to show us a new view on love and pain. Totally recommend it.


Wendy

New Release Tuesday #43: July 05, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, Here Comes The Sun: A Novel by Nicole Dennis-Benn.

Title: Here Comes The Sun: A Novel 

Genre: Women's Fiction

Author: Nicole Dennis-Benn

Publisher: Liveright
Publication Date: July 05, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages
Meet the Author: Nicole Dennis-Benn
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this radiant, highly anticipated debut, a cast of unforgettable women battle for independence while a maelstrom of change threatens their Jamaican village.

A New York Times Cool Reads for Hot Days Pick

One of BBC’s Ten New Beach Reads to Devour

A Publishers Weekly Writer to Watch

A Cosmo Reads selection for July

Marie Claire What We’re Reading List

One of Elle’s 19 Summer Books That Everyone Will Be Talking About

One of Bustle’s 73 New Summer Books to Enjoy on Your Warm Weather Adventures

Capturing the distinct rhythms of Jamaican life and dialect, Nicole Dennis- Benn pens a tender hymn to a world hidden among pristine beaches and the wide expanse of turquoise seas. At an opulent resort in Montego Bay, Margot hustles to send her younger sister, Thandi, to school. Taught as a girl to trade her sexuality for survival, Margot is ruthlessly determined to shield Thandi from the same fate. When plans for a new hotel threaten their village, Margot sees not only an opportunity for her own financial independence but also perhaps a chance to admit a shocking secret: her forbidden love for another woman. As they face the impending destruction of their community, each woman―fighting to balance the burdens she shoulders with the freedom she craves―must confront long-hidden scars. From a much-heralded new writer, Here Comes the Sun offers a dramatic glimpse into a vibrant, passionate world most outsiders see simply as paradise.

Wendy

Book Review: Category Jeremy: Chronicles of Dover's Amalgam Book 2 by Elizabetta Holcomb/Romance-Historical

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Category Jeremy: Chronicles of Dover's Amalgam Book 2 by Elizabetta Holcomb.

Title: Category Jeremy: Chronicles of Dover's Amalgam Book 1 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Romance-Historical

Author: Elizabetta Holcomb

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: June 1, 2016

Language: English

Kindle Edition: 244 pages
Meet the Author: Elizabetta Holcomb
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Jeremiah Cameron Tremaine. Within the body of Jeremy is a weapon of mass destruction. Being the strongest host in Dover’s Amalgam, he is a hurricane of a class all by himself. The strongest host alive. Living between two time periods: one life in medieval Dover and the other in modern Louisiana, England, and the Cayman Islands, he finds life becomes a cluster of unfortunate events that bring him face to face with the girl he left behind. 

Beau Angelle Benoit. Eight years ago, something happened to Jeremy. After being lost in Hurricane Libby, Beau was there when they found him naked, half starved, and surrounded by dead animals. She could hear him speaking without ever opening his mouth and when he touched her, she could feel the energy he contained. But instead of trusting her with his abilities, he left her to face government officials who probed her mind and a town that thought her a lunatic. 

Reunited 

Jeremy is back in his hometown of Gueydan, Louisiana to help with church reform and to dismantle host formation as the dawn of mega storms comes to the south coast. When he sees that Beau is in need of hero, he is more than happy to be that person. Wanting to see her reputation restored, he will do anything to make right the wrongs he is responsible for in her life—even if it means to lie to her so he can protect her from becoming a target for the enemies of Dover. The Hun’s are back and forming an army of host of its own, plowing down anyone that stands in their way of power and complete control of Dover’s Amalgam. 

My Thoughts

Category Jeremy, the second book in the Chronicles of Dover's Amalgam, another great book by Elizabetta Holcomb. While Book 1, The Guardian focuses more on the main characters, Jareth and Elizabet, how they met and their love relationship, Category Jeremy focuses more on Jeremy and Beau and all the journey they go through. I have to say I loved book 1 and even though book 2 introduces us to these new characters but somehow it helps to have a better understanding on what previously happened and at the end what to expect next in the story. As I mentioned before, I love the Author's writing style and her ability developing characters and world building. I think is fascination how through her writing she can transport us to the world she wants to show us, the story intended to be told. A great addition to the Series which I totally recommend and cannot wait to read the next book.

Many, many thanks to the Author, Elizabetta Holcomb for kindly send me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #42: June 28, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, a Mystery/ Thriller, All The Missing Girls: A Novel by Megan Miranda.

Title: All The Missing Girls

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Author: Megan Miranda

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: June 28, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 384 pages
Meet the Author: Megan Miranda
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #41: June 21, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler.

Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies.

Title: Vinegar Girl

Genre: Literary Fiction-Women's Fiction

Author: Anne Tyler

Publisher: Hogarth
Publication Date: June 21, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 240 pages
Meet the Author: Anne Tyler
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies
 
Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner.  

Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost.

When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

Wendy

Wendy Recommends-#8

Hello dear Readers,

Today I would like to recommend the books below. If you like or are looking for a fantastic Mystery/Suspense/Psychological Thriller read, please definitely check these out.

I have reviews for these books which you can find in the links below.

• You by Caroline Kepnes
• He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker
• The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #40: June 14, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week a Young Adult Debut. We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore.

Title: We Were Never Here

Genre: Young Adult-Fiction

Author: Jennifer Gilmore

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: June 14, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 320 pages
Meet the Author: Jennifer Gilmore
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this exquisitely written and emotionally charged young adult debut, Jennifer Gilmore explores how sometimes the wounds you can’t see are the most painful.

Did you know your entire life can change in an instant?

For sixteen-year-old Lizzie Stoller that moment is when she collapses out of the blue. The next thing she knows, she’s in a hospital with an illness she’s never heard of.

But that isn’t the only life-changing moment for Lizzie. The other is when Connor and his dog, Verlaine, walk into her hospital room. Lizzie has never connected with anyone the way she does with the handsome teenage volunteer. However, the more time she spends with him and the deeper in love she falls, the more she realizes that Connor has secrets and a deep pain of his own . . . and that while being with him has the power to make Lizzie forget about her illness, being with her might tear Connor apart.

Wendy