Twisted Truths, Book Review

Twisted Truths by Rebecca Zanetti

Rate: 5/5

Goodreads Summary:

You can't escape the past . . .

Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count--and more enemies than he can name.

 A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, 

a man who broke her heart. But with Talia's life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever

--and this time, she won't take no for an answer...

The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once,

but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece,

 he'll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they'll use anything--and anyone--to get to Denver.

Thank you HBG HBG Canada, for providing me a copy of Twisted Truths! I wouldn't have been introduced to Rebecca Zanetti's amazing books had I not received the copy. 

Thoughts and Opinions:

            When I received the book, I did not know that it was the 3rd and last installment of the whole series, and I didn't want to read the book without having to read the rest of the series just yet. So I did. I started reading Ryker's story first, then Heath's... But then I found myself curious about the Dean brothers, and I didn't want the whole story to end just yet, so I started to read Shane's story, then Matt's, then Nate's and finally Jory's... FINALLY,  I couldn't wait any longer and I finally decided to read this. 
            I can say that it was a bittersweet moment because I'm on the last book of the series, and they're finally gonna deal with Dr. Madison and Sheriff Hobbs. But at the same time, it's the last book of the series. Basically, this book is about Denver (and his brothers, Ryker and Heath) who are super soldiers created by Dr. Madison. Denver met Noni, while he was on an undercover mission for his firm, Lost Bastards, a PI company run by him and his brothers. He left Noni because he thought he was "protecting her", but obviously, he still cared for her and vice versa. Noni's niece, Talia, was taken by her dad who's part of a gang. She needed the help she could get, so she went to her last hope of finding help: Denver. However, this was not good for the Jones brothers who are trying to keep it low key, so Denver goes to Noni's rescue. And so the story begins.
            I loved the whole aspect of family and the close bond the characters have with each other; all of the super soldiers created considering each other family. It's honestly so sweet and I think is what made the whole entire series (both Sin Brothers and Blood Brothers) so so worth it. I also loved the whole fighting in it. I didn't expect to read about genetically created super soldiers, but I'm glad I did because I loved the whole aspect of it; family, loyalty, the fighting, and the banter. I also enjoyed reading the other characters show up // or just being in the background. I also liked the bond between Zara, Anya, and Noni, how they easily bonded. It's literally the family goals, I want in the future (minus all the crazy supersoldiers, that is).
            Although the timeline is kind of rushed, it makes sense because of all the danger that they were in and there was a lot of suspense and action, which I usually don't see in contemporary books, so it was a plus for me. I honestly could not find any problems that I didn't like. 
            Overall, I enjoyed the whole book and the whole series,  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes action and romance.

Instructions for a Second-hand Heart, Book Review

Instructions for a Second-hand Heart by Tamsyn Murray

Rating: 2.5/5 

Goodreads Summary:

Jonny knows better than anyone that life is full of cruel ironies. He's spent every day in a hospital hooked up to machines to keep his heart ticking. Then when a donor match is found for Jonny's heart, that turns out to be the cruellest irony of all. Because for Jonny's life to finally start, someone else's had to end. 
That someone turns out to be Neve's twin brother, Leo. When Leo was alive, all Neve wanted was for him (and all his glorious, overshadowing perfection) to leave. Now that Leo's actually gone forever, Neve has no idea how to move forward. Then Jonny walks into her life looking for answers, her brother's heart beating in his chest, and everything starts to change. 

Together, Neve and Jonny will have to face the future, no matter how frightening it is, while also learning to heal their hearts, no matter how much it hurts.

*Just wanted to say thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for providing me an ARC of this book*

*Spoiler near the end*

Thoughts and Opinions:

          When I got the list of books to choose from I was intrigued by the synopsis and even though I kinda knew what was going to happen at the end, I still wanted to read it anyways. My overall thoughts was that it was okay, but it had its frustrating moments. 

          I love books that have independent and strong characters, and the MCs in the book did have their good moments, but I got so annoyed and I couldn't just get past it that I think it became the reason I didn't enjoy the book as much. 

         Jonny has been sick his whole life and the only way for him to get out of the hospital was if he were to get a heart transplant, but a heart transplant means that someone else's life ended. Enter Neve, Leo's twin sister who becomes Jonny's organ donor (you can probably already see how the rest of the book will go). Jonny was an interesting character, he liked comics and drawing, but once he got his heart transplant, I think his fascination (or curiosity) about who the heart came from was a bit over the top. I am a curious person in nature, and I would want to know who it came from as well, but personally, I don't think that I would go as far as acting like the guy who it came from. Yes I understood that he was just trying to find himself after expecting that he wouldn't live long enough, but I think something was lacking in the writing and what the book was trying to convey. What I really liked about the book though were the comic drawings by Jonny, they were fun for me because it helped visualise what Jonny liked and his drawing style/technique. I thought it was a good way of showing a little insight on who the real Jonny is and not  who he was trying to become. As for Neve, she's an angsty teen, she got used to being in the background of her golden-boy twin, and I could see how that will turn someone bitter. But, I never really understood why the need for those pills, I feel like there were unresolved problems that the book didn't expound on. The MCs did go through a character development, but I felt like it wasn't enough, and that it was a bit rushed especially since it happened so close to the end of the book and the events leading up to it weren't really connected.     *Spoiler* I also did not understand Emily's death, it felt forced and I think there could've been a better ending for Emily. *Spoiler*
          I liked the idea and the trope, but this book wasn't really my cup of tea. A lot of people seem to like it, so I recommend this for people who like teenage romance, and I guess in a way, characters who try to find their identity. 

Frostblood Book Review

Frostblood by Ellie Blake

Rating: 3/5

Goodreads Summary:

The frost king will burn.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her—and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Before I continue writing this review, I want to apologize to HBG Canada because they sent me an ARC of this a while back and I haven't gotten around to writing a review until now, I am thankful for the copy, but very sorry I've been a terrible reviewer. I'll do better.

Thoughts and Opinions:
         Basically, this book is about a girl, Ruby who is a Fireblood, a person with the ability to control fire and produce fire. They are being hunted by the King's men who is a Frostblood, someone who controls ice. She gets captured, but then gets saved by people who she eventually gets used to and that's when things start to develop. 

         I liked the fantasy part of the book; magic and the power. But the other parts?.. It was kinda similar to most YA book plots. It was a bit predictable for me, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. I liked the both the MC's banters and comments to each other, it was pretty much the highlight of the book. I hoped there were more interactions between the characters and that they had more character into it (ha, pun intended). It took me a while to kind of get excited, but when it did, it was brief.
         I liked the arena part, it was the part in the book where things got interesting because there were a lot of things happening and action.
         Back to the topic of the fantasy part, the myths and the stories of where the Frostbloods and the Firebloods' magic came from appealed to me. Personally, I like reading tales from a backstory within books, it makes it much more interesting and the insight of how things started makes it easier to form an image and how the characters in the book got to where they were now; how things became that way and how their lives and culture changed because of that tale/myth they've been told growing up. For the most part, I genuinely did enjoy and didn't mind reading it. There were moments when it got to me, especially with this one event that happened and I may have shed a tear, but other than that, it wasn't enough to push me over the edge. It was consistent and easy to read, but it just didn't do much. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.
          Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who's into fantasy and the characters have unique powers and they save the world. 

Strange the Dreamer Book Review

Book Depository Preorder

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads summary:

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world?
 What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.
Welcome to Weep.
The copy of this book was provided to me by HBG Canada, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are mine completely.

Thoughts and Opinion:

"You think good people can't hate?" she asked. "Good people do all

the things bad people d, Lazlo. It's just when they do them, 

they call it justice." 

"And that is how you go on. You lay laughter over the dark parts. 

The more dark parts, the more you have to laugh. With defiance , with abandon , with hysteria , any way you can. "

          I'm going to try to describe this book as much as I can without giving away too much details, so here are some of the words I would use to describe it: confusing, dreams, funny, relatable, confusing, brings out your emotions. This book is a bout a dreamer, he has this great fascination about this city called Weep. Every since he was a child, he would listen to this monk who told him stories, until he ran away to a city and became a librarian's assistant. During his time at the great library of Zosma, he spent his time reading and finding out what he can about the city. That is until a group of warriors called Tizerkanes, came to his city, their leader, the Godslayer is looking for a group of people who can help them solve this "mystery" in the city of Weep. Thus the story of Lazlo Strange begins... but not. At the same time, there is a group of hidden kids in a citadel. They're called godspawns and they are blue, with red hair.  Yep, blue. And the magic begins.
         During the first few chapters of this book, I was really confused. A character made me very mad and I just wanted to strangle him. Then I sort of got the hang of things, that is until more characters got introduced. Again, I was confused, but I kept reading cause the curiosity was too much. I had to know what was going to happen next. This book has so many concepts and ideas into it that it's like bits and pieces of different ideas and different themes all in one book - I loved it. As I kept reading I got more and more transfixed with the idea of dreaming and magic. I think that Laini Taylor did a fantastic job interpreting and expressing the book. AND OH MY GOSHH THAT ENDING!!! I AM SHOOK! I want to read the second book because I am left confused and wanting more, but sadly the book hasn't even been released yet. *silently cries*
          The book was left at a cliff hanger, but it was the bearable kind, the one that got you on your toes anticipating what would happen next. I loved the characters, they did their jobs very well. Some made me mad to the point where I just wanted to punch them (there were 3 of them), made me feel bad, and just made me love them. All the characters and the plot of the book has been put together so well they just work perfectly. There were many beautiful quotes that I just had to highlight. The plot of the book flow very well, and the writing style was easy to understand and comprehend.

Who would I recommend it to:

          I highly recommend it to anyone who is into magic and a story that includes great characters, a good story line, and Laini Taylor in general. I also HIGHLY  encourage you to buy the book and preorder it, NOW.

Here are the links to Amazon, Book Depository & Chapters:

• Amazon Preorder
• Book Depository Preorder
• Chapters Preorder