Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Young-Ullman is a book about a camping trip. It also has some backstory woven in throughout the story. The supporting characters are all so developed and have such complex stories. The main character is also smart, strong, and musically talented. This book does not disappoint. Continue reading
Title: Blackhearts
Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.
Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.
Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England?
From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman is as incredible as its cover! It is definitely the kind of book that can be read in a single sitting.This is a captivating Blackbeard origin story with a perfect, shy maid as one of the main characters. While the ending is not one that readers will be satisfied with, this novel is a must-read for 2016. Continue reading
Title: Instructions for the End of the World 
He prepared their family for every natural disaster known to man—except for the one that struck.
When Nicole Reed’s father forces her family to move to a remote area of the Sierra Foothills, one without any modern conveniences, her life is completely turned upside down.
It’s not that Nicole isn’t tough. She’s learned how to hunt, and she knows how to build things—she’s been preparing for the worst-case scenario for what seems like forever.
But when she and her sister, Izzy, are left alone in this remote landscape to fend for themselves, her skills are put to the ultimate test. She’s fine for a while, but then food begins to run out, the pipes begin to crack, and forest fires start to inch closer every day.
When Wolf, a handsome boy from the neighboring community, offers to help, Nicole feels conflicted. She can take care of herself. But things have begun to get desperate, and there’s something about this boy she can’t shake.
As feelings develop between these two—feelings Nicole knows her father would never allow once he returns—she must make a decision. With her family falling apart, will she choose to continue preparing for tomorrow’s disasters, or will she take a chance and start living for today?
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain is a book that certainly has a fantastic sounding synopsis and the cover is quite stunning. Sometimes when I read a synopsis for a book or even find the cover to be appealing, I am immediately drawn in. Sadly, the plot of this book took forever to move forward, which I didn’t appreciate. I did enjoy the forest setting, though, which was probably why I continued reading. However, this book is overly unrealistic and hard to believe, which really affected my enjoyment of the novel. Continue reading
Looking for the ultimate pirate book this season? Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum is an action-packed prequel to the classic tale, Peter Pan. This unique adventure story includes a fast-paced plot, a beautiful setting, and a likeable side character. Continue reading
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman is a wonderful western with a main character that is brave and desperate for vengeance and a theme that is fairly common, but with a western twist. This is the perfect book to introduce you to the western genre. Continue reading
