Book Review - "Aftermath" - Clara Kensie

Goodreads rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Some stories won’t have a happy ending,” he says. But there’s always hope that the next one will.

“Some stories won’t have a happy ending,” he says. But there’s always hope that the next one will.

This beauty was sent to me by the author herself, Clara Kensie. I was so ecstatic to be able to get an advanced readers copy (ARC). This book was heartbreaking and very beautiful.  At first glancing at the cover, I thought it was going to be another contemporary about someone falling in love. But I was shocked to read it was about a girl who survived four years of being kidnapped. Here is the actual synopsis:

Charlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart. Her parents have divorced: Dad's a glutton for fame, Mom drinks too much, and Charlotte's twin is a zoned-out druggie. Her father wants Charlotte write a book and go on a lecture tour, and her mom wants to keep her safe, a virtual prisoner in her own home. But Charlotte is obsessed with the other girl who was kidnapped, who never got a second chance at life--the girl who nobody but Charlotte believes really existed. Until she can get justice for that girl, even if she has to do it on her own, whatever the danger, Charlotte will never be free.

This novel was very heartbreaking, beautiful and touching. I cried three times and that’s a new record for me. Charlotte is such a strong young lady and has such a big heart even after she went through four years of hell. The way everything flowed together and created such a haunting tale of surviving and growing made this a heartfelt story. The topics discussed may be very sad and not many like to read or to write about topics along these lines, but the way Clara Kensie wrote and elaborated each character and the difficulties Charlotte faced was outstanding.

I have nothing negative to say about this book. It was such a good read and I recommend this book frequently and I’m happy to say I was given a chance to read this book. I want to thank the author for being such a kind hearted person and giving me this special opportunity. I’m sorry I am late with this review but life has been pretty hard on me lately and I really did try and get the review out as soon as I could.

I felt as if I was Charlotte and I was kidnapped for four years. The story was detailed and grabbed me from the first page. I have gone through a lot myself and I felt like I was able to get the tears out because of this book. I wish the story was extended and made everything complete.

On Goodreads I had to give this book a solid 5 out of 5 star rating. If I could, I would give it a 10 star rating. Aftermath is on my top favorites of 2016. So thank you again for this special opportunity. If you guys are interested please check out her instagram @ClaraKensie .

Book Review - "Stepping Stone" - Dakota Willink

Goodreads rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dakota Willink was kind enough to send me a copy of her first novel of the Stepping stone series, Heart of Stone. I loved that book and I gave it a 5 star rating. And once I found out that book two was coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

On her instagram she was looking for beta readers for the second installment, Stepping Stone. So anyone that was interested could sign up on her website. So I decided to sign up and I was hoping I would be lucky enough to be chosen as a beta reader. All the entries would be chosen at random. Knowing me, I didn’t expect to win anything. I never win anything when I enter for a contest, giveaway, or anything else really. So I believe weeks has passed since I signed up to win a chance and when I checked my email I was shocked to see that I was one of six or seven people chosen. I was more than excited when I opened the email.

I, of all people was actually chosen for this. I am so honored and happy to help in any way I could. Once I was able to download the file on my kindle, I was ready to dive right into this sexy read. So my job was to help find any plot holes, any grammar mistakes, anything that doesn’t fit right and point them out to Dakota. This phase is very important to authors in general. So my job was crucial to her and the whole editing process of getting Stepping Stone published. I couldn’t wait to stick my head right in.

So I found myself binge reading and falling in love all over again with Krystina and Alexander’s crazy love. They’re so cute and their love gets hot and steamy very quickly.  I enjoyed being able to grow with the characters as well as the author herself. I found myself getting lost inside their world. Dakota Willink does an amazing job creating a world filled with love, pleasure, pain, and craziness, a world you won’t be able to escape.  I felt the pain of their past of both Krystina and Alexander. Even through the hard times, they both grew into very strong and successful individuals and when they’re together, they’re stronger than they think. This made the book even more personal for me.

This happens to be my favorite sequel so far this year and no I'm not just saying this just because. I’m being 100% truthful. This series is adorable and very sexy. Their sex life has me on edge and I can’t wait for book three.

I want to thank you Dakota for giving me this opportunity to help you and giving me a chance to grow as a writer myself. You have been nothing short of amazing and I can’t appreciate your friendship enough. The best part is I am being sent the final copy of Stepping Stone in a physical copy. Now I have to go and buy Heart of Stone for my shelf.

On Goodreads this book deserved its rating. I gave it a 5 out of 5 star rating. I loved every second of reading and if you enjoy some steamy reads and romance then this series is for you. So if you’d like to know more about Dakota and the Stepping Stone series visit her on instgram @DakotaWillink and her website www.dakotawillink.com

Book Review - "Let Me Be the One" - Lily Foster

Let Me Be the One - Lily Foster

Goodreads rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

            I read this beauty on my road trip to Florida this year. It had been sitting on my Kindle app for awhile now and it came in very handy on the 17 plus hour drive. It was a short read for me, only 200 pages. I was determined to read about three books on this vacation. I wanted to make sure that I actually complete this year’s reading challenge.

            This book is about a beautiful, popular, and intelligent young female, Darcy, who seems to have it all together. She takes the opportunity to study abroad, which seems like a perfect escape for her. She is trying to leave behind the insecure and scared girl she has become. But someone else that is not her boyfriend is waiting for her to realize that he can be the one for her.  

            This is book one of a six part series. Each book is a standalone but the books are each inter-connected as the characters each have their turn at sharing their stories. I enjoyed reading this book until 5 am. I stayed up until I was able to add this book to my read list on Goodreads. I did not find this book boring or a drag. Each character was able to shine in their own way and if they didn’t get enough light then they’re most likely going to get their turn in the next book to the series. The story fell together very nicely and I enjoyed being able to complete it.

            Even though I enjoyed the read, it wasn’t a book that had a lasting impression on me. I’m not saying that in a negative way. I did enjoy the plot and the characters but it didn’t leave me wanting more or making me rave about it to my friends or show it off on my bookstagram. I did not give this book a bad rating because of that. On Goodreads I gave “Let Me Be the One” a three out of five star rating. That’s not a horrible rating but it isn’t the best book out there. Regardless of the rating it was a good book and I enjoyed it myself.