Book Reviews - The Reading Cat

Chase the Dream - B.B. Miller & Leslie Carson

8/16/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you BB Milller and Leslie Carson!

Wow. WOW. WOW. WOW. Okay, so, where have these two been my whole life? This book was everything. Either I’m getting weaker as time passes by, or these authors are on fire, cause they made me tear up. Yes, I shed a few tears!!!

I loved Sam’s story. It was emotional, raw, and captivating. Throughout the whole story, I had a my stomach in knots. I was nervous for Sam, for Hannah, praying the past wouldn’t catch up to them. I felt experienced every emotion they did. My heart raced and I’m just gonna go ahead and call it cardio cause it was beating so hard (genius right?).

The pace was spot on, the amount of description vs action was impeccable, the development of the relationship was on point. I cannot find a fault, because it was a beautiful story, with amazing characters.

I am officially hooked on this series! It’s one of my favourite tropes, and it was done so well. I fell in love with Cam, Sam and, Hannah. I laughed alongside them and my heart swelled at the amount of love they have for each other.

Thank you Michelle Clay for the recommendation <3

Mercenary Princess - Setta Jay

8/16/2018

★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Setta Jay!

What an original story by Setta Jay. I have been following the author for some time now, and she always proves to me, time and time again, that she can take a trope and twist it into something original and refreshing. I loved the mix of tropes in this book; royalty, arranges marriage, mercenaries, the worlds elite. Jay managed to make all these come together in a harmonious way in this story, when it could have easily been a terrible mish mash.

I can’t review this book without commenting on the sensual scenes. They were’t the most beautiful explicit scenes I had ever read, but my my, were the smooth and sensual when you read them. They will make you hot under the collar alright. Wowy! Where’s my Viktor?

I really enjoyed how this book sets up a series. How it gives us hints at other romances. If there’s something I learned with the Guardians series, is that with each book, the world solidifies, and the books get better. I cannot wait for the rest of this series!

Dauntless - Anne Malcom

8/12/2018

★ ★ ★ ★

I received a copy of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Anne Malcom!

This book covered dark themes. Themes I love reading about; addiction, recovery, grief. There's something special about Anne Malcom's writing. It is fluid and full of personality. She also crafts these beautiful metaphors, although there weren't as many as I would've liked in this book. In Beyond the Horizon, the book was brimming with beautiful literary language, and I was missing that from Dauntless.

I loved the plot of the story. The struggle and back and forth was very believable and honest. I loved that aspect of it. I felt as though the pace was off a little. It seemed like so much happened in the last 10%, like maybe too much happened in the last 10%. I think the book would have also needed a little more editing. I would have liked to see the resolution of the conflict begin a little earlier and take longer, but that's just me.

One thing that really wowed me was Anne Malcom's character development. It's slow, real, raw, believable. Lucky and Bex... sigh... such beautifully broken characters with demons dancing behind their eyes. With devils on their backs, and, pardon my humour, but no Florence Welch to tell them shake it out and to shake them off. Malcom creates such complex characters I forget they are fictional at times.

Anne Malcom remains one of my all time favourite authors, and I cannot wait to read her next masterpiece. (less)

Beyond the Horizon - Anne Malcom

8/2/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author, and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Anne Malcom!

Wow. This was one of my favorite books by Anne Malcom. She had me on the verge of tears so many times. She had me profusely blinking to keep those tears at bay as I read in a crowded train. My skin erupted in goosebumps at the beautiful metaphors; and the beautiful words Malcom was using.

There are so many emotional themes in this book; loss of family, drug addiction, mental illness, foster care. Yes this is Lily’s story, but as I read it, it also felt like Bex’s. She is such an integral part of the book. What both of these beautiful humans went through sends knives at my heart.

Malcom is trying to tell us that our past doesn’t define where we are headed. That our fears should not dictate our future, and that we have to look at ourselves in the mirror and the most beautiful version of ourselves. That we are more than we could ever imagine. That we just have to open our eyes to it. Lily’s insecurity’s hit so close to home, and I think that’s why I was able to get so invested in her story. I saw a lot of myself in her.

I loved the consistency of the metaphors of flowers and sunsets & horizons. It’s the details that truly make a book special. And that’s what this book is... special.

Outside the Lines - Anne Malcom

8/1/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ebook of this novel from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Anne Malcom!

Who knew you could pack so much into a short novella. Who knew a novella could make me cry, make my heart race, and give me all the damn feels? Not me. I shouldn’t be surprised though, you know why? Because this was an Anne Malcom book. That’s why.

Macy is such a complex character. She has a dark past, present insecurities, yet still tries to see the goodness in every situation. She’s also a cute geek, and a witty girl with no filter. She had me captivated from the first page.

Hanson is biker man to a T. She is rough, manly, and rugged, yet we also see his pain, his sweetness, and his gentleness. It was so much fun reading about his two sides. Again, another complex character.

Anne Malcom has a way with words. She is able to transmit information effortlessly and concisely. She doesn’t need many words to say what she wants to say. She developed her characters and the story over a few pages, and made it seem like a novel.

Another great one by Malcom!

Pretty Venom - Ella Fields

7/30/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Ella Fields!

When I say, the book gives you all the feels, I mean it in the most honest, real, and raw way possible. The emotions brought forth by this book felt so real it was as if everything was happening to me. Ella Fields is the puppet master of my heart - she pulls and tugs at all my heartstrings with her words. She is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Don’t be fooled by the pretty bows on the cover. This book will WRECK you!

I just have to mention that I loved the Sailor Moon references. It was my favourite show as a child. Reading about it brought along a whole wave of nostalgia - yet another emotion brought forth by Ella Fields.

I honestly loved Renee as a character. She knows what she wants and doesn’t take no for an answer. She is a determined girl, and I loved reading about her. She is also one of the strongest heroines I’ve read about. One of the most gratefully strong heroines. I’m not talking about badass assassin chick strong, but the pick yourself up, dust yourself off, straighten your crown - or bow - and keep your chin up.

I loved the realness of the story. The time frame it covers and how long things take was spot on. Ella Fields gives her characters time to heal between the blows, and in turn, gives us time to cope. There were a few times when I had to stop reading, stare at my ceiling, and take a few deep breathe to calm my raging heart and stop the tears from falling.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I loved this book, and I definitely recommend it!

Addiction - Margaret McHeyzer

7/24/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Margaret McHeyzer!

Margaret McHeyzer is brave. She is courageous and she is a warrior. She tackles the subjects authors are scared about attacking. She tackles the subjects readers aren’t sure they want to read about, but SHOULD read about. What people NEED to read about.

This book was about drug addiction. More specifically, meth addiction. The modern day crisis. This book was both so relevant, yet felt surreal as you read it. It will give you chills and make your jaw drop. McHeyzer is extremely talented, and was able to capture the loss of self of an addict. How a regular, smart girl, got pulled into the black hole.

This book is heavy. I thought I was good with heavy books, but this one really did make me uncomfortable. I had to take a break half way through. I had the luxury of stepping out of the world, and it really put in perspective that people in Hannah’s shoes don’t have that luxury. My heart was racing for the entire book. At some points I was physically shaking, not wanting to know the rest, because I didn’t want it to get worse, but, I owed it to Hannah to hear her out. To hear her full story. To show her that I had faith in her.

McHeyzer also put forth the prejudices towards drug addicts in this book. The people who only see a dumb person seeking the next high. She also shows us the compassionate side of people. The people who want to help. The people who persistently push to get these people out of their dark hole. The people who believe these people CAN get better.

I love where Margaret McHeyzer took it at the end. I found that it was elegant, and the right ending for this story. I think McHeyzer’s books should be read by everyone around the world. Why? They are universal. They talk about important hush-hush subjects. The things you want to sweep under the rug; abuse, rape, self-harm, and now drug addiction. I just want to applaud McHeyzer in her efforts to make a difference. Even just by opening people’s eyes to the truth. To the reality of the world we live in. These can things affect anyone - no exception.

My final words are : You are not alone out there.

Freaks - Callie Hart

7/24/2018

★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Callie Hart!

Well! That was action packed and nostalgic at the same time! I loved how. Callie tied this series into the Blood and Roses series, or rather the Blood and Roses series into this one. I love crossovers, and this was such fun!

I liked the way the story was wrapped up. It was interesting and totally messed up in the most amazing way. The last 20% was super riveting and you won’t be able to tear yourself away from the book.

The only thing is that I think the rat of the book could have been a little more concise. The downtime was a little drawn out at times, especially when we know something big is coming. Maybe I’m just impatient *laughs nervously*. I think I’m just impatient. I also wished that there would have been another Fix/Sixsmith encounter! But that’s just me!

Overall, Dirty Nasty Freaks was original and fun! Action-packed and sexy as sin - catch my drift?

The Mafia and his Obsession : Part 1 - Lylah James

7/23/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Lylah James!

James has done it again. What a ride. The author is such a talented writer. She literally takes my breath sway with her descriptions; pun intended. She transports the readers with her words, and that is no easy feat. There are just so many wonderfully written passages, so many great one-liners, so much emotion in the writing. It reads beautifully.

The author is also very good at creating complex characters. Characters that are layered. They are like onions. She will peel away one layer at a time, and the more she peels away, the more you will cry. (That’s what I call a perfect simile).

Lylah James likes to toy with her readers. She won’t do the obvious; which is what makes our hearts race at 100 km/h (I’m Canadian, the metric system rules m’kay?). She keeps us hungry for more. More onions! (Consistency is key) And in true Lylah James fashion, she will leave you hanging with an ending that will make you scream. Let’s just admit it, we love being destroyed.

I cannot wait for Part 2! James just keeps hitting these out of the ball park!

Flip Trick - Amo Jones

7/21/2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC of this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you Amo Jones!

I always described Amo Jones as the Queen of Darkness. I had it all wrong. Or maybe a little wrong. She’s not only the Queen of Darkness with a capital D, but also the Queen of Angst with a capital effing A. I actually really loved this story. It spoke to me on so many levels.

Amo Jones was able to accurately represent what it’s like to be falling for someone for the first time. How we let our brains stand in front of our hearts like a shield. How we let the “what if’s” drown out what our heart wants to tell us. How taking the leap for the first time is scary as f*uck. If I may quote my favourite rapper NF : “I don’t trust this thing that beats inside my chest”.

I love where Jones took it at the end. It was totally messed up and whack. It was Amo’s signature. That, and the constant push and pull between Maddox and Amethyst. It was road block after roadblock for them, and it will make your heart break and make you yell “NO!” at every turn in the story. I loved them both as characters. They were such fun to read, and Maddox had me all hot and bothered. Dayum.

My most favourite thing about this book though, is the challenging of the definition of the word “Family”. Is it blood? Is it who raised you? Is it who home is? Is it your reconstructed family? Is it who you call when you need someone? All these questions and scenarios come up, and the answer is simple : it’s who you choose your family to be, whether you’ve known them you’re whole life, or a few days.

And I can’t forget the playlist to this book. Nostalgia from my childhood favourites I used to sing in the car with my mum, and new favourites I belt out on the daily. From Nirvana to Halsey, from Lenny Kravitz to Post Malone. To be honest, I miss early 2000s rock, and this just brought me back.

I liked seeing this side of Amo Jones’ writing. The story read super well. It was fluid, and gave you all the feels. Is there anything Jones can’t do?