Review: Gabriela and The Widow by Jack Remick
What were your overall thoughts about the book? Quite possibly, this is the best story I’ve been told in a long time. The author spun a marvelous, entertaining story based on the life of a single young woman who wanted to be accepted.
What do you think the author was trying to accomplish with this novel? He wanted to highlight how some women are treated, in my opinion. At first, you think the story is an exaggeration but as Gabriela’s story sinks in it is easy to imagine the low status given to women by men crave for power.
Who was your favorite character? Gabriela was a determined character and reminded me of Hester Prynne from The Scarlett Letter. There are many layers to her which you can’t really appreciate all at once but one way or another, this is a character who will touch your heart.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Dance For A Dead Princess
If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know? Princess Diana's death was played and replayed in the media from so many different angles. I would want to know what was the exact "aha" moment that brought this book to life and how much research she actually did? Which did you prefer the introduction or the conclusion? The introduction because the author took her time to introduce the plot, settings and two main characters. Every few pages brought another twist to the plot and I just could not wait to finish this book.
Is the story plot or character driven? It was character driven. You had the two main characters and then you had Diana in the background who seemed to be pulling the strings of the story and the characters.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Be Careful What You Wish For (Saga of the New Gods, #1)
Is the story plot or character driven? This reader felt that the story was plot driven. Michelle hunts for a ring to propose to her gamer boyfriend. When she finally finds a ring she is pleased it, they realise too late that the ring has magical powers. Think Lord of the Rings meets The Big Bang Theory meets All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. Is the plot well-developed? The plot is well-developed considering that this is the first book in the series. The reader will not be bored or uninterested with the storyline especially when it feels like you are transported to whole different world of fantasy and magic.
How does the pacing of the story feel? For this reader, it was good. Although I think the focus on Dungeons and Dragons was a little much. The fantasy and magic could have still happened without so much focus on the game. The scenes were cohesive and the timeline made sense so no complaints in that department. Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy read.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Emma's Secret: A Novel
Do any characters grow or change during the course of the novel? Emma. She is taken from her real family by Dottie who has dementia. Emma becomes attached to Dottie and her husband only to be found years later and is then taken 'home'. But is home really home? It's very emotional for her to become close to her family once again. Reminded me a lot of the Carlina White kidnapping.What motivates a given character’s actions? Where Megan and Peter are concerned, they were motivated by their marriage and family. Jack was also motivated by his marriage but I'm still questioning this. He knew his wife had done something wrong and did very little to fix it.
Which characters do you particularly admire or dislike? I am torn between Megan and Peter. They were both torn apart by Emma's disappearance (and I think you'll need to read the first book to understand this) and I really admire them for trying to keep marriage, family and their sanity intact.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Did the book end the way you expected? Never had any idea how it would end.Is the plot well-developed? Is it believable? Yes, the plot is well developed and I believable.
What was the problem in the book, and how was it solved? Yes, the murders were solved by Serafina and the journals.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Untethered
What were the main themes of the book? Family, school life and self-acceptance with a paranormal twist. Think Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Grimm (the TV Series).Describe 2 different settings. When Sylvie rubs a dried blob of red paint and starts to imagine her 'astral' self. When she visits the hospital as her astral self. In the first, she was so confident of herself and in the second, she realises how vulnerable she is.
Were you able to connect with the main character? Who wouldn't connect with Sylvie? We've had all awkward teenage years we wanted to run away from.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
How You Leave Texas
At the end of the book, do you feel hope for the characters? I have a lot of hope for Camille. Think she will thrive on her own.
Was the story credible? The characters were credible and believable. Their situations happened to real, everyday people.
If you could only save one character from the book, which one would it be and why? I would save Camille. She deserves to be happy with someone that truly deserves her love.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Four Paws (The Quillective Project) (Volume 1)
What was the author's purpose or purposes in writing this book? To share how they feel about their pets and to support a charity. Both very noble causes and the end result was a fantastic poetry collection. What incident motivated the poems? The authors loved their pets and wrote about things close to their heart. Most poems were about their pets while some were about general topics and people around them.
Formatting / Appearance. Most of it was in order. There were some lines of text that were in a different font, in the middle of a paragraph but I'm not sure if this was device compatibility or it was intentionally done like this.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Tainted Love: The Faith McKenzie Story
Did cover and title represent book well? The cover and title were a good fit. Tainted means so many different things when you read this story. Tainted with abuse, Faith's purity was tainted. Loved the author's play on words. Story structure? She needed to tell the story as she did. Lots of important things to learn in different times in her life.
Secondary character? Darryl - Her little brother. He wasn't in it hardly at all, but she wrote him many letters. She felt very guilty concerning him. He had a tremendous impact on her heart.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Kings of Charleston (Volume 1)
Share a quote or two from the book. "What's it going to cost me?" This goes beyond money, any act we commit today is going to have consequences later on. What are the most important relationships in the book? Casper - Her Parents and Casper - Cal - Tyson
If you could only save one character from the book, which one would it be and why? Casper. She was so young, she was a good person, trying to do the right things in life.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Book of Paul
What I didn't like. Really could not find anything I did not like. The story was well-written and the scenes were very much like Pulp Fiction or Magnolia. List the five major events in the story in the correct order. Rose and Martin have sex. John let's the brothers meet. John wants William to kill Rose. Martin kills Paul. Martin and Rose disappear.
Do you feel as if your views on a subject have changed by reading this text? No, I still enjoy a good fantasy read and this was one of the best.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Killer Work from Home Jobs: 200 Fortune 500 & Legitimate Work at Home Jobs
Name your favorite thing overall about the book. Content is well-researched and she gives several good leads for those looking to work from home. However, I did feel that she did not have a personal connection with these companies and when you try to look up this author and her credentials you're greeted with a somewhat dodgy website so not 100% sure if she is all that credible.Did you find that the cover and title represented what the story was really about? The cover was simple and the title was exactly what the book was about so no complaints in this department.
What did you think of the structure? I think the structure was okay although I would have liked more personal experiences than just data.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Zoo Academy Special Edition (Vol. 1-3): History, Science & Art Lessons
What were the main themes of the book? Learning. This is a perfect for any child who wants to learn more or has a problem understand something. Looking forward to adding these books to my collection. Is the story plot or character driven? The story is more character driven but the plot is strong. This was the only way it could be written. A child reading this needs each to help them learn.
What kind of book is this? Fiction: talking animals, young children able to travel themselves, animals with knowledge about pass events.
Is the title a good one or a poor one and why? I do not think a better title could have been picked for this series of books.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Lessons from the Lemonade Stand: A Common Sense Primer on Investing
Did you find that the cover and title represented what the story was really about? Yes, the cover represents investments and the book is about that.Was it a good book? Yes, this was an interesting book.
Summarize the book without giving away the ending. This book shows you a simple ways to invest money.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Italian Connection 1 (Dojo Boys, #4)
Did you find this book a quick read? Yes I could not put it down.Are any of the events in the book relevant to your own life? No, I have never encountered any of the things read in this book. Although I look forward to reading more books by this author.
What major emotion did the story evoke in you as a reader? Happiness made me smile.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Eyes of Ember (Imdalind #2)
Compare two of the characters in this book. Sain - Joclyn's father. Left when she was a baby, believed to be dead. Edmund - Evil man, killed many. He wanted all drakes dead.
Describe what is happening in the first part of the book. Jocyln was always in turmoil over Ryland and her destiny. Everyone kept secrets from her till the end. She was sad, beacause she had lost Ryland, the man she loved.
List the places mentioned in the book. Sante Fe, Prague, University of Ohio, Isola, Alps .
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.