Red by Izzy Barry

Red has hidden both herself and a secret that could get her killed since she was young. Now, the last family and confidant she had is gone and she can no longer hide from the pack. Per her brother’s last wish, Red is now under the protection of the Alpha and has relocated to his home. She must now juggle keeping her secret safe, learn how pack politics work, grieve for her brother, and—worst of all—fight off the physical attraction she has toward the man in charge.

Hello everyone,

My name is Jem and I was lucky to read this book before the official release. I loved it!

This is not just a romance book. There is romance and of course two stubborn people who don’t know how to express their feelings to themselves or others. There is, of course, sexual tension, confusion, and lots of jealousy on both sides.

There is also a theme of grief and learning to let people in after tragedy. Red proves she is not useless to herself and the pack she comes to love through heroic, and sometimes reckless, acts to protect them all from the same fate as her brother.  

As this author’s first book, this had me hooked as it likely will any paranormal romance fan. Readers will not want to put this book down. I cannot wait to see what other stories she has for his pack and in this universe.

Full stars and worth the sleep loss!!!

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

The Pure Shore Club by Jason R Lady

Three middle school-aged kids who share nothing in common besides being new students at a boarding school receive invitations to join the Pure Shore Club. They were given no information about what the club is or does, and when they arrive at the teacher’s office to learn more, they overhear an argument in which they learn that the club was disbanded several years earlier and will not be reformed. It’s all rather strange, and when given a clue from the man who wanted to restart the club, the three band together to learn more and to solve this mystery.

I read a review copy of this young adult novel, and it was a fun read. I loved the concept of a group of young people banding together to solve a mystery about the Pure Shore Club and why it was disbanded, and then learning and becoming more than what they ever thought was possible. This was a young-adult superhero story. And yes, it includes a bad guy with superpowers, and the appropriate explanations to go along with all of it. I truly enjoyed seeing how these three youngsters, who were so different from each other, also realized that their differences complemented them as a group. They were stronger together than they were alone, and they even managed to teach the adults around them a thing or two.

The Pure Shore Club is, in my mind, a story of developing friendships, as well as helping those around you, often quietly and without expecting praise or reward. The Pure Shore Club was represented as a community service club. And it was, though it also was so much more than just that. It was a way for young people who many considered outsiders and who often thought of themselves as being alone or outcasts, to become much more, to find friendships they never would have expected, and essentially to become a found family.

This was an enjoyable story that I believe would appeal to readers of all ages who enjoy some mystery, friendship and found family stories, and of course, superheroes. If you give this book a chance, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Greater Oceans than Thine by Nelson McKeeby

Javier al-Rasheed is once again taking the crew of the Tea Merchant Remarker on another adventure, seeking riches, fame, and of course, tea. This being the third book in the series, we are shown more about the other crew members aboard the ship, their previous lives, and how they came together to form a sort of “found family” community among the crew. They would do anything for their captain, including following him into the great unknown of Ocean, seeking to find a lost island that is not on any map in the hope of obtaining an extremely rare tea that cannot be found anywhere else. However they only have a very old journal to try and guide their way on this adventure, meaning that the odds are not in their favor. And failure will likely mean the death of the entire crew if they cannot find a place to replenish whatever supplies they run out of on their trip.

I read a review copy of this book, and I enjoyed the story. I loved learning about many of the more minor characters aboard the ship, as well as their lives and adventures, both on the ship and in port. I found their stories fascinating and also enjoyed seeing the brief glimpses of their interactions with the captain, who has changed somewhat from who he was before the last grand adventure and has settled more calmly into the role of a ship’s captain.

This was a somewhat different story than what I expected, and seemed in some ways to be a collection of stories about the crew of the ship, but realized that isn’t that what actually does make it a continuation of the same tale? If we don’t know who the characters are and why they choose to follow the captain, potentially to their deaths as well as his, then we are missing out on an important aspect of the story.. The crew of the ship are “found family” to each other, and that is something very important to the tales we read about the Remarker.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading the next book in this series, which I believe is supposed to be the final one. I should warn you that this book does end on a sort of cliffhanger, for though the story in this book is complete, it sets us up for a very dramatic-seeming final book. Also, while it does not occur in this story, there is a reference to the previous rape of one of the characters, as well as another character who was both abused and raped (slavery) when hearing about her tale.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Shadow and Bone written by Leigh Bardugo Narrated by Lauren Fortgang

Alina Starkov has always been of little importance. She was raised in an orphanage with her best friend Mal, and the two of them joined the army together: Alina as a mapmaker and Mal as a tracker. But where he has always been amazing (he can find anything even when it appears to most as if there are no tracks), she has always been someone who appeared merely average, nothing special. At least until their entire group was almost killed in the Fold. (An area of total darkness that tears the country of Ravka in two.) It is almost impossible to cross the Fold without attracting the attention of creatures that live within the darkness. The Greshia possess abilities that help them fight against these creatures, and sometimes they succeed, sometimes less so. And when Mal and Alina are sure to be killed within the Fold, abilities that Alina didn’t know she possessed awaken. She is a sun summoner, and her light can chase the darkness away, hurting the creatures of darkness trapped in the Fold. But Alina is an untrained Gresia, and has no control over power she didn’t know she had. How can one girl become the savior of the entire world?

I listened to the audiobook edition of this book after having watched the two seasons available on Netflix. There is no season three and season two, while it ties up the story begun in season one very nicely, also leaves you hanging on what was meant to happen in season three, So I bought the audiobook through audible to listen to while I exercise. The story in book one (this book) is very similar to the Netflix season one episodes with only very few changes to the story. (I would guess those changes were made in the video production for added visual effect that you wouldn’t really see from the book, and adds to some of the horror of what happens to Alina and Mal on their journey.

In the audiobook version, the voices of each character are very distinct from each other. The narrator did a fantastic job narrating this book. And while I knew what was going to happen from having watched the Netflix version, I still very much enjoyed listening to this book. There were some slight differences in the book from the show, and I think I preferred the book version, though as I mentioned above, I can very much understand why those changes were made in the Netflix series.

Overall, this is a story that I would gladly recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy, magic abilities, pre-industrial war stories, friends to lovers stories, romantic problems, and found family. All in all, there is a little of something for almost anyone in this book, so I would definitely suggest giving it a try, whether you chose to read it yourself, listen to the audiobook version, or even just watch the series on Netflix. (Though with no season three planned, you’ll likely need to read book 3 to find out what happens after the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of season two.)

https://amzn.to/3MWHu9y (Amazon link)

https://books2read.com/u/b56jAO (Books2Read link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.