This was my first novel by Shanora Williams. I received this book free from the author for an honest review. This story begins with our female MC Samira Wilder. Samira has always struggled to keep jobs and pay the rent because she refuses to waste her life away the same way their mother did. In a bind for money, she takes a one-night celebrity serving event where she meets pro golfer, Roland Graham. They fall up for each hard, celebrate a quick engagement, before she moves into his Colorado mansion. Soon, she discovers an abandoned shed of his deceased wife that Roland hasn’t entered since her death. Samira offers to clean it out and repurpose it, but the secrets she uncovers could undo her new happy life.
Alert: Spoilers below.
I struggled with my rating for this book. While the ending was nothing I could have predicted, I struggled to get there with Samira as the main character. While I can sympathize that the American work system is broken, Samira seemed to have unrealistic expectations of when her brother should be helping her out. She had no problems asking for money while at the same time complaining that he worked too much and would follow their mother’s footsteps. I could not connect with her as a character and Melanie and Dylan were truly monstrous. Roland was the only redeeming part of this story. I’m glad other people were able to enjoy this, but unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. (2/5 rating)
Tag: mystery
Book Review – Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King
This book was a collaboration between father and son. It follows the story of our world after the women population is put to sleep within fibrous shells after they fall asleep. Once enshrouded, they cannot be removed, or they become rabid shadows of themselves and attack any men present. The remaining men begin to turn on each other as they fight for resources. A woman by the name of Evie is the only woman that has not succumbed to this plague.
This book had an excellent plot that was well executed throughout its 700 pages. I also thought it was a well-crafted story around the aspects of the female identity within society. I know this wasn’t a typical King story for many of the longtime fans out there, so they likely won’t enjoy the story or the point it is trying to make. They only issue I encountered was how slowly the story developed. (3.5/5 rating)
My TBR for July, National Ice Cream Month
In honor of National Ice Cream Month, I have added some ice cream reads to be reading list, this month. However, closest to the top of this is the newest addition to K.F. Breene‘s, Installment 9 of her DDVN world. See my review of the first in the series here. This is one of my all-time favorite series, since I am such a Reagan fan. Read on to see the rest of my plans for this month.
1 Revealed in Fire (book #9) – K.F. Breene – Releases July 2nd, and this is all I will be doing once its in my kindle.
“Reagan’s trip down to the underworld was never going to remain a mystery. And now Lucifer is actively looking for the woman and her vampire cohort that raised hell in his domaine.
When a band of demons come to the surface with a note asking after Lucifer’s heir, the truth of Reagan’s true lineage can no longer be hidden.
The problem is, the elves remember Lucifer’s past heir, and how he nearly took down the Realm. This time, they do not intend to stand by while Lucifer finds his heir and raises her to power. This time, they’ll cut the problem out at the root.
Reagan went from a nobody in NOLA, to the most wanted woman in all the worlds. It’s time for her to own who and what she is. It’s time for her to fight back.”
2 – Never on a Sundae – by Wendy Markham, Lynn Messina, Daniella Brodsky
“It’s the best spot in Manhattan for a sinfully delicious ice cream sundae. And it’s where three young women come to soothe their troubles and treat themselves to a little taste of heaven. Lucky in friendship, not always so lucky in love, these women know that just a few spoonfuls of ice cream can sweeten everything from a date gone sour to a workday from hell. But before they can say “extra whipped cream,” they’re going to discover that there’s more to life than hot fudge-and that making their dreams come true is the real cherry on top”
3 – Say Yes Summer -Lindsey Roth Culli
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For as long as Rachel Brooks can remember, she’s had capital-G Goals: straight As, academic scholarship, college of her dreams. And it’s all paid off–after years of following the rules and acing every exam, Rachel is graduating at the top of her class and ready to celebrate by . . . doing absolutely nothing. Because Rachel Brooks has spent most of high school saying no. No to dances, no to parties, and most especially, no to boys.
Now, for the first time in her life, there’s nothing stopping Rachel from having a little fun–nothing, that is, except herself. So when she stumbles on a beat up old self-help book–A SEASON OF YES!–a crazy idea pops into her head: What if she just said yes to . . . everything?”
4 – A Parfait Murder – Wendy Lyn Watson
“When Tally’s cousin Bree spots her deadbeat ex-husband strolling the Lantana County Fair with a fat wallet and a vixen on his arm, she immediately files for back child support. But when his lawyer is found dead, things get a little sticky. Did Bree serve up a dish of cold, sweet revenge? Or is she another hapless victim of a parfait crime?”
What’s on your TBR for July?