Abi and the Boy Next Door by Kelsie Stelting

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 372
Series: Texas High: Abi #1
Genre: YA, Romance, Sport
Published: Dec. 8, 2018
Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis:

It’s the first day at my new school and I already have a wide load sticker on my back.

But this is still better than life was before. Before I was taken away from my parents. Before I moved in with my grandma.

Before I met Jon Scoller.

He’s cute, he lives down the street, but the guy asks way too many questions. Questions about a past I’d rather forget.

And I am not his type. He needs to be with a cheerleader. A perfect girl. Someone who doesn’t look like the before picture for a weight loss shake.

Jon makes me feel like I’m more than a number on the scale, but I’m starting to wonder: does he feel the same way or does he just feel sorry for me?

Review:

I have read a book series by Kelsie before. They were super cute though had a few characters who fat-shamed. I am not opposed to some characters fat-shaming due to people in real life fat shame. So it stays realistic to me. What I don’t like is when an author fat-shames and makes it a point to do so.

I don’t know if it’s just the two small-town schools I went to in my life or if fiction is just exaggerated. I feel like in most books there seems to only be one plus-sized person in the school. Sorry but that wasn’t how it was at either of the schools I went to. Also, our jocks had some big boys. They weren’t all 6 feet and muscles for days. Just saying.

And while I am ranting, if you are not where you want to be with weight, no matter how much you weigh, please don’t starve yourself. Also, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and managing weight won’t be done in a week. Please give yourself some time. I am having to remind myself of this because I’m not back to where I was before JB. I have to remember that JB is only six months. While some women can bounce back after a baby, I’m not them and my body needs time.

Anyway sorry for the rant. On to the actual review. Abi is living with her grandma after her abusive parents are put in jail. Abi lives down the street from Jon. She makes friends with a girl named Stormy on the first day. Abi is a plus-sized girl who hates herself and her weight.

I love that even though Abi hates herself, she does seem to work to better herself. She isn’t a heroine that the author made to self-pity herself or to try and get attention. I love when characters try to better themselves. It makes me not want to smack them.

Now Jon and Abi… I don’t see the attraction she has for him. He hasn’t really done anything to get the almost stalker vibe from her. I just don’t get what she sees in him. While I am glad Abi tries to better herself, I don’t like the thoughts she has about herself.

Porker dead, choked on pork.

She isn’t nice to herself. And that makes me a bit mad. I understand she doesn’t like her weight but that doesn’t mean she has the right to dig on herself. I also understand that with the way her mom was that it’s ingrained in her brain to think the worst of herself. So I guess I can let that slide.

I don’t know if I will put the second book on my TBR. I wasn’t too thrilled with the book.

The Dry by Jane Harper

My edition: Kindle Unlimited w/ audiobook
Pages: 329
Time/Narrator: 10 hours/ Stephen Shanahan
Series: Aaron Falk #1
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published: Jan. 2, 2018
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

A small town hides big secrets in this atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.

In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily when three members of a local family are found brutally slain.
Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk reluctantly returns to his hometown for the funeral of his childhood friend, loath to face the townsfolk who turned their backs on him twenty years earlier.
But as questions mount, Falk is forced to probe deeper into the deaths of the Hadler family. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret. A secret Falk thought was long buried. A secret Luke’s death now threatens to bring to the surface in this small Australian town, as old wounds in bleed into new ones.

Review:

I have this on both kindle unlimited and audio. I read most of the book and then listened to the end while cooking dinner, Wy played his video game, and JB (our son) played in his walker.

I highly suggest reading this instead of listening. It helps when the book goes into a flashback. There were a couple of times I got a bit lost but then realized it was a flashback. But the audio is still good. I just feel like it’s a book that needs to be physically in front.

I am in the minority when it comes to this book. I liked it and the ending was one that I didn’t guess. Though I feel like it didn’t live up to the hype. At first, while an easy read I wasn’t interested. I didn’t have the feeling of I needed to know who did it. I didn’t have that feeling of being on the edge of my seat. I missed what everyone else raved about in their reviews.

Great writing. Just didn’t live up to the hype for me.

Bible Study Guide for Beginners by Brian Gugas

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 343
Series: The Bible Study #1
Genre: Christian, Non-fiction
Published: August 18, 2014
Rating: None (DNF @ 15%)

Synopsis:

Throughout the ages, people have turned to the Bible for guidance and hope. This Bible study book serves as a road map for the beginner to develop an appreciation of the Bible and make it a part of their daily living.
All 66 books of the Bible are covered in detail, including:

• Author of each book and the time frame in which it was written
• Key themes for each book
• Summary of the message in each book
• A devotion for contemplation and further exploration

Immerse yourself in the stories, prophecies, and messages of the Bible and discover anew the awe-inspiring force, mercy, and healing power of God and Jesus Christ. Graceful and inspiring, Bible Study for Beginners brings the reader back to the basics and opens the way to a direct relationship with the living Word of God.

Review:

Seriously, I tried to get through this but I think I might be a level higher than who this book is for. He misses going into depth about what passages are about. He doesn’t explain the ancient Hebrew language and why it’s hard to translate over to English. I get it, this is for beginners and maybe that is why I am having such a hard time reading this. I am no longer a beginner. I haven’t been a beginner for the last two years.

I think if I read this when I was a beginner, it would have helped tremendously. But as for where I am with my walk with God, this Bible study just isn’t for me. I need something a little more.

Please don’t let my review stop you from reading this. If you are a beginner, it would be a wonderful read for you. Especially if you have a hard time reading the Bible and don’t quite understand it.

#TheRealCinderella by Yesenia Vargas

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 236
Series: #BestFriendsForever #1
Genre: YA, High School, Sports Romance
Published: April 24th, 2018
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

Geeky Ella Reyes is at the bottom of the totem pole at Westwood High. Her ultra-popular stepsisters refuse to be seen with her at school, and every day she comes home to a mountain of chores.

Ella’s only friend (and maybe crush) lives on the other side of her phone’s screen. She and Baller929 know everything about each other, except their real names.

When they have a chance to meet at her school’s Halloween ball, Ella must figure out a way to get there without her stepmom or stepsisters finding out.

Is revealing her identity to Baller929 worth risking the one good thing left in her life? Or is he too good to be true?

Review:

Baller929 went to Westwood High School? My phone fell from my hands. This was impossible.

Super cute! This story reminded me in many ways of the movie A Cinderella Story with Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. There are also many ways that it’s not the same. But we have Ella who lost her dad on her eleventh birthday. From then on she lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters.

One day while volunteering to help students with homework over the student server, she helped Baller929 who was then Baller23. Since that day the two became close friends.

Again super cute YA. It’s almost puke adorable if you catch my drift. I’ll put the second book on my TBR list.

Sandstorm by T.W. Piperbrook

My edition: Kindle owned
Pages: 208
Series: Sandstorm #1
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Dystopian
Published: June 2, 2018
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis:

Something is hunting the inhabitants of Ravar…

For three generations, the colonists on Ravar have been stranded on a harsh planet, forced to survive in a desert environment where only the scrappiest animals and the heartiest plants survive. Most live without the foolish hope that Earth’s supply ships will ever grace the skies again.

Trapped in a sandstorm, Neena Xylance struggles to make her way back to her colony. What she doesn’t know is that she isn’t alone, and what she finds might destroy the last of the fragile life on her planet. 

Review:

Most speculated Earth was dead.

This takes place on Ravar. Ravar used to be a mining colony but it’s been years since the last supply ship from Earth has been seen. No one mines anymore. Neena is a native of Ravar. She was out hunting for food when the sandstorm hit with no warning.

Throughout the book, we get to see different sides of the sandstorm. Neena is stuck out in the desert, Gideon is in a bunker with the Heads of the Colony, Raj (Neena’s younger brother) is at home with the little brother and Darius is in his workshop.

Neena, I think is the only view I didn’t skim through. I was not interested in the other views. I think that they took away from Neena and what was going on with her. I didn’t care about what the other characters were doing. I didn’t feel as if they helped the story move along.

Will not be moving on to the next one. This did end on a cliffhanger but not one that made me want to know what’s going on.

Of Beast and Beauty by Chanda Hahn

My edition: Kindle Owned
Pages: 303
Series: Daughters of Eville #1
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy-tale retelling
Published: June 18th, 2019
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

Something evil this way comes.
7 Vengeful Sisters
7 Fairytale Kingdoms
7 Daughters of Eville

Everyone dreams of marrying a prince—except for me. I am nothing more than a pawn in my adoptive mother’s diabolical plot against the seven kingdoms. I was the chosen tool, her sharpened blade that would cut the deepest into the heart of the Kingdom of Baist. But like all deadly weapons, my wedding is two-edged sword that could cost me my soul.

For I am Rosalie, one of the adopted daughters of Lady Eville, and it is my duty to enter into a loveless and hate-filled marriage with the narcissistic Crown Prince of Baist. My choices and heart are not my own to give. Yet even in the thick of dire situations, beastly vengeance can give way to beautiful attraction.

Review:

I didn’t think I would like this at first. But like the cross-dressing goblin, it grows on you. Oh, I’m serious about the goblin. He steals dresses and lipstick.

Rosalie is now married to Prince Xander who has a horrible temper. I love Rosalie. She is funny and witty. She doesn’t let anyone push her around. She uses her magic to sneak around the castle and her run-ins with the prince are entertaining.

I’m debating on the rest of the series. As for right now, I have a ton of books on my TBR and for some dumb reason, I keep adding on. When I feel like moving on in this series I will get the second book.

Hook: Dead to Rights by Melissa Snark

My edition: Kindle owned
Pages: 214
Series: Captain Hook and the Pirates of Neverland #1
Genre: YA, Pirates, Fairy-tale retelling
Published: Sep. 25th, 2018
Rating: 3 STARS

Synopsis:

Neverland is a wondrous isle of adventure.

Neverland is a cruel lie.

Children follow Peter Pan believing their dreams will come true—to never grow up.

Surprise, surprise… they never will. The children Peter Pan abducts are murdered or meet a grimmer fate.

I’m the child who escaped Peter’s treachery. I’ve made it my life’s calling to rescue the Lost Boys, even those who don’t wish to be saved. Now Pan has a schooner he’s using to steal even more children. I’m the only one who can stop him.

Call me Hook. I am the master and commander of a pirate ship, and I’ll have my revenge on Peter Pan if it’s the last thing I do.

Review:

Captain Hook is a woman who isn’t fully human. She has sunk ships in bouts of anger. But when it comes to Pan… She is full of hatred to the point of obsession. Peter has told the Lost Boys that Hook is a man that he killed. But oh how his tale is mistaken.

Pan doesn’t just bring children to Neverland. He abducts them. His voice is hypnotizing. Hook happened to be a child that Pan brought to Neverland. Now she and her crew (some being former Lost Boys) hunt for Pan. Hook wants to save children from Pan even if they don’t want to be saved.

I had a reputation for ruthlessness, but this crossed lines, even for the dread Captain Hook.

Hook, I would say is an interesting character. It’s the first time I have read a version of Hook as a woman. She is a true pirate who pillages but when it comes to Pan, she will do anything to save the children from him.

I got tired of the constant repeat of Hook and the first mate’s hatred for Pan. It was said in almost every chapter. It got quite annoying.

As to the second book, I am debating on reading it. I just wanted this book to end. I had more high hopes than what I got. Maybe I went into this with too much of an expectation instead of just being open-minded.

Finding Beauty in the Beast by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 263
Standalone
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fairy-tale retelling
Published: Jan. 9, 2018
Rating: 4.5 STARS

Synopsis:

Princess Rose’s fiery temper has kept every potential suitor away…until now. After being spurned and humiliated for the last time, the princess forces every eligible man to present a gift to her under pain of death. The man who brings her the best gift will be chosen as her husband.

When Corbin presents his gift, he hopes that his simple offering will keep him safely overlooked. All he wants is to return to his quiet life as a blacksmith away from forbidding castles and beastly princesses. But love works in mysterious ways, and it all starts with a rose…

Review:

Everything changed that day. I suppose everything and everyone died a little when the king and queen died, but no one more than Princess Rose.

Everyone calls her the Beast. Rose has a temper that has given her quite a reputation. Corbin is a blacksmith, who recently moved back to Laurel when his heart got crushed by an ex-fiancee. Rose was supposed to be married to a prince who called off the wedding to marry a commoner. She then demands all eligible men who live in her kingdom to bring her a gift so she can choose from them for a future husband. Any who refuses will be hung.

Corbin just moved in and didn’t know about the ordeal until it was time for him to go to the ceremony. On his way, he finds a rose for his gift. When it is his turn, Rose chooses him to become her husband.

I loved this. It was so cute. I loved the relationship between Corbin and Rose. Its growth was believable and well written. The gender swap was done amazingly. I love when fairy tales are gender-swapped. With Rose as the beast, and Corbin as the “prisoner”.

I wish there was another book of these two but the end was the end. It was tied off quite neatly. I feel like my next read might not be so interesting.

The Love Playbook by Suze Winegardner

My Edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 230
Standalone
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Sports, Romance
Published: November 4, 2019
Rating: DNF @ pg 18 (No Rating)

Synopsis:

When Avery Stone learns her dad will be fired if his high school team doesn’t make the playoffs, she has to get her head out of her day planner and do something—anything—to help him win. Even if it means secretly coaching the team’s newest player, who seems to have more game than skill.

Lucas Black just transferred to Hillside with a fake name and a big secret. The MVP of every team he’d played on since he was seven—not to mention the MVP of every post-game party—he can’t understand why since arriving at Hillside, he’s been unable to catch a single. Freaking. Ball.

Until…Avery. Amazing, kind, generous, and crazy-freaking-hot Avery.

As Lucas goes from zero back to hero and Avery struggles with just what Lucas means to her, she inadvertently sets them on a collision course with Lucas’s secret…a secret that could take down not only Lucas but her father too.

Review:

Oh, this is sad. It’s been a while since I DNFed a book so early. I wasn’t feeling it to start off with. Nothing jumped out at me in the first chapter. Already I didn’t like either of the MCs. Then I had a theory, read some reviews, and the theory was proven correct. I skimmed the little bit of chapter 2 that I did read.

Nothing and I mean nothing popped out at me when I skimmed. If anything it made me want to skip to the end just to know how everything turned out. Instead, I have decided this book isn’t for me. I am going to put it back and part ways. It will be easier than trying to force myself through a book that I know I will give a low rating.

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 336
Series: Messina Family
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Humor
Published: Oct. 1, 2019
Rating: 4 STARS

Synopsis:

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?

Review:

Super cute YA romance. Sophie gets dumped right as Christmas break starts. She goes to spend Christmas break with her family when her grandma (Nonna) comes up with the idea of setting her up with blind dates. One member of the family can set her up with a boy around her age and set the date.

I was entertained. Funny, adorable, and a close-knit family. This was something that helped after my last book being kind of a dud. I may have to read books from this author in the future.