[Book Review] Fiend by Peter Stenson

Fiend
by Peter Stenson

There’s more than one kind of monster.
   When Chase Daniels first sees the little girl in umbrella socks tearing open the Rottweiler, he's not too concerned. As a longtime meth addict, he’s no stranger to horrifying, drug-fueled hallucinations.  
   But as he and his fellow junkies soon discover, the little girl is no illusion. The end of the world really has arrived. 

   The funny thing is, Chase’s life was over long before the apocalypse got here, his existence already reduced to a stinking basement apartment and a filthy mattress and an endless grind of buying and selling and using. He’s lied and cheated and stolen and broken his parents’ hearts a thousand times. And he threw away his only shot at sobriety a long time ago, when he chose the embrace of the drug over the woman he still loves.

 
   And if your life’s already shattered beyond any normal hopes of redemption…well, maybe the end of the world is an opportunity. Maybe it’s a last chance for Chase to hit restart and become the man he once dreamed of being. Soon he’s fighting to reconnect with his lost love and dreaming of becoming her hero among civilization’s ruins. 

   But is salvation just another pipe dream? 

   Propelled by a blistering first-person voice and featuring a powerfully compelling antihero, Fiend is at once a riveting portrait of addiction, a pitch-black love story, and a meditation on hope, redemption, and delusion—not to mention one hell of a zombie novel.

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Coming from a different aspect, Fiend is a definite mix between Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. It's twisted, raw, and has all the dark humor that a person could possibly handle. 

When living dead come out, first the junkies think that they are hallucinating. Chase, the main character, has that rich-boy-gone-druggie symptom and have been in that hole for awhile. After killing a zombie girl with a typewriter by his friend Typewriter (get it, get it?), they go out to the streets to find survivors and some dope. 

I loved how expressive everyone was. A group of people trying to survive by cooking up drugs and fighting off "Chuckes" was really entertaining and the whole idea of drug addicts surviving was unique. I did like Chase, although KK annoyed me sometimes. He wanted a normal life, but he knew that it might never happen, now that the population has gone to sh*t.

Fiend is a loud, disturbing, gore novel with strong language and sexual situations that is for the right person. That dark and twisted humor can only be handled for certain people and I'm definitely glad that I could say I never saw this side of me. Fiendbrings up visuals from your head that you never experienced before and may never will with any other book. 

I received this book free from BloggingForBooks in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way.

[Book Review + Giveaway] Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne

Wild Iris Ridge
by RaeAnne Thayne 

Lucy Drake and Brendan Caine have only one thing in common… 

And it's likely to tear them apart. Because it was Brendan's late wife, Jessie—and Lucy's best friend—who'd brought them together in the first place. And since Jesse's passing, Brendan's been distracted by his two little ones…and the memory of an explosive kiss with Lucy years before his marriage. Still, he'll steer clear of her. She's always been trouble with a capital T. 

Lucy couldn't wait to shed her small-town roots for the big city. But now that she's back in Hope's Crossing to take care of the Queen Anne home her late aunt has left her, she figures seeing Brendan Caine again is no big deal. After all, she'd managed to resist the handsome fire chief once before, but clearly the embers of their attraction are still smoldering…

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

I love stories of the forbidden love. The kind where you know you have someone amazing but can't stop thinking about what could have been... Wild Iris Ridge was that story. With Brendan's wife passing, he has been thinking about Lucy more and more. But just thinking about her being his wife's best friend makes it more complicated than it should be. 

From the beginning, I feel under the charm of this story. Light and charming read, this was a perfect contemporary/chick lit novel that I wouldn't mind reading on the beach. The friendship that Lucky and Brendan had was very refreshing and I loved that they honored Jessie and felt that it was wrong to get together. The town that the author created was a place where I wouldn't mind living. It was the place that made me lose myself. 

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. This led her to a fifteen-year career in journalismas a newspaper reporter and editor. But through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best, romance, and has since published more than 40 titles. RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers!  You can reach RaeAnne through her website, RaeAnneThayne.com.

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[Book Review] Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

Broken Monsters
by Lauren Beukes

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Beukes returns with her next smash crossover thriller.
Detective Gabriella Versado has seen a lot of bodies. But this one is unique even by Detroit's standards; half-boy, half-deer, somehow fused. The cops nickname him "Bambi," but as stranger and more disturbing bodies are discovered, how can the city hold on to a reality that is already tearing at its seams?

If you're Detective Versado's over-achieving teenage daughter, Layla, you commence a dangerous flirtation with a potential predator online. If you are the disgraced journalist, Jonno, you do whatever it takes to investigate what may become the most heinous crime story in memory. If you're Thomas Keen, you'll do what you can to keep clean, keep your head down, and try to help the broken and possibly visionary artist obsessed with setting loose The Dream, tearing reality, assembling the city anew.

If Lauren Beukes' internationally bestselling The Shining Girls was a time-jumping thrill ride through the past, her BROKEN MONSTERS is the genre-redefining thriller about the horror of our city's future.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Definitely one of the creepiest works that I have ever read,Broken Monsters is meant to challenge the reader on psychological level, opening his eyes to the thin line between reality and something people consider as supernatural. 

"The moment when it reveals its miracle boy and all the eyes will look and their seeing will be horror and glory and wonder and it will pierce the skin of the world, collapse dimensions, and open the doors and the work will breathe and dance in his shoes and the dream will be able to escape..."

From the beginning, it felt like a typical story of CSI & trying to unreveal the murders. A young boy found glued together with a deer was sick but with every detail and every explanation, I was in awe of the structure of this book. Written in different POVs, we are able to know what's going on inside of the head of Detroit Monster. The dream that possess over his head, actions, and memories. 

It was intense and exactly what I would have considered as one of a kind reads. This is not a book that you can simply skip through. There are so many details, so many things that you have to consider, no wonder it took me awhile to read it. But it wasn't that I didn't like it. It was to actually process all of the information and give my imagination and mind a break from what I read. This is a talent. Broken Monsters was better than I expected and it intrigued me.

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Book Review] The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The Truth About Alice
by Jennifer Mathieu

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.

When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody.  Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester."

After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life.

But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice?

In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

"Alice Franklin is a slut."

This book was powerful. With multiple and ever changing POVs, it allowed the story to take a multi-dimensional spin that made us look from different angles. Because of the great writing, it was easy to follow the story while the characters stayed in their perfect personalities. 

This story was about cliches. About high school and it's drama and how something small could turn around and blow out of proportion. The rumors could ruin someones life and The Truth About Alive really showed that. 

"There is one thing I've learned about people: they don't get that mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature. If you give people enough time, eventually they'll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world." 

I could not say anything more that wouldn't be as good as the other reviewers said about this book but I did really really love it. It made me sad, made me happy, and made me angry. Alice was definitely very likable and not reading from her POV made the story just that much stronger. 

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

We Reached 500 Followers on Bloglovin!!! *happy dance*

ARE YOU GUYS SEEING THIS?? 

500 followers.  

500 individuals who clicked "follow"

& it's making me cry!

just kidding but I'M STILL VERY VERY HAPPY!!

& i love you all!

[Book Review + Giveaway] This Summer by Katlyn Duncan

Before college, before responsibilities, Hadley Beauman and best friend Lily are determined to have a summer to remember. There will be all the usual dramas - ex-boyfriends who don't seem to know what 'ex' means, pesky younger brothers with unrequited crushes, but what Hadley didn't anticipate was the out-of-the-blue return of the seriously hot boy-next-door, Will Carson. The boy who broke her heart when he skipped town two years ago.

Will may have shot up a foot and filled out (oh yes), but inside he carries the weight of guilt - for leaving, for coming back... Now he's just passing through to tie up loose ends but it's clear the old chemistry still crackles between him and Hadley. Trouble is, it's built on two years of lies...

This summer might just be the best time of their lives, but is Hadley ready for everything to change - again?

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

"After that night, you left me without another word. And from the moment you arrived I'm thrown back to the life we had before. As best friends and maybe more. I just need to know if you feel the same..."

A fun and perfect for summer contemporary read, This Summeris a lot deeper than I expected it to be. After Will left Hadley without a word, she has been heartbroken ever since. Then he comes back for summer to work at a camp and fix up the house. With their relationship left unstable, they try to work out both of their issues and go back to the place where they were.

"I'm tired of running in the wrong direction. I've made so many mistakes and I will spend a lifetime regretting them. And if I stay there, I'd add more to the pile. I want to run with you now. You're the only home I've ever wanted..."

I loved Will and Hadley. Even though her personality seemed immature sometimes, I cheered for both of them because that's what you just do in books like these. I wish Hadley wasn't jumping emotionally from one guy to the next but with her being heartbroken, I can understand how insecure she became. This Summer really reminded me of Colleen Hoover's Hopeless that I loved and even though it wasn't as intense, the writing itself was incredible.

About Katlyn Duncan

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

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[Book Review] Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

Virgin
by Radhika Sanghani 

Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right?  I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Virgin is a bold and true-to-the-bone book that's definitely relatable to general women population. Everything that's not being said about our "lady bits" is said in this book and it ishilarious.

From the very first page I was mesmerized by Ellie and her virginity. She was 21 year old uni student who just never had good luck with guys. With all of her friends being sexually active, she was determined to lose her V-card. But it definitely was harder then it looked. All the "shaving", the talk, the actual "doing" it part was an unexplored territory to her and with the help of her friends and some very unfortunate events, Ellie meets a guy who can be her potential boyfriend and who she wants to lose her virginity to. 

"I want you so bad," he whispered in my ear. Oh my God: dirty talk. There was no way I could do that yet. I was a virgin, for chissake.

"Same?" I said awkwardly, and then decided that talking while fooling around - or during sex, when the time came - wasn't for me.

New Adult Chick-Lit has always been hit or miss for me but Virgin definitely made me laugh. I loved Ellie's sense of humor and the way she looked at the world. Her honesty and thoughts about her virginity were very entertaining to read and a lot of times I couldn't stop laughing while agreeing with her at the same time. I mean, you don't find a lot of books that actually talk about the lady parts because it's not very "lady-like". But you know what? All women have vaginas and at one point we all wondered (& probably googled) if we see something weird or just want to know how to shave it. 

Overall, I definitely loved the writing and the hilarious side of the issue that the author decided to bring the book to life. There were no cliches, no awkward & pointless conversations, it was simply great and entertaining.

ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

[Book Review] We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

We Are the Goldens
by Dana Reinhardt

Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart.

When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellayla. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

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"We are the Goldens. Who knows, maybe to someone else out there, we are the perfect, beautiful sisters who have it all. Wouldn't it be nice? To be seen that way?"

Supposedly you have an older sister and you idolize her. Then she has a secret that you need to keep. Your parents are divorced, you start high school, a boy likes you... blah blah blah.

The whole summary of this book was way too dramatic than the story actually turned out. It was like watching one of those movies that had an exciting trailer but then you feel like $11 for a movie ticket was a complete ripoff because your life did not get better. That's how I felt after reading We Are the Goldens.

The connection between the sisters was obvious but with all the subplots and different stories weaving in and out of the actual story, you can see that an over obsessive Nell hangs on to her older sister Layla. By the way it was written, you wouldn't assume that they're only a little over a year apart but about 10 years. 

I did love Felix and his relationship with Nell because they were just friends. I think that's why I didn't completely hate the book. It would have been a lot better if we could see Layla's thoughts to clear some things out. & what's up with Nell talking to ghosts, the Creed brothers? weeeeird..

ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.