Review: This Is Where It Ends

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

This was such an eerie, chilly, terrifying and emotional novel. There were times I think the author should have stuck with the hear and now of what was going on at the school, but when she went into the background story and brought attention the little things with each of the 4 characters, it made the situation even more depressing.

Autumn - sister of the shooter. Has a very hard life at home with a crap of a dad and now a terrible brother who made a terrible name for himself. A dancer. A girlfriend. She is so brave and she has such big dreams for herself after high school. I feel for her something fierce for what she went through in that hour at school.

Sylv - girlfriend to Autumn. Going through a terrible time with her sick mother. Has terrible memories of the shooter before this happened. And she wanted to be brave for Autumn. Even though she was terrified of what would happen, she was brave.

Tomas - twin brother of Sylv. Wasn't in the auditorium when the shooting became, but became a hero to save his sister. Was also an ex-friend to the shooter and very loyal to his sister. He got to use his lock picking skills to good use getting into the auditorium and was very humorous in a grave time.

Claire - senior, JROTC, track runner. She was at track practice outside when she heard the gunshots and ran for help. Also ex-girlfriend to the shooter. She ran her ass off to get help for her friends and her little brother who were in the auditorium.

All four of the students plus every other student member at this high school went through an event that is made of nightmares and I feel like Marieke Nijkamp did a fantastic job making this book feel extremely realistic.

I can see both good and bad reviews of this novel when it's published. I liked it, but there were things that could be changed to make it an extraordinary novel. This is a novel that will stick with a person well after they have read it. But the subject matter alone should be haunting to any reader in the world.

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Review: This Song Is (Not) for You

This Song Is (Not) for You by Laura Nowlin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

I got through this whole book, and I have no idea what really happened throughout the story... At about 50% I wanted to give up, hoping that the ending would make sense of everything I was confused about during the novel, but it just made it 10 times worse.

I'm not sure why I didn't get this story. Maybe it was the music? The author gets very detailed with the music, so if you are a music lover (which I am not) maybe this novel will make sense to you more than it did me.

But even the characters threw me for a loop. I did not understand Ramona at all. She was everywhere, not just physically but mentally she jumped from one random thing to another in a blink of an eye. I do that as well, but mine is more structured than hers. Plus she was so odd about what she was talking about it was like she was speaking a different language.

Tom is just interesting in a way that I think I will never understand, which I'm okay with. And Sam is more of a follower with Ramona and Tom I think, but he definitely took charge when it came to his future, which I appreciated.

So yeah, I did not enjoy this novel one bit. I just couldn't get into it and started skimming pages just to get to the end to see if anything made sense, which it didn't. I hope other readers will like this novel but it definitely was not meant for me.

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Review: Rikki

Rikki by Abigail Strom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

So many good feelings from this novel! I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did, but I'm so glad I got an eARC for the chance to read it!

I've never read a novel by Abigail Strom, but she may be on my "to look for" list after reading this novel. Strom got the whole freshman year in college down to a science and it was like I was living freshman year all over again (though I wasn't nearly as socially active as Rikki).

I also loved that Rikki had two moms and that there was trouble in paradise with them. This is a very realistic novel that I can see a ton of readers being able to relate to on so many different levels.

Rikki and Sam's relationship was so awkward and went from one extreme to another. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I really just wanted them to spit out their feels at 50% of the novel and go from there, but it was strung out and felt like it took forever for them to admit how they felt. I mean, there comes a point in time where you just need to say what you need to say, no matter the consequences, right? Well, that's how I operate and it seems to work for the most part. But these two drove me crazy with their stupid dance around each other that I was about to start screaming.

The situation with Sam was a bit heartbreaking and I completely understand why Rikki needed to step away for a little bit. Even though he technically didn't do anything wrong, but it's still a bit upsetting for a girl to have this thought process going on for so long only to have it be ripped away unexpectedly and throw her off course. Especially since it was Rikki and she is all about control. I think we could be great friends if I ever met her in real life...

So, so glad I got to read this. Will definitely tell my friends about it and be on the lookout for more by Strom!

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Review: Taming the Italian Bad Boy

Taming the Italian Bad Boy by Joanne Walsh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very short and sweet novel. I was intrigued with the synopsis, but it fell a little short for me. Because it was short, I thought the storyline was rushed too much and I couldn't get into the story as much as I wanted to.

Both characters meet in England and then Danilo leaves with giving Lucy his number for her to call him because ironically enough she's going to a school in his home town. Then, after deciding she's not going to call him, they magically bump into each other again and all of her qualms about calling him go out the window. They fall into a semi relationship but each character has baggage they are bringing to their relationship.

I dunno, it was all just too convenient and I felt like there was no spark between them. Even the sex scenes were pretty bland and disconnected.

I think this novel will be a hit or miss - sadly it was a miss for me.

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Review: Falling for the Wrong Guy

Falling for the Wrong Guy by Sara Hantz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

So for some reason, the main character's name in my eARC was MIA not Ruby, which, by the way, I like Mia better, but I'm glad someone else wrote this in their review because I was completely confused at first!

This was an okay novel. I was a bit annoyed with Mia as a person because she was always having other people walk over her and it was getting a bit ridiculous after awhile. She deserves better than what the men in her life were doing to her, from her father, to her brother, to Drew. Each male was somehow making her feel like crap for being her nice, compassionate self and it was getting on my nerves for how much she was going out of her way for them just to have them trample over her feelings.

I understand Drew went through a tough situation and is facing the guilt for it, but he needed to get professional help instead of just basking in the guilt. He went through a traumatic experience and his folks weren't doing a damn thing to help him, which is very sad. Then he was pushing away the one person who wanted to help.

I found the ending to be rushed and abrupt. It was like the author realized she needed to wrap up the story and did so within two chapters.

So this was an okay novel. I've read a ton of Entangled Crush novels and have enjoyed most of them, but this one was a bit flat for me.

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Review: Before I Fall

Before I Fall by Jessica Scott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

At first I really enjoyed this novel, but the characters started to get on my nerves a bit, which is a really terrible thing to say given to what the subject matter is and I have no idea what a person goes through from being in the war...

But Beth was giving her father too much control over her life. I know she was trying to take care of him and not let him get into trouble, but thinking that getting a full time job with insurance is going to magically solve all of her money problems is ridiculous because she is still going to have a fight on her hands with the insurance company. And she also wanted to protect him, but it's supposed to be the other way around.

Noah knew he had a problem and ignored it until Beth came along. She was his magically healing person or something and I think he should have come to the conclusion to get help sooner on his own. Sure I guess it gave him something to focus on, but he consciously knew he had a problem and refused to confront it, when he knew he would have love and support from the people in his life way before Beth came into the picture.

And then the way they were together... Beth fought her attraction with Noah for one chapter then jumped his bones the next. I didn't feel the connection between these two so them jumping into an unhealthy relationship where lies were bleeding left and right was not a good way for me to root for either of them staying together.

It's even worse that I feel this way because the author is also part of the armed services and has problem seen or gone through these things, but I just couldn't relate to the story or connect with it in any way.

I know a lot of other readers will enjoy this plot line and writing, but it just wasn't cut out for me.

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One Last Dance by Angela Stephens

 

Sophie had gotten used to the idea that she would never be able to dance again. She used to be a professional dancer, but after an accident that messed up her left knee, she is now just a dance teacher, stationed in New York.

She is still around dance, even if she can't partake in it.

When she is asked by a handsome man to dance one night at her dance studio, she was very tempted, but knew her knee would give out. Then, Henry says he will pay her more than what she charges for a private dance lesson.

Sophie couldn't turn down that kind of offer, and finds herself wrapped about Henry. Not only in dancing (which she found she is so focused on Henry, she can dance a whole tango set without even thinking about her knee) but she is also be wrapped about Henry as a person, a female. She is starting to fall for him hard, but he is keeping things from her.

Because Henry is keeping secrets, Sophie is finding out a lot about Henry from other people around them, and the news media since Henry is rich and owns his own company.

With the roller coaster ride their relationship is going through, Sophie is unsure if she can be with Henry, even though she is alive again in his arms. Will they be able to open up to one another and trust each other completely, or will Henry be Sophie's last dance? Read One Last Dance by Angela Stephens to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I got an email in August from the author asking if I wanted to read her upcoming novel and review about it. Of course, I jumped on that wagon and got it the next day, then proceeded to read this book the same day I got it.

I really liked this novel. It's definitely more adult than YA or NA, and I was worried about it being about dancing because I don't have any idea about dance topics.

However, Stephens wrote this novel so well that I felt like I was dancing with Henry! And that is a great talent, since I don't dance ever!

I can relate to Sophie, unfortunately. My injury wasn't nearly as bad as hers was, but it still makes it hard to go for a jog every once in awhile, so I understand what she is going through when she goes to work everyday and not able to enjoy what she loves the most.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I flew through it and loved every minute of it. If you enjoy dancing or a contemporary romantic story, this would definitely be something that you would be interested in reading. And it is not available on Amazon to purchase, so go grab it now! Here is the link.

I cannot wait for the next novel from Angela Stephens and will be keeping my eyes out for it :) Thank you again, Angela, for sending me an eARC of it so far in advance!