Review: Hate Mates by Mickey Miller

Hate Mates by Mickey Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I haven't read this book in 6 years and I gotta say, I didn't love it as much the 2nd time around. I'm also in a completely different place in life, so I'm looking at this college story with a different pair of eyes. I did so like the things i mentioned in my first review below. I had more issues due to plot holes and grammatical or geographical mistakes. Still enjoy Mickey Miller's books though! 

My review from March 13, 2020:

I was stunned when the location of this novel was revealed: Galesburg, IL!  I had to go there quite often when I was growing up.  Even more crazy?  DJ is from Davenport, IA and I lived 30 minutes from there!  So this book amazed me in just the location of the novel, without even getting to the storyline and characters!

It's quick to read, a funny situation, and a lot of self-reflecting for both characters.  I love how spunky and down to earth Alex is.  She is a serious student because of her tortured past and she's very mature for a freshman in college.  Most college students are about partying and having sex every day, but Alex definitely wants a jump start on her career and is working very hard to get it. 

And DJ.  I love that him and his athletic friends don't fit the standard type of dumb jocks.  When they were hanging out together, I loved the topics they were talking about and how not everything was about that "hot girl" this and that.  He is the standard guy who everyone thinks he has it all, but really his life is a crumbling mess.  But the way he responds to everything is very level-headed (well, except when it comes to Alex that is).  

I loved seeing Alex and DJ interact with each other - when they weren't avoiding temptation and staying away from each other.  I also loved seeing the friendships with other students at school and not having this book be just about their feelings for one another.  College is definitely a place to create a new life, make new friends, and honestly get a feel for how their lives are going to be in the future.  DJ and Alex are definitely going to have many adventures for their future!

This was my first book by Mickey Miller, but you can bet it won't be the last!  I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and now I'm intrigued to buy more from him to see if they are all like this one.  Though this one might be my favorite just because it reminded me of home and growing up myself, being that it was in locations I grew up!

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Review: Room to Breathe by Kasie West

Room to Breathe by Kasie West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kasie West sure does like to make her characters locked in a room or space, haha! 

I liked Beau and Indy's story. Or really, Indy's story since we are following her home and school life. I can't imagine being in high school and not being able to tell my closest friends about a life altering moment like the one Indy went through. I can definitely understand why she acted the way she did and why her friends acted the way they did. This story was very relatable with everyone's reactions and emotions. 

Im also glad that it didn't take forever for Indy to reconnect with everyone in the scheme of things. Letting those things fester is never good for anyone. She got lodt for a little bit but after forced proximity, finally grew the courage to talk about what she went through and what happened. 

Very glad i finally read this and will hopefully be playing catch up with more Kasie West books soon! 

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Review: The Algorithm Of Them by L Beckett

The Algorithm Of Them by L. Beckett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very quick read! And I actually liked it more than I expected. I liked seeing Colt and Addie shift their priorities for their little one and finding out what works and doesn't. And of course we still had intense and brooding Colt to watch over his girls. I liked seeing Addie grow stronger with her anxiety throughout this journey. Glad I decided to dive into it really fast to get the ending to their story. 

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Review: The Algorithm Of Us by L Beckett

The Algorithm Of Us by L. Beckett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a different style of story than I'm used to reading. It's not a bad thing but it took me longer to get into the novel and to keep up with things sometimes. 

The biggest thing is the two main characters, Colt and Addie, have been married for 13 years. Most, if not all, of the romances i read, start when the characters meet and we get to experience all of the first time moments. I like those first time moments to really understand who the characters are and how they overcome issues throughout that sensitive period. 

Also the amount of science talk went over my head. I love that Colt is super science smart and can do great things with his company but anytime they got into that topic of conversation i lost interest. 

It took me awhile to get over the third person POV, not gonna lie, but i experience got used to it. And, on a personal note, I couldn't put myself in their shoes when they talked about wanting a baby. Since I don't have or wasn't kids, I found those moments to be fine but repetitive.

Now, it sounds like I disliked this book, but i really didn't. I thought it was unique and I liked how determined the characters were to make a difference. They have so many obstacles to overcome but it didn't scare them to back down. 

I'm glad i decided to read this and I'm going to get the novella just to see what happens, even though I'm sure it will be much of the same feelings I have for this book. 

On a separate note i think Amber should get her own story. And Nash! Just not together lol

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Review: The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought this book was fine. I didn't love it or hate it. I got through it pretty quickly but I also feel like not a lot really happened? It also felt like another version of hunger game meets the selection so I wasnt all that shocked by the betrayals and back stabbing that happened. I read this because a SE is coming to me soon to decide if I'm going to keep it. I suspect I'll not be keeping it but I'm glad i read it to decide if I like it enough or not. 

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Review: Reclaimed by Roxie Ray

Reclaimed by Roxie Ray
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I thought this book was okay. There was A LOT of repetition that could have been cut and a lot of giving second or third or fourth chances for characters that needed absolutely none. I thought the story was good and I liked the main characters. But this was an 800 page book that could have definitely been cut to about 450-500. Sebastian and Harley were great characters though and I loved Dylan and Cassidy. Glad I finally got around to reading it and seeing what their story was all about. 

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Review: Beneath a Midnight Moon by Catherine Cowles

Beneath a Midnight Moon by Catherine Cowles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am absolutely loving this series by Catherine Cowles! It's my first dip into her books but I have a feeling I'll be reading the whole backlog soon. 

I really enjoyed Maverick and Aster's story! With the amount of passion they've shown in book 1 and 2, I knew they would have a dramatic novel to get through the past issues. This is a very slow burn and had a bit of a different vibe than the previous books since it had a different overarching story line. The banter and sarcasm between these two were top notch. Still has the Archer drama of course, and getting bigger with each book!

I YET AGAIN did not see the prime suspect coming until right before the reveal. I'm not sure what magic Catherine Cowles has, but I'm always surprised by who the culprit is for each book so far and I'm LOVING that! 

I did, however, predict the couple for book 4 way before that reveal so I was pleased with myself at that moment :)

This series has been in my head since I read book 1 and I don't foresee that changing until we get to the end of the series. I'm not sure why I love it so much, but I adore everything about them including the suspense/mystery story line, the Archer family and their upbringing, WAYLON and his shenanigan's. It's a great mix of so many pieces that blend really well together and leaves a lasting impression on me. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this and now I will be waiting forever for the next installment since I was blessed enough to read this story so early! Definitely a must read series for me!

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