.
Sherry’s Shelves #175 is my weekly update from November 4 – November 10, 2018.
New York Times Bestselling Author Colleen Hoover is an author all romance lovers will want on their reading list.
MY REVIEW
I won this signed first edition paperback and was delighted. I have read Colleen Hoover’s work before and feel she will not let me down in Hopeless about a seventeen year old girl and her first love.
The first guy she felt something for and…
He’s a dropout, he’s moody, he’s got a temper and…he’s just…Hopeless.
When they lay on the airport runway and gaze at the stars it brought back memories of Mr Wonderful and I laying on the tennis court at Cape Cod and stargazing ourselves.
I loved it, but the way it was written made it seem like the characters were older.
Colleen Hoover’s writing makes the story unfold with fun bantering dialogue in an easy reading story as they discover each other and we watch the complex characters grow and develop.
4 Stars
Becca Campbell hooked me with Empath, The Flawed Series Book I, and I was super excited when a won a copy of The Outsider, Book II.
I am always interested in who does covers for the stories I love to read.
Great job, Steven Novak. Hop on over and check him out.
MY REVIEW
Becca Campbell has outdone herself with the fabulous Flawed Series and Outsider, Book II, just keeps me craving more. If you love to get lost in magical realism, where the characters tug at your heartstrings and you feel their pain, you will want these books on your reading list.
All his life, Josh felt like an Outsider.
Why were Josh’s family and friends empowered with supernatural abilities and not him? As many supernatural books as I have read, I think he is being saved for something special. Am I right? I shall have to read on to find out and so will you.
Alex came into his life. Her mom was too busy for her, her friends…out of sight, out of mind, so it’s time to make new ones. She’s not a plain Jane, she just doesn’t feel the need for makeup and likes her casual clothes. Alex gets along well with men and has few women friends. That makes it easy for me to relate to her, because I am the same way.
When Nic met Alex, it wasn’t what he anticipated and I love it. His power of captivation didn’t work this time. LOL When he poured water over his eyes, I laughed even louder.
Ah…young love and longing.
We have college teenagers, hanging out, some of them in a band, some of them with superpowers. It starts out with teenage angst and doesn’t take long for some action and danger to rear its ugly head..
Alex had no idea she had made an enemy and I see big trouble on the horizon.
OH MAN Becca! WTF are you doing? How could you? And, as if it wasn’t already bad enough…THE DOOR!
The blend of reality and fantasy, with engrossing characters who are growing and developing, becoming more complex as the story unfolds, ramps up to a white knuckle ending and I must have more.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
After a psychopath tried to kill his friends, Josh Schuyler figured ‘normal’ was far off. The real problem: Josh’s friends have all acquired supernatural abilities, while he’s still the same average guy.
Josh has always believed he was destined for greatness, but he’s been out of college for two years without a clue of his purpose. After watching his friends and siblings develop superhuman traits, he wonders if he might be meant for something grand, too. Can Josh even hope for an extraordinary event in his own future? And how long must he wait for this transformation – if there is one?
When Alex met the Schuylers, she was grateful for new friends to whisk her away from her lonely life in California and give her an escape from her divorced, bickering parents and aimless future. But Josh won’t drop his defenses, and Alex isn’t sure she wants to trade her old life for this new, uncertain one.
Nicodemus has an amazing ability he’s been milking for years to get whatever or whomever he wants. Things are going great until a young woman – Alex – inadvertently busts his latest swindle. Nic is furious when he discovers his power has been disabled, and he vows to find her in order to wreak his vengeance. She will be punished. All he needs is a little help from his friend, Ethan Black.
Josh has been waiting for his big break, or for the chance to be a hero, or just the opportunity to stand out in his own, extraordinary way.
Will Josh discover his purpose in time to stop Nic?
ABOUT BECCA CAMPBELL
Becca J. Campbell writes New Adult (twenty-somethings) fiction that varies from Urban Fantasy to Thriller to Science Fiction. Her stories typically blend a taste of the fantastical with real-world settings and add a dash of romance for good measure.
She’s always looking for a great speculative fiction read, and she holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.
Becca is also the co-creator of JuNoWriMo.com, where you can join a vibrant community and write a novel during June.
To join Becca’s writing journey and be notified when her next book is released, sign up for her author newsletter.
Author Blog | Amazon | Goodreads l Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google +
MY REVIEWS FOR BECCA CAMPBELL
Redemption is the finale of the World Without Love trilogy by Jaye Frances
The sensitive and adult nature of Jewel’s story may not be for everyone, but I must say, I am glad that I walk on the wild side and stretch my horizons, so I don’t miss fabulous books like Redemption!
I was reading along and I saw…Sherry. The character is the house shrink for Jewel’s new boss. Cool…I’m in a book. And I must say, I am very good at my job. LOL
MY REVIEW
Because Redemption is Book III in the World Without Love series, even the blurb may contain more information than you want to know.
Redemption is the finale for the World Without Love trilogy and I must say Jaye Frances did not let me down. I have come to expect excellent writing and a storyline that makes the book unputdownable and she has done that from beginning to end.
Jewel’s story began in Book I, Betrayed, when she was forcibly kidnapped…beaten, raped, tortured and sold. Human trafficking is an ugly business and she lives the horror that human slavery entails.
This has been a terrifyingly realistic novel of one woman’s journey through a nightmare you cannot imagine if you don’t walk in her shoes. It has been an all too real glimpse into man’s inhumanity and debasement of other human beings.
I cringed, shivered, screamed and raged. I am disgusted, ready to pick up a gun and take care of them myself…but that would be too good for them.
She made a friend or two along the way, sometimes the most unlikely person was the one to come to her aid. She is a woman driven to survive and save the woman left behind.
I love the direction Jaye took for the next stage of Jewel’s life. It caught me by surprise and that doesn’t happen often enough.
I love trying to figure out a character’s motivation for their actions. Whenever Jewel felt doubt or needed a nudge to do what’s necessary, she would think of Annie and the torture and fear that are her life. Her desire to save Annie, drove her.
Jaye Frances’ excellent writing and the depth of Jewel’s character shows a strength and determination that makes me think, somehow, she will be okay. I have been eagerly anticipating how Jaye Frances will wrap up this series.
The ending…amazing! Fabulous! Not what I thought it would be, but then none of this story was and the twists and turns, the good and bad, kept me mesmerized and believing…this could be a true story.
All the chips are on the table…
“…Life can be like a poker game and you just never know who’s holding the winning hand.”
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Redemption by Jaye Frances.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In this final chapter of “World Without Love,” Jewel is rescued from Bangkok’s evil flesh markets by a covert government agency. Haunted by her last memories of Annie, Jewel vows to do whatever it takes to find her friend—hopefully in time to save her from Gregory’s sadistic and murderous intentions. In her new position as an embassy hostess, Jewel forms alliances with political attaches and power brokers, hoping one of them can help her find Annie—still alive.
Recognizing Jewel’s special assets, her supervisors offer her more responsibility, releasing her from the constant scrutiny of the all-seeing agency network. Jewel quickly realizes she’s been granted another advantage, one her superiors could not have anticipated: the chance to extract revenge on all those who attempted to destroy her life.
But again, the hand fate touches Jewel’s heart, forcing her to choose between the new man in her life and the one who helped her escape a dismal world of enslavement and cruel domination.
Excerpt from Redemption:
A Note From the Author . . .
Redemption is the third and final book in the World Without Love series. The series is a continuing story and meant to be read in sequence, beginning with Book One, Betrayed, followed by Reunion, and concluding with Redemption. All books in the series are available in eBook and paperback.
The World Without Love series contains mature content and is intended for an 18+ audience
* * * * * *
My second day started early. Katherine met me in the cafeteria for a quick breakfast, then shuffled me off to a small corner office in one of the buildings adjacent to the Fortress.
“Do you want me to take notes?”
“No, I want you to listen and learn. Here we use our memory instead of paper.”
I felt my stress level rising. I’d anticipated a few challenges, and now, meeting Katherine’s expectations would be one of them.
Today’s lesson was brief—two hours—and consisted of an overview of the department’s mission and how it operated as a “shadow” organization within the embassy’s allegedly transparent political environment.
“Any questions?” she’d asked.
“How does all of this take place without someone finding out? I mean, aren’t there politicians or public watchdogs for this kind of thing?”
“Always.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
She squinted at me. “Does it bother you?”
I decided to tell her the truth. “I could give a shit.”
The left corner of her mouth lifted in frustration. “We’ll have to work on that.”
The rest of the day was all about the paperwork.
Looking over the shoulder of a data specialist, I verified page after page of personal online information, then watched as he methodically made revisions to reflect my new identity—one far more vague and obscure.
“We’ll add a few shadows and eliminate some of the details. It’s all for your safety.” The guy tapping away at the keyboard—he’d introduced himself as Ronnie—was surprisingly friendly and efficient. He was also young and geeky, probably hired right out of college with a killer degree in computer science. “I’ll also do a little image manipulation on the photos,” he added. “The more doubt we can cast on your past identity, the less likely you’ll be surprised by someone who takes an interest and tries to research your history.”
“What do you mean by takes an interest?”
“Could be anything. Infatuation, curiosity, even someone who recognizes you from high school.”
I couldn’t imagine the odds of bumping into someone from San Diego, here in Thailand. He answered my question before I could ask it.
“It’s rare, but it happens. I see your husband was in the Navy. Even though his discharge occurred prior to your marriage, he still keeps in touch with several of his friends from the service. Some of them you’ve met. The ones you haven’t may have seen pictures of you. And if you ran into them, they might recognize you.”
“From a picture?”
“It’s the impression they formed from the picture. Because you’re attractive, they would want to recognize you. If you passed them on the street, it might trigger something in their memory.” He paused. “And then there’s always simple fate. It’s hard to predict what the future has waiting for us.”
I was a living testament to that.
“But not to worry,” he continued. “By the time we’re finished, you’ll have a new background and a plausible reason to explain your presence here. In fact, after a few weeks, you’ll begin to believe it yourself.”
He was erasing my past. My life before arriving at the embassy was quickly disappearing. The person I used to be no longer mattered. If there was such a thing as a new beginning, this was it.
ABOUT JAYE FRANCES
Website / Author Facebook Page / Series Facebook Page / Twitter
GIVEAWAY
Jaye Frances is offering one (1) kindle eBook of Betrayed (or another in the series if you already have Book I), gifted from Amazon or B&N. Entry is easy peasy, just answer the question:
What do you do when it comes time to say goodbye to a series and the characters you have grown to love?
Ends 2.22.17
MY JAYE FRANCES REVIEWS