What The ? Is Going On – First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston #ashleyelston #firstliewins

Posted on November 26, 2024 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

First Lie Wins is my first book by Ashley Elston, but it won’t be my last. I loved everything about First Lie Wins. I thought I knew what was going on, but Ashley had a few twists and turns that caught me offguard. I love when an author has me thinking…WTF and Ashley Elston does it in a big way.

Think having the perfect boyfriend, a white picket fence, the garden you always wanted and a wonderful group of friends is the be all end all? Think again. You can never be sure someone is who they say they are, because what you see is not always what you get.

If you are looking for a book that will fuck with you mind, grab a copy of First Lie Wins.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK | INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This fast-paced read has everything you could want in a thriller: secret identities, a mysterious boss and a cat & mouse game that kept me guessing the whole way through.”—Reese Witherspoon

Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Format: 384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published: January 2, 2024 by Pamela Dorman Books

ABOUT ASHLEY ELSTON

Ashley Elston worked for many years as a wedding photographer before turning her hand to writing. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons. Elston has written six young adult novels. FIRST LIE WINS, her adult debut, was a number one New York Times bestseller and was selected as a Reese’s Book Club pick.

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Library Love – What Lurks Beneath by Ryan Lockwood #ryanlockwood #whatlurksbeneath

Posted on November 22, 2024 by fundinmental

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am loving Ryan Lockwood’s books, Below and now, What Lurks Beneath. They are a couple of fabulous creature features that gripped me and never let me go. I was on pins and needles, the suspense and anticipation off the charts. Action and adventure were on every page.

It’s not all creature, but I love that it was always on my mind. Even when Valerie was trying to figure out her love life with Will. He has fallen off the wagon and she’s not having it. I hope Will gets his shit together because I think they will make a great couple and I do like happy ever afters. I hope that means that you are hard at work writing more novels, Ryan.

If you are a fan of creature features, I can’t recommend Ryan Lockwood enough. His books are filled with danger and intrigue, dysfunctional characters and a hint of the paranormal. The writing is easy to read and flows smoothly. I think you have to walk outside the line to live the life Ryan’s characters do. So, come on. Let’s walk on the wild side together.

GOODREADS BLURB

From the acclaimed author of Below comes a new breed of terror that rises from the depths of the ocean. To hunt. To devour. To kill.

The first attack occurrs in the underwater caverns of the Bahamas. Two professional divers exploring the unknown. A monstrous flesh-ripping predator they never see coming.

Now the attacks are coming closer and closer to shore. A sun-soaked playground for sea-loving tourists. A human feasting ground for whatever lurks beneath.

Now, in a desperate race against time, Eric Watson, an expert on remote control underwater vehicles, and marine biologist Valerie Martell, must identify a savage new species of killer—and piece together one of nature’s most horrific mysteries. But the most terrifying discovery of all waits for Val and her team at the bottom of the sea. A discovery too shocking, to comprehend.

Because up till now, this creature existed only in mankind’s darkest nightmares. Not anymore.

Genre: Action and Advenure, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

Format: 385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published: May 26, 2015 by Pinnacle Books

ABOUT RYAN LOCKWOOD

Ryan Lockwood experienced many interesting outdoor jobs before writing his first novel, requiring him to assist with mountain lion capture, scrape barnacles off submerged boat hulls, fight Western wildfires, and measure storm runoff in the middle of the night. He holds degrees in technical journalism and environmental science, and has been employed as a biological research assistant, professional editor and public relations coordinator. When not writing, Lockwood scuba dives, climbs mountains, hunts to fill the freezer, and strives to become a better sailor. He currently lives in Colorado with his family and assorted four-legged friends.

Website / Facebook

MY RYAN LOCKWOOD REVIEWS

Below

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Fan – Frickin’ – Tastic – Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros @RebeccaYarros

Posted on November 14, 2024 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

And that about sums it up. How many lives will be lost? Will I lose one of my favorite characters? Can the Fourth Wing stay whole?

Violet Sorrengail will be put to the test again and again, personally and professionally.

Once I started I didn’t want to stop reading. Unputdownable does not even begin to describe Iron Flame. It is riveting, engrossing, mind blowing, overwhelming…and looooooong, so be sure and put aside a lot of time. Lock the doors and hunker down in your favorite reading spot with your favorite beverage.

There is so much I want to say, but this is one of those times when I think less is more.

The cliffhanger ending is not unexpected. The problem is, waiting for my turn at the library.

GOODREADS BLURB

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural
Format: 895 pages, Kindle Edition
Published: November 7, 2023 by Entangled: Red Tower Books

ABOUT REBECCA YARROS

Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and coffee addict. She is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward. Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. A mother of six, she is currently surviving the teenage years with all four of her hockey-playing sons.

Want to know about Rebecca’s next release? Check her out online at www.rebeccayarros.com.

MY REBECCA YARROS REVIEWS

Fourth Wing

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Library Love – The 100 by Kass Morgan #kassmorgan #the100

Posted on October 30, 2024 by fundinmental

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I might be predisposed to loving The 100 by Kass Morgan, because I have seen the TV series. I loved it, so I checked The 100 out from the library. I was bummed, because I’ll have to wait for Book II.

I have been reading a lot of apocalyptic, dystopian, and science fiction stories and loving them. I quickly because immersed in the story and involved with the characters. The tension created kept me flipping pages and the pace never let up.

100 juvenile delinquents were sent back to Earth to find out if it was safe to come back after the nuclear devastation. The Phoenix is running out of everything and is beginning to fall apart. The last of the human race is at stake and the leaders do some gross and disgusting things, sacrificing the few to save the many. They have no limits to how far they will go.

GOODREADS BLURB

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth’s radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents — considered expendable by society — are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life…or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she’s haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor’s son, came to Earth for the girl he loves — but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind’s last hope.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: The 100, #1
Setting: The Colony, Earth
Characters: Clarke griffin, Wells Jaha, Bellamy Blake, Glass Sorenson, Octavia Blake

ABOUT KASS MORGAN

Kass Morgan studied literature at Brown and Oxford, and now resides in Brooklyn, where she lives in constant fear of her Ikea bookcase collapsing and burying her under a mound of science fiction and Victorian novels.

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Does It Meet The Hype? It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover @colleenhoover

Posted on September 27, 2024 by fundinmental

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Does it meet the hype? Romance is not at the top of my favorites list, but It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover met all the requirements of a romance, with a little extra. I want to warn you of there is a trigger, domestic abuse.

Colleen Hoover’s writing is so good, she could probably write a menu and everyone would want to read it. Even though the story was predictable, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and I do like an author that spreads the flaws around.

If you are a romance lover, I can’t help but think It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover will hit all the bases for you.

GOODREADS BLURB

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

Genre: Fiction, Romance
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2016 by Atria Books
Literary awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Romance (2016) and Nominee for Best of the Best (2018)
Series: It Ends with Us (#1)
Setting: Boston, Massachusetts (United States)
Characters: Ryle Kincaid, Atlas Corrigan, Lily Bloom

ABOUT COLLEEN HOOVER

International and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women’s fiction and paranormal romance.

I don’t like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I’ll claw my way out.

My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com

Founder of www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.

Website

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Library Love – Don’t Believe It by Charlie Donlea @CharlieDonlea

Posted on September 21, 2024 by fundinmental

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Sidney Ryan has chosen to do a twelve week documentary on Grace Sebold, who was accused of killing her boyfriend on Spring Break. Charlie Donlea let me think I knew what’s happening, but I was so wrong. I knew it wouldn’t be the simple answer, but Charlie took me somewhere I didn’t see coming. I did have a hunch about one character and that panned out, but there is so much more to the story. By the time I got halfway through I saw I was getting more than I bargained for in this psychological thriller.

If you are looking for a complex, unputdownable mystery, pick up a copy of Don’t Believe It by Charlie Donlea.

GOODREADS BLURB

The Girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history—a riveting, true-life mystery that unfolds over twelve weeks and centers on a fascinating question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend, Julian, while on a Spring Break vacation, or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison, and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last, desperate attempt to prove her innocence.

As Sidney begins researching, she uncovers startling evidence overlooked during the original investigation. Before the series even finishes filming, public outcry leads officials to reopen the case.

Delving into Grace’s past, Sidney peels away layer after layer of deception. But as she edges closer to the real heart of the story, Sidney must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career … even her life.

Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2018 by Pinnacle Books

ABOUT CHARLIE DONLEA

Charlie Donlea is the USA TODAY and #1 Internationally bestselling author of SUMMIT LAKE, THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN, DON’T BELIEVE IT, SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS, THE SUICIDE HOUSE, TWENTY YEARS LATER, and THOSE EMPTY EYES. His eighth thriller, LONG TIME GONE, explores the science of forensic genealogy and will be released in June 2024.

His books have been translated into twenty languages across nearly forty countries. He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.

He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane. These majestic trips to “God’s Country” inspired the setting for his first novel, Summit Lake.

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Library Love Review – Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson #michaelcrichton #jamespatterson

Posted on September 14, 2024 by fundinmental

Eruption by James Patterson and Michael Crichton

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When I saw Eruption, it’s gorgeous cover and Michael Crichton’s and James Patterson names, I virtually hopped over to the library and grabbed me a copy. Michael Crichton had passed away before he could finish the novel, and James Patterson picked up the torch.

A once in a century volcanic eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii. If that isn’t enough, there is a military secret that could cause a worldwide catastrophic event.

Did Eruption live up to its hype? Well, the pacing kept me ‘flipping pages’ wondering how they were going to get out of the mess they are in. Maybe it also contains a warning to us mortals. Sometimes the things we do come back and bite us on the ass. This could have been one of those moments, but through the valor and bravery of many, the worse case scenario was avoided. Just goes to show what can happen when everyone works together.

All in all, it was worth the wait, a month or so, to get a copy from my library.

GOODREADS BLURB

A history-making once-in-a-century volcanic eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii. But a decades-old military secret could turn the volcano into something even more terrifying… Now it’s up to a handful of brave individuals to save the island – and the entire world.

Two of the bestselling storytellers of all time have created an unforgettable thriller. The master of the techno-blockbuster joins forces with the master of the modern thriller to create the most anticipated mega bestseller in years. Michael Crichton, creator of Jurassic Park, ER, Twister, and Westworld, had a passion project he’d been pursuing for years, ahead of his untimely passing in 2008. Knowing how special it was, his wife, Sherri Crichton, held back his notes and the partial manuscript until she found the right author to complete it: James Patterson, the world’s most popular storyteller. Eruption brings the pace of Patterson to the concept of Crichton: the most anticipated mega-thriller in years.