Annaberry Reads: 3 Stars

Last One Home by Debbie Macomber

Title: Last One Home
Series: New Beginnings, #1
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: March 10, 2015
Rating: 3 Stars

Growing up, Cassie Carter and her sisters, Karen and Nichole, were incredibly close -- until one fateful event drove them apart. After high school, Cassie ran away from home to marry the wrong man, throwing away a college scholarship and breaking her parents’ hearts. To make matters worse, Cassie had always been their father’s favorite -- a sentiment that weighed heavily on her sisters and made Cassie’s actions even harder to bear.

Now thirty-one, Cassie is back in Washington, living in Seattle with her daughter and hoping to leave her past behind. After ending a difficult marriage, Cassie is back on her own two feet, the pieces of her life slowly but surely coming together. Despite the strides Cassie’s made, she hasn’t been able to make peace with her sisters. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mom whose husband indulges her every whim. Then one day, Cassie receives a letter from Karen, offering what Cassie thinks may be a chance to reconcile. And as Cassie opens herself up to new possibilities -- making amends with her sisters, finding love once more -- she realizes the power of compassion, and the promise of a fresh start.

Quick Thoughts:

Title: The Perfect Kiss
Series: The Merridew Sister, #4
Author: Anne Gracie
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Date Published: January 2, 2007
Rating: 2.5-3 Stars

To rescue her friend...

Grace Merridew's childhood has made it hard for her to trust men and in three years on the marriage market, her senses have never been stirred. So she makes plans for a life of adventure instead—to see the moon rise over the pyramids of Egypt and dance amid the marble ruins of Greece. But first she has to help a friend.

She must enter the lair of the Wolfe.

Grace's timid friend is being forced to marry Dominic Wolfe, who stands to inherit a huge estate if he weds. The Wolfes have a terrible reputation, and if there's one thing Grace cannot stand, it's a bully. Her friend begs for help to escape this marriage, so Grace acts as the plain and mousy chaperone on their visit to the groom-to-be. But when they arrive, nothing is as they expect, and Grace is scandalized to find herself being pursued by a big, bad Wolfe with dishonorable intentions.

My Thoughts:

Title: Traveler
Series: Traveler, #1
Author: L.E. DeLano
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Date Published: February 7, 2017

A teen writer discovers that every mirror is a portal into an alternate version of her life in this romantic YA fantasy by author L.E. DeLano.

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all teacakes, pirates and fantasy lifestyles…Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it… this Jessa is going to live.

My Thoughts:

Title: The Perfect Waltz
Series: The Merridew Sisters, #2
Author: Anne Gracie
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Date Published: November 1, 2005
3 Stars

He came in search of a convenient bride...

London's Ball of the Season is hardly the milieu for society black sheep Sebastian Reyne. But his younger sisters are in desperate need of care, and Sebastian is seeking a practical, down-to-earth wife. What he doesn't need is an effervescent sprite like Hope Merridew, a dazzling beauty and the darling of the ton.

...And found love instead.

Who was that mysterious man who devoured Hope Merridew with his eyes? Rumored to be dangerous, and with a mysterious family heritage, the secretive Sebastian proves absolutely seductive to such an impetuous young lady. But was he really the one to make her dream of dancing the perfect waltz with the perfect man come true? Who'd imagine that one dance could ignite a passion so strong that it would seduce all into a delicious intrigue of sensuality and desire?

Quick Thoughs:

Title: That Summer
Series: (standalone)
Author: Sarah Dessen
Date Published: orig January 1, 1996
Narrator: Mia Barron

The more things change...

As far as Haven is concerned, there's just too much going on.

Everything is changing, and she's not sure where she fits in.

Then her sister's old boyfriend shows up, sparking memories of the summer when they were all happy and everything was perfect...

But along the way, Haven realizes that sometimes change is a good thing.

Review: Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider

Title: Summer of Sloane
Series: (a standalone)
Author: Erin L. Schneider
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date Published: May 3, 2016

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

Title: Blood Games
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, #10
Author: Chloe Neill
Date Published: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

While Merit didn’t choose to become a vampire or Sentinel of Cadogan House, she vowed to fight for her House and its Master, and she’s managed to forge strong alliances with powerful supernaturals across Chicago. But even though Merit has had wild adventures, this may be her deadliest yet....

A killer is stalking Chicago, preying on humans and leaving his victims with magical souvenirs. The CPD hasn’t been able to track the assailant, and as the body count rises, the city is running out of options. Vampires and humans aren’t on great terms, but murder makes for strange bedfellows. Can Merit find the killer before she becomes a target?

Title- Reaper's Fall
Series- Reaper's MC, #5
Author- Joanna Wylde
Publisher- Berkley
Date Published- November 10, 2015

He never meant to hurt her.

Levi “Painter” Brooks was nothing before he joined the Reapers motorcycle club. The day he patched in, they became his brothers and his life. All they asked in return was a strong arm and unconditional loyalty—a loyalty that’s tested when he’s caught and sentenced to prison for a crime committed on their behalf.

Melanie Tucker may have had a rough start, but along the way she’s learned to fight for her future. She’s escaped from hell and started a new life, yet every night she dreams of a biker whose touch she can’t forget. It all started out so innocently—just a series of letters to a lonely man in prison. Friendly. Harmless. Safe.

Now Painter Brooks is coming home… and Melanie’s about to learn that there’s no room for innocence in the Reapers MC.

Title: Deviate
Series: The Light Key Trilogy, #2
Author: Tracy Clark
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Date Published: March 3, 2015

Tormented after a daring escape, Cora Sandoval must find a way to stop the Arrazi from murdering innocent people and from violating, using, and killing the Scintilla for their powers. She must also accept one bitter betrayal: Finn Doyle—the Irish boy who has both a piece of Cora's heart and soul—is Arrazi...
On the verge of extinction and sought by those who would either consume or destroy them, Cora and the remaining Scintilla survivors must solve the mystery of The Light Key. If they fail, the truth will stay buried forever and mankind will pay the ultimate price.
No longer will she hide.
No longer will her loved ones be hunted.
And she will have her vengeance...even if she shatters her heart in the process.

Title: Second Chance Summer
Series: Cedar Ridge, #1
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date Published: June 30, 2015

RESCUE MECedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it's the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there's an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . .

Title: Red Queen
Series: Red Queen, #1
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: Harper Teen
Date Published: February 10, 2015
Rating: 3 Stars

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Title: Archer's Voice
Author: Mia Sheridan
Series: Sign of Love
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Date Published: January 25, 2014
Rating: 3 Stars

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling book. Archer's Voice is a full-length, standalone romance.

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks.

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

During the end of last year, I binge read the Just One Day series by Gayle Forman. I really enjoyed her If I Stay series, so it was time that I gave her other series a try.

If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Date Published: January 8, 2013

From the New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.

The first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

My Thoughts:

One of my dreams is to backpack through Europe someday, so I was thrilled when I discovered that Just One Day took place over there. I couldn't wait to read about Allyson's thoughts and adventures, as well as moments where she experienced the self growth that often comes with traveling abroad.

I have to say that while I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it like so many of my friends do. I just had a really hard time relating to the main characters- Allyson and Willem, especially in the first half of the book. As I said, I would absolutely love the opportunity to travel to Europe someday, so I couldn't understand why Allyson was so pissed off about going. She seemed to complain about a lot of things though. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Allyson did a couple of things that absolutely baffled me, and it wasn't just because she did something a teen might do. These were common sense things!

I also wasn't a big fan of Willem, and cannot put him on my list of book boyfriends. He just seemed so shady and revealed so little about himself, and it surprised me that Allyson was so willing to trust him and would travel in a foreign country with him. He also came up as kind of a jerk, if you ask me. I just didn't understand their connection or believe it, especially as a lot of it seemed based on looks. He didn't even ask for her real name?

Strangely, I preferred the second half of Just One Day, to the first half. It was nice to see Allyson in a different setting, and I admired her personal growth. I also loved her best friend, Dee! I loved that he gave it to her straight, and he was the friend that she needed.

3 Stars