REVIEW: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

About this book: Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?

4 strong golden stars!

Oh… my goodness… the turmoil I’m in right now!

The thing with this book – I did not know what to expect. I haven’t read All The Missing Girls yet, but I know many of my fellow Goodreaders have been raving about how amazing it was. I got this for a review, and btw I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for this wonderful opportunity. But what I’m trying to say is that I had no idea what I was going in to.

This book is said to be a second one in the All The Missing Girls series, however I might say it can be read as a stand-alone.

So let’s review what I think about this book.

It is very difficult for me to tell you all how I feel exactly. It’s funny because I enjoyed this book very much and yet I find myself speechless. Maybe it is because it’s all still so fresh. The mystery, the drama, and the unknown.

It’s about this girl – woman, Leah, who I can really relate to. She’s journalist by heart and she is willing to sacrifice all for the truth. I’m no journalist myself, but I know the feeling, when you get into trouble for persisting, because you stick to what you believe. And in this book the author is talking about the essence of right and wrong actions… What are we willing to do for the truth to come out or keep it hidden?

Well and also on top of it all there’s a great mystery that culminates at the end – and let me tell you, I did not see that coming. So I highly recommend this book to all.

My next stop is to read the first book, because I’m hooked!

Peace, A.

More about this author:

Megan Miranda Website

Megan Miranda Goodreads

Megan Miranda on Twitter

REVIEW: The Turn (The Hollows #0.1) by Kim Harrison

About this book: Kim Harrison returns to her beloved Hollows series with The Turn, the official prequel to the series that will introduce fans and readers to a whole new side of Rachel Morgan's world as they've never seen it before!

Can science save us when all else fails? Trisk and her hated rival, Kalamack, have the same goal: save their species from extinction.

Death comes in the guise of hope when a genetically modified tomato created to feed the world combines with the government's new tactical virus, giving it an unexpected host and a mode of transport. Plague takes the world, giving the paranormal species an uncomfortable choice to stay hidden and allow humanity to die, or to show themselves in a bid to save them.

Under accusations of scientific misconduct, Trisk and Kal flee across a plague torn United States to convince leaders of the major paranormal species to save their supposedly weaker kin, but not everyone thinks humanity should be saved.

Kal surreptitiously works against her as Trisk fights the prejudices of two societies to prove that not only does humanity have something to offer, but that long-accepted beliefs against women, dark magic, and humanity itself can turn to understanding; that when people are at their worst that the best show their true strength, and that love can hold the world together as a new balance is found.

5 out of 5 beautiful golden starts!!!

Oh yes! Oh My Gawd, yes please! This book was exactly what I needed! Something new created from something old!

Let me say that at first I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy reading the beginning of it all. Of course when I saw it fist that dear Harrison is releasing another book for her “The Hollows” series I was thrilled!!! But then I saw it was a prequel… suddenly I wasn’t so sure at all. Y’all probably are wondering why? It’s simple, really. I have read and re-read this whole series more than once, 3 or maybe 4 times. I know and love and hate the characters, some I’ve learned to love. I KNOW THEM. And it was over, although I was really, really sad when the series ended. I’m still missing Rachel and her crew. In my opinion this is one of the best series ever written, hands down. The world building, plots, everything is perfect. It reflects the author’s creativity and just leaves you in awe. And after missing these books for a long time I almost came to terms with the idea that it’s over.

But yes, I gave it a shot and I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC to give my honest review.

And I couldn’t be more honest than to say that I LOVE IT! It’s perfect! This book gives us an insight of what was happening before the turn. How ‘the turn’ even happened, and why. Another thing that I loved was recognizing the key players that will appear in the series as it progresses. SPOILER ALERT! ----à it was so nice seeing Al! loool

Another thing I would recommend is that if you only now joining us, the die hard “The Hollows” fans, this book should not be read as a first in the series. Maybe the author won’t agree, but in my humble opinion, this book explains a lot that you only learn while reading the series. And I think you should not know some stuff before you know it, if that makes sense! J

It will be more fun to learn it as you go, I promise.

            So get your copy of this book and start reading!

Peace,

A.

If you want to learn more about this author, here are few links below:

Kim Harrison website

Kim Harrison on Twitter

Kim Harrison on Goodreads

Playing With Trouble by Joya Ryan

About this book:

Recently divorced, Laura Baughman is taking her life back. After a decade away, she’s returning to Yachats, Oregon—the small town she couldn’t wait to leave after graduation—to take over her late mother’s beloved flower shop. Yet once she arrives, Laura discovers the store has been neglected and her father has partnered in construction with Jake Lock. The once-scrawny high school band geek is now successful—and irresistibly sexy—and set to inherit her family’s business. That is, unless Laura can prove in the next thirty days that she has what it takes to run the company.

Despite the heat between Jake and Laura, romance is out of the question. After her last disastrous relationship, Laura has sworn off men—especially one bent on crushing her dreams. That’s just fine with Jake, who thinks the gorgeous blonde is a pain in the neck…though admittedly one he’d like to put his lips all over.

Jake has a proposal to mix business with pleasure. But when a deal goes south, Laura is ready to pack up and skip town all over again. Does he have what it takes to convince her to stay?

For this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with and ARC of this book for my honest review!

Now I will explain why I’m only giving 3 stars. Although I liked this book, I do have very conflicting feelings about it too. For me personally it wasn’t ‘full’. I wanted to know more about the MC and this book was so fast paced it was a bit too much, if you know what I mean. In some parts I just felt like some trying to tell me a long story but only having a limited time to do it. So I feel like the full potential of this story wasn’t explored enough. But you know, maybe that’s just me.

Knowing all that, I have still enjoyed this book very much. It’d hooked me from the start and I just couldn’t put it down. Well since my schedule is very hectic at the moment I was actually kept picking it up to be exact. Because I really, really, really wanted to finish it!

I would recommend this book as a free-time-don’t-think-too-much-about-it read. It probably won’t teach you much about life in general, but it is a fun and a steamy read and just great for a relaxing evening with a book.

Although after reading this I have started thinking more about my priorities in life, family, university and work. I might have learned something from it after all! J

I you want to learn more about this author and would like to learn more about her work, click on the links below:

Joya Ryan website

Joya Ryan on Twitter

Joya Ryan on Goodreads

Peace, A.