Lucky Cowboy ARC Review

Lucky Cowboy by Heatherly Bell is the next pick from voraciousreadersonly.com. This work of fiction grasped my attention for the fact it was about cowboys. The fact that it sounded like a Harlequin novel seemed to help, as the author has written for them as well.

When a small town starts the basis of a story, such as Stone Ridge, Texas, you know it has to be good. Add in the fact that there is no local school and that there are more men than women, there has to be more than what meets the eye.

When Sadie comes back to teach as the local parents are begging for a local school, she could have never imagined that her little town would be where her dreams would come true. Sure there are obstacles to face, but in the end, she gets her storybook ending.

There are a few moments and scenes that may affect some readers. Mostly dealing with broken homes and what caused these homes to be broken. I would recommend this book to the teenage plus age range, as well as anyone that reads most mainstream romance novels. I am looking forward to finding the rest of the series and reading them as well if I can.

Kittens, Puppies & Love ARC Review

Kittens, Puppies & Love by Sophie Bartow is the next selection that I received as a free advanced reader copy from voraciousreadersonly.com. I selected this book for its promise of a happy ending and the small town it was based in. From the synopsis, it sounded like one of the Harlequin or inspirational romance novels I tend to read.

The story in and of itself was one I did not want to put down. The idea that a small town can bring about a sense of home and togetherness sounded so good. By the end of the book, I wanted to live there myself. It was much better than I expected. There was more depth that hooked me which made the story a much better read.

There was more to the story than you expect. The characters had to go through obstacles and break down barriers separately to come together. The story was a slow burn type read that caused the main characters to have to dig deep within themselves to discover what it is that they have wanted in life all along.

I appreciated that the author allowed the main characters to get to know each other before they became intimate. This allowed you to feel for the characters. None of the growth of the relationship seemed rushed, which seems to be hard to find in books these days.

All in all, this is one book that I can recommend. I would recommend it to teens and up. This is more than a romance novel, more like a work of general fiction with some romance and a happily-ever-after ending. Give it a read if you normally read romance or want time and self-growth to occur before the deep relationship blossoms. It has been a while since I read a book like this that didn’t have religious ties to it.

Would you read this book? Do you have a book suggestion? Is there something you would like to see a review on?
 

Pinkie: A Short Story ARC Review

 Pinkie: A Short Story by Kate Courtright is the new read I have selected for free from voraciousreadersonly.com. The fact that it was a short story was part of the reason I selected this title. The idea of searching for a new beginning or starting over intrigued me as well. As I was to find out, there were to be a few more reasons I was going to be interested in this selection as well.

Part of this story takes place on a train ride from New York to Virginia. To some that might be considered boring. It's the hurdles that the characters must go through and some of the most mundane seeming events that cause this to be a train ride that makes time fly by. What happens when the person near you is talking too loud? What makes card games last hours? There is more going on in reality that the characters may not pick up on or want to pick up on which makes this story worth reading.

The fact that there was a character named Tabitha was interesting. It is very rare when I see my name somewhere anymore.  Granted she was supposed to be an older character, being the former mother-in-law of the main character, Rebecca. She was a minor character that I was surprised that I liked.

What if you were to tell some random stranger your whole baggage up front and somehow that turns into more than friendship from the get-go? If you know, you know. This story is a realistic romance short story with a happy-ever-after ending. I would love for there to be a sequel to this short story as the author does seem to leave room for that.

I would recommend this story to anyone that likes short stories, romance, or general fiction. I would also recommend that the reader be a teenage plus due to some things that some of the characters deal with, including divorce. 

What have you been reading lately? What would you like to see a review on next?

The Loch by Beth A. Freely ARC Book Review

The Loch by Beth A. Freely is a work of fiction that I chose to read as an advanced reader copy from voraciousreadersonly.com for free. The romantic elements and the fantasy of the faraway land of Scotland peaked my interest from the very beginning. I also thought the title was a little odd so I had to know more.

The area of Scotland this book is based on is called the Loch, hence the title. The author makes it sound so beautiful that I had to Google it to make sure it really exists. (It does by the way.) The many adventures that the characters go on is seen through new eyes by Maggie, since she is an American that is on a sabbatical. What she doesn’t realize, however, is how much this trip will change her and allow her to grow roots.

The characters are more than what meets the eye. These characters had more depth to them. For example, Crispin is more than a part-time bartender as he appears to be from the beginning of the story and Maggie is more than just your run of the mill photographer. The main characters are high level thinking intellectuals that by appearance seem to be the average person.  The way that they can make book and author discussions sound like flirtatious banter made the book nerd inside of me happy. (Even if we don’t read the same type of books.) These were just a few reasons I liked these characters the most.

The Loch is more than just your typical cheap romance novel. It is more descriptive and more thought out than most. I loved reading every moment of this story. The struggles the characters go through are not only more realistic but they make you want to know more. The story still has a happy ending but life is allowed to get in the way.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this book to the point I did not want it to end. I would love to see a sequel come out to this story as the author leaves room for the possibility. I would definitely recommend this book to young adults to more mature adults that enjoy either reading romance or general fiction the most. If you enjoy reading more of the classics, you may also enjoy this book as well. I would love to read more from this author if her other books are written in the same way.

Help Me, I'm Here ARC Book Review

   

Help Me I’m Here Poems to Myself by Anastasia Helena Fenald is a collection of poems by the author as a teenager and the author as an adult. This book was given to me for free as an advanced reader copy to review from voraciousreadersonly.com. The idea of reading something you wrote as a teen and then responding to it as an adult intrigued me from the get-go.

One of the first poems that I related to was “I’m Here.” I related to this as this was part of what I needed someone to tell me as a teenager. I had many moments of worry and fear. I also was way too kind to people which made me get taken advantage of at times. Because of these situations, I was very stressed out. I needed a way to channel or talk it out. Adult me sees how strong these situations made me much stronger than I could have imagined during my teen years.

The poems “Finding Me” and “Lost and Found” got my attention and made me think as well. I related to this poem in a not-as-dark way. Whereas I never contemplated death, I had the fear of the unknown. I can remember in high school hating it and wanting college to hurry up. I remember sitting at my high school graduation, in 2011, and thinking oh crap, this is it. You're supposed to be this adult now that knows what you want to do, and where you want to go. I am so clueless. I also had moments where I was thinking finally! I can do this! Nothing can stop me now. All I have to do is try. Teenage me thought I would completely be sure of myself and have my act together. Here I am almost 30, still uncertain about things, taking life moment by moment. Completely unsure of what I want to be when I grow up.

The poem, “Aging” makes so much sense to me at this moment. We are both at that age where we aren't necessarily old but we are grasping for every inch of youth that we can. I have my moments where I could eat a few too many cupcakes. Dance or sing off-key to just put ourselves in a better mood. Going home early to get away from people and staying up late watching TV or reading a book. Things I have been doing since childhood. Not necessarily keeping our childhood innocence, more of remaining true to ourselves at our core.

“When did I forget to write” and “Writing doesn’t define us” were two poems that made me ask myself some questions. Where did my time for hobbies go? Where is my time for reflection? Where was all this time I had not that long ago to do whatever I wanted versus what I needed? Why does life have to get in the way of these things as you age? Do we have to let life get in the way? These are the questions that these poems bring to the surface for me as writing is not necessarily my first choice when it comes to creative outlets but the poem still got me.

The poem “1 AM” was relatable to me as well. Inspiration can come from anywhere, anything, and at any time. You just have to be open to it. Just let it flow. I have gotten inspired in the middle of the night, the middle of the workday, and even in the car. This has happened to me many times.

While the poems were darker than I expected, I could relate to them in many ways. The ones mentioned above are just a few examples. This may be in part because the author and I are roughly about the same age. We may not share the same background, but we do share some common ground. I would recommend this book to any high-level thinkers that can reflect and dig deep, especially teens or older.