Sacha T. Y. Fortuné

I chose this book from an ARC program as I am a fan of the author. This is my fourth book I’ve read and reviewed by this author; the others are:

• • Everywhere, Always
  • The Stillness Before The Start
  • This Is Your Life

The Premise

Maren is mourning the recent death of her brother Jake, whose soccer legacy still looms in the halls at their school, when soccer star Vince moves in to claim the void he left behind. Though determined to dislike him, she finds herself thrown together with him frequently, and he soon wears her down. As a photographer, she likes to find the flaws in her subjects, but it soon becomes harder and harder to find flaws in Vince as their friendship blossoms into romance.

The Pros

This was a heartwarming, sweet story of young love. I liked all the characters and was glad to see the two main characters develop a friendship before it turned into anything romantic. Vince showed his true colours in the ways he supported Maren, and it was clear that he wasn’t just a dumb jock as the typical stereotype he could so easily be.

I also loved Maren’s relationship with Andy — their dialogue stole the show! It was great to see her have a genuine person who understood her, and even though he has his own battles and demons to fight, he was always there to support his best friend. The novels represents LGBTQ+ characters beautifully and multi-dimensionally (I’m also a big fan of any novel that doesn’t OVERSELL the gayness unnecessarily but works it into the fabric of the story!)

It also did a great job of slowly building the insidious relationship with the teacher, which is an important theme to explore and represent with tact and precision in today’s world. Overall this was a great story and these characters will stay with me for awhile.

The Cons

I loved this and enjoyed it a lot, so there are very few negatives for me. My only con is again (as with some of the author’s other books) that I am a sucker for wanting more conflict! While there is a fair deal of conflict around her parents’ weird behaviour, the conflict between the couple seems practically nonexistent. He’s a sweet guy and apart from one tiny event, there isn’t really anything keeping them apart except her own internal drama.

Conclusion

This was a lovely novel and one I would highly recommend to teenage girls, or anyone who likes a good story. I really appreciated the multitude of themes it interweaves and explores seamlessly, and I liked the novel’s overall message. I’m already a fan of this author, and of course will love to keep on reading more of her books.

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This book came to me via a book club. I chose it because I had read and enjoyed another by the same author, “A Heart Life“.

The Premise

Eager to escape her controlling and abusive husband, Stella flees with her teenage twins to Monarch Bay, where her sister lives. With Katrina’s kindness to open her home to her estranged sister, Stella soon finds her footing in her new environment. She is pleased to see her children adjusting to their new lives, and glad that she wrenched them away from Robert in time before they became tainted by his abuse. A new friendship with her employer David soon sparks into something more, and Stella finally receives the love and affection she has longed for all through her abusive marriage. Just when it seems that her new life is shimmering ahead of her, Robert reenters to ruin everything. Can Stella and her children escape his reign of terror and have the future they all deserve?

The Pros

This was a swift, fast-paced read. It was easy to get into the mind of the main character Stella, and feel her pain and trauma of surviving domestic abuse. Her husband Robert was horrible on so many levels, and we quickly connect with her.

Her children also supported her whole-heartedly, which was refreshing to see as I expected they would have been more reticent to leave their friends behind. Her sister also welcomed her fully even though they had been estranged for over a decade. I was glad to see Stella’s family members support her to such an extent, and I really enjoyed the aspects of her character where we see her personality bursting through — chatting with the truck driver, volunteering at the bakery, offering to be a surrogate for her sister, and connecting with others in the community. Despite Robert’s attempts to break her, she was still her own person — this was something worth celebrating.

With such an admirable main character, this novel was interesting to read and hard to put down as we follow Stella’s journey to not just escape abuse but to survive and thrive.

The Cons

I enjoyed this novel, but for me personally, the pacing didn’t give a chance to warm up to things. The teenagers tell everything to their mom so quickly, the sisters make up swiftly after a falling out, even the romantic pair blurt out exactly what’s on their minds without much time in between to build the tension — overall, it didn’t leave a lot to the imagination, and it felt like it was racing to a finish line to get the story out. I also felt like, for a battered woman, Stella didn’t try hard to cover her tracks — I was actually surprised Robert didn’t find her sooner! I was also hoping for a bit more of a twist to make it substantially different from other domestic abuse plots, but it wound up nicely into a predictable (though satisfying) conclusion.

Conclusion

Despite my own ambivalence on a few plot points, this was a good story overall and it will resonate with many women. There is a positive message interlaced throughout, and happiness beyond the trauma that the main character survives — and also happiness for side characters as well, who also endure their own difficult journeys. I would recommend to other readers, and I would like to read other books by this author as this was the second one that I enjoyed.

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I picked this from a book club after reading another by the author in this same series, “A Savage Trick” which I really enjoyed, so I went in with high expectations.

The Premise

FBI Agent Jace flirts with a beautiful older woman at a wedding, only to find out shortly thereafter that she is his new boss. ATF supervisor Heidi, fresh out of a past situation that ended badly with her agent’s suicide, is seeking redemption in this new case to solve the terrorist bombings by white supremacists — but as a woman in the field, she is often slighted and it is hard to earn respect. Now, with the hot-headed hottie agent Jace under her command, she is struggling to maintain her professional demeanour while overseeing his undercover operation. As Jace gets deeper into the terror plot, he and Heidi must race against time to solve the case before another bombing occurs — but will their attraction to each other get in the way?

The Pros

This was a fast-paced romantic suspense filled with dramatic twists and turns. The author clearly did her research to make the situations and dialogue sound realistic — something that is a pet peeve of mine for any subject matter that deals with law enforcement! I enjoyed reading the action scenes and I felt that each character was aptly fleshed out, even the antagonists. I also enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters, which builds slowly throughout the story until it finally — finally — explodes!

I was glad to see glimpses of my favourite character from the last book — Zamira! Zamira! Zamira! — as well as others in the Quinn family. There were also some shocking moments the author explores that are far too easy to picture in real-life — a young man being led astray, disillusioned and needing to feel like he belongs; and the additional danger women face in their daily lives while practicing their religious faith.

The Cons

I do have to admit, however, that I went in with high expectations, and overall it didn’t quite measure up to the one I read previously. Jace’s insubordination and tightly-wound alpha-male behaviour was infuriating rather than attractive sometimes, and Heidi’s decisions were questionable at times. Also, while for the premise of a suspense novel, I understand that having this kind of plot unwind over a year or more would be difficult to write, still it struck me that Jace supposedly gained the trust of these terrorists FAR too quickly, which was the only thing that felt unrealistic to me.

Conclusion

Despite my tiny niggles, this was overall a terrific story, well written and fast-paced. The elements the author explores and winds together into a cohesive, fluid plot combine to present an excellent depiction of issues that we face today — prejudice, terrorism, and the fragility of life. I could feel throughout the novel that the author poured so much heart into the story, and I really appreciated the tiny nuances to make this kind of story feel realistic. I would highly recommend to other readers, and look forward to reading more by this author.

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This book came to me via a book club. I chose it because I was in the mood for a relatively short read, and the plot sounded intriguing.

The Premise

A chance encounter leads to an odd relationship between an old man and a middle-aged woman. In each other, they find something beyond romance — a connection that transcends the realities of their lives. They help each other to overcome loss and find a new kind of love that goes deeper than sex and romantic love: family, belonging, peace.

The Pros & Cons

This was truly a unique novel, and beautifully done. Told in alternating parts by Ben, a retiree with a reputation as a sage advisor to troubled souls; and Sam, a middle-aged woman working in finance, the tale slowly unravels to reveal an unusual relationship between two kindred spirits.

I loved the way their pasts are uncovered layer by layer as we learn who they each were before they came to know each other. There were truly shocking moments as the reader grapples to combine the character we’ve grown to admire, with the violence buried in his past; similarly, Sam’s tragic experience felt jarring to her here-and-now exuberant personality.

The prose is excellent and takes you on a journey through unbearable loss and the power of redemption. There is a lyrical sense to the writing, and also a tinge of magic realism amidst the words.

My only slight con was that I felt there were a few contrived or confusing moments, such as Sam’s behaviour to make Ben jealous, and also the discussion between Sam and Ben’s friends was very detailed and felt out of place among the rest of the book for me personally.

Conclusion

I enjoyed this book, though I admit its style may not be for everyone. Overall, it feels like a novel that can be dissected and explored for literary purposes, as there were clearly many deeper, profound meanings despite the simplicity of the story. There was also a plethora of themes covered within this short book, giving an overall enriching experience as you wind down to the last page. I would recommend to readers who want something deep and moving that will stay with you.

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I received this book directly from the author, who found me via Reedsy.

The Premise

In the near-future of 2022, Spanish teacher Christopher Reyes lives in Eternity Grove. His simple life is shattered as strange things start happening — demonic voices in his head, objects that move on their own, strangers breaking into his house to leave ghastly surprises, and gory tragedies. His ten-year-old students Claire, Kristian, and Jonathan seem to be at the centre of everything. Chris and his friends must race to find out what’s going on before it’s too late.

The Pros

It’s been quite awhile since I read a horror, and I was looking forward to this one particularly as I noted that the author loves Stephen King — one of my all-time favourites!

I did see some similarities in his writing style though he has his own unique flair, of course. I really enjoyed the characters he created, which is something I think a lot of horror authors don’t care enough about — they usually give us one-dimensional stereotypes who react similarly to the horrible events unfolding around them. However, here we have a main character who is rooted in the real world — he is loved and admired by his colleagues, his friends, students and the wider community.

His relationship with his best friend was really fun to read, as well as the budding friendship with the nurse Luke — the dialogue felt real and relatable. I also liked that we saw the children’s side as well, and got to guess at what they were plotting behind his back. The world-building is thorough, and I liked the way we see bits and pieces as it gradually unfolds. The descriptions of the scenes with the strange happenings — particularly in his classes — were really great, and here is where his talent shines. There is also a build-up of mystery as Chris learns about strange occurrences in the past and pieces together what’s going on. His intuition to mistrust the children was also admirable, and it was interesting to read on as he flailed desperately to protect his students while also feeling like he was losing his mind. Finally, I also really appreciated the diversity of the characters.

The Cons

I wish I could have rated this a bit higher because I did enjoy it, but there were a few things that detracted from the overall experience for me. Mainly, it felt quite a bit longer than it should’ve been, and it included some details that could’ve been reduced — we knew everything from what the characters ate to what their favourite TV shows were, and what they did from point A to point B day-to-day that slowed down the pace of the plot. I would’ve loved to see it move along more swiftly, as I was getting impatient for the good stuff!

It also seemed odd to me that though we know the characters’ names, we still see their dialogue being reported by “the nurse” and “the teacher” repeatedly throughout. Finally there were a few plot arcs that were sprinkled in but I didn’t think were necessary as there was so much else going on already — namely, Luke’s ex relationship, and Alex’s trauma with his girlfriend. It diverted my attention from the plot, which was a shame because the plot is a doozy!

Conclusion

Overall this was quite a good read, and I’m glad I gave it a try. It was definitely memorable, and I think the author did a good job even though I wished it was shorter. I anticipate that a lot of what I found was “extra” may be laying the foundation for future books, as it appears to be the first in a series. The greatest strength of the novel, I believe, is that it found a way to bring in humour consistently although it is a horror — this takes quite some talent! It made you want to keep on reading all the way through as you grow to care for these characters and want to find out what happens to them. I would recommend to other adult readers who enjoy horror and aren’t overly sensitive to political correctness. I look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer.

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This book came to me via an ARC program.

The Premise

A young woman of African descent navigates love and family, in a world where violence and abuse are commonplace. Put out of her house when she becomes pregnant as a teenager, she struggles to survive by her wits and grit to provide a home and stability for her sons. As she jumps from one “dog” of a man to the next, we see her continue to make the same mistakes and face similar disappointments. She must learn to rise above and work on herself to build the future she wants to see.

The Pros & Cons

This was an engaging though difficult read at times. It is an epic saga that included so much — apart from the core theme of domestic violence, there was a heavy undercurrent of gay/lesbian issues. Set in the 1970s-1980s when AIDS was still referred to as “GRID” (Gay Related Immune Deficiency), she experiences the tragic loss of a friend to this disease, which also haunts her own relationship with her son who has “sissy” tendencies. She also has a complicated friendship with her lesbian friend Rexanne, who helps her after she is kicked out but wants more than friendship.

The role of fathers in the Black community is another key theme here, as Cheryl hopes for a stable home for her children. After Diallo, the father of her first child, leaves town, she soon becomes embroiled with the man who would eventually become her husband: Plez. Despite the warning signs we can all see a mile away, she falls in love with this man Plez, who abuses her physically and emotionally, over the entire course of their marriage. He commands the household, alienating her from her friends and family, and he is prone to violent outbursts, jealous rages, and emotional manipulation. The way he treats her leaves her questioning her own self-worth, and despite some of her questionable choices to enact revenge, she continues to fight her way through all of the darkness she faces.

The author builds characters very well, and I appreciated that everyone felt fully developed — from her parents’ volatile relationship to her blossoming flirtation with a coworker, each character feels like someone you know. The richness of dialogue infused with ebonics was really interesting — I loved how it made you feel like you were living every moment with the main character.

There were very few cons here, as this novel is exquisitely written. My general feeling, though, was that it felt quite long, and with the content so overwhelming I had to take a break from time to time! Nevertheless I can’t imagine what the author could’ve significantly cut, as every scene paints a perfect picture of Cheryl’s life. If anything, maybe her new love interest coming down to the end of the novel could have been a more minor role, as her own growth was more important to the central story. It was uplifting to see her triumph in the end beyond all the drama, and find peace with herself.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a great read that aptly reflects a reality all too common among young Black women: the desperation to find love, at whatever cost, results in repeating the cycle of abuse. From the poor role models for young black boys, to the sadistic learned behaviours of gender-based violence, these gritty realities showcase the fundamental issues among the “dogs” in society, as well as the women that tolerate far too much before reaching their breaking point. I think this is an important book, and I was glad to see that resources for domestic violence were provided at the end. I would recommend this book to other adult readers, and hope they gain some insight from it.

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