Sacha T. Y. Fortuné

This has been on my Kindle awhile so I’m not entirely sure how I got it, but I believe it would’ve been via a newsletter promotion.

The Premise

Trailer-park tough chick Chastity — “Chaz” — is suddenly thrown into the lifestyles of the rich and famous when her mother becomes engaged to one of her patrons at the strip club. She now has a new family — with a seemingly kind-hearted stepdad Atticus and a surly stepbrother Seth; a new mansion of a home; and a new school — Everly Prep.

The exclusive academy contains uber-rich, uber-spoilt cliques — “The Rogues” and “Roguettes” as she terms them, and they soon place her in their sights as an object to torment. She knows she doesn’t fit in, but can’t understand why she’s attracting such venom from all directions — even the teachers. When “Rogue” Mason approaches her, their passion soon escalates — until everything spirals out of control. But is everything as it seems?

The Pros

This was a fast-paced read with spunky characters and tight writing that kept me intrigued all the way through. I enjoyed the rags-to-riches arc as Chaz struggled to come to terms with her new lifestyle. I loved the supporting character of Joshua who was awesome and brought life to the story, and the mean-girl and antagonistic teachers’ actions were shocking and interesting to see portrayed.

The Cons

Though I enjoyed the story, there were some instances that didn’t take me all the way there. A few events happened and then were told in retrospect — I wish they were happening in the present, rather than being told in the past tense. Also as it is a series, the ending seems abrupt as you never quite find out the reason for the bullying… it will be revealed later in the series, but it may annoy some readers that they have to read further to get to the root of it.

Conclusion

This was a good book and I would recommend to other young adult readers (later teens and older, as there’s profanity). The character-building throughout is well done, and there are great messages here that will speak to others, especially if they have also endured cyber-bullying. I look forward to other books by this author. I also note she writes in other genres, and I would particularly like to see something entirely different with her writing skill, as I think this type of story may not have done justice to what she can produce.

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This is my third book by this author, and in each case she has reached out directly. You can find her other books here:

• • Rue
  • Bibliointuitive

The Premise

Following the tragic loss of her husband and stepson, Amanda struggles with her grief and loneliness. At her mother’s suggestion, she decides to purchase her childhood home and move across the country, far from the ghosts of loss and death. As she reacclimatises to the warm cocoon of her family and friends, she is nudged by friends in the direction of a blast from the past — her high school boyfriend Jonathan. Suffering from his own pain after his divorce, they find solace in each other, and romance soon blossoms again. But can love shine through their respective walls of darkness, for them to truly find their way back to each other?

The Pros & Cons

This was an amazing read that blew me away, and my favourite so far by this author. It is a story of second chance romance, crippling grief, unbelievable loss, and redemption. There is a lot to love here — the way the two former lovers take their time to find each other again, each carrying their own baggage; Amanda’s relationships with her friends and family that show difficult emotions and believable characters struggling with their day-to-day lives; the descriptive dissonance of tragedy that ruptures a family; and so much more. I also liked the way Amanda finds a new lease on life by shifting her mindset towards work, even though she’s well established in her career. It’s never too late to go back — in so many ways; this was the lasting overall message that stayed with me.

I loved this and enjoyed it a lot, so it’s hard to pick at flaws, but I always try to be fair. If anything, coming down to the end, there’s a “big event” that happens suddenly in the last few chapters and then is quickly resolved; I felt as though this needed to either come earlier, or for it to have more fleshing out afterwards. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for it to end!

Conclusion

This was a really great novel and one I would highly recommend to other readers. There are so many messages here, and they’re not hitting you over the head like in some other books — it is beautifully crafted, leaping from one heavy subject to another, and yet still managing to treat each with delicate finesse. Despite the heavy overtures of death, mental illness, and so much more, there is a bubble of hope and survival that lifts your spirit as you read all the way to the end. What I love about this author is that each of her books is distinctly different from the other, and there is no formula or trope or preconception that you can really have of what to expect — each book is a surprise, and this one was a really great surprise. I loved it, and look forward to reading more by this author — she’s getting better with each book, so I can’t wait for the next one!

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I’ve had this on my Kindle for ages since I started following the author on social media. So glad I finally got around to reading it!

The Premise

When she realises she has the Gift of a Jinn, Princess Arie knows she has to get help to get rid of it. After all, in her kingdom, women with the Gift are not trusted, and it is believed that they are killed. However, men with the Gift have much greater freedom — particularly when they have the Gift of persuasion, like the neighbouring King Amir of Sagh, who comes to take her hand in marriage, much to her dismay. With Amir using his power to control her father, Arie sees no other option but to run away — far, far away to a place where Amir can’t get to her, and where she can perhaps find a way to get rid of her Gift. Along the way she encounters Kadin and his gang of thieves, who are also hunting a Jinn for another reasons: revenge! Can they join forces and help each other?

The Pros

I knew from reading up about it (and from the author’s social media) that this was a loose “Aladdin” retelling, but honestly without that premise, I would never have guessed it. There’s more than enough here for the book to stand on its own without being compared to any fairytale! I loved the feisty Princess Arie, and her first encounter with Kadin was hilarious and sweet. I also enjoyed every moment of Gideon and wanted so much more! This was a lovely tale that takes you in a totally new direction, and you easily fall into this fantastical world where magic is its own character. The mind-reading also had funny parts that made me laugh out loud (whoever though of mind-readers being inundated by folks desperately needing the toilet?!) and there were so many more snippets that held my interest. I liked that the characters had their own stories, which was great for character development and also made it easy to picture them and root for them individually. The suspense builds nicely and is executed well, and I liked that though there was an attraction between the two main characters, it doesn’t dwell too much on this — thankfully, as there’s so much more important parts of the story to focus on!

The Cons

I really enjoyed the story, but there were a few tiny things worth mentioning. The writer’s style of language has its moments where it swivels from “formal/ancient” to “informal/modern”, and though these are few, I somehow wasn’t expecting it in this type of book. Also the mermaid that came into the story at the end, which I correctly noted was put there solely to introduce the second book in the series, felt really, really out of place and random, which was distracting as it was in the middle of all the action! The ending was also a gut-punch, so I sincerely hope we see these characters again later in the series!

Conclusion

Notwithstanding these tiny things, I am happy to recommend this one to any and everyone who enjoys a good YA fantasy. With lovable heroes and heroines, memorable characters, and a doozy of a plot, this is a surefire win to tick all those boxes of a great read. I look forward to reading more in this series — particularly because the mermaid will have the chance to tell her story rather than hang onto the coattails of this one! Great author, great writing, and I want more!

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I downloaded a free copy of this via a newsletter promotion.

The Premise

When Pete’s girlfriend dumps him suddenly, he’s left holding two non-refundable tickets for an amazing trip around the world. He decides to offer it to any woman with the same name, and many applicants throw themselves at the chance of a lifetime — and at him, as he’s a hot, eligible bachelor. The “Allie James” who wins the gig turns out to be a jaded divorcee who’s in no mood for love. Of course, that soon changes as the two of them embark on the trip of a lifetime — unfortunately, with some baggage and drama in tow.

The Pros

This was a great romp of a read with believable, lovable characters. It’s light and fluffy with just enough of a dark, shocking twist to drop your jaw and swoon at the same time! I flew through the book in a couple of days, eager to read on and see where this epic journey would take them. From hilarious scenes to friendship betrayals to steamy sex scenes, it’s a thrill of a ride from beginning to end and sweeps you off your feet. I like sassy heroines but hate when they go over the top, and thankfully our Allie has a nice balance. Their friends and families made great secondary characters, and of course there were the pets — nice touch!

The Cons

I really enjoyed the story, but I must admit that there were a few things that let me down. The age of her daughters made their behaviour seem strange — they are practically adults, but acted like much younger children! I also found the couple’s “big wow” of an argument to be a bit out of left field — like, they went from barely being friends and then somehow it jumped to expecting the world of each other a couple of weeks later… I just wish that the premise could have been something else, or it could have been written somehow differently — I’m not even sure what I want, I just knew it wasn’t that! Their communication just seemed to dip off-kilter and unrealistic, which was a shame because up to that point the dialogue was amazing.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding those minor disappointments, this was a fabulous read that I would highly recommend, particularly for mature readers. Later-in-life love stories can sometimes be dreary, but this one keeps your soul buoyant, and the twist at the end, along with the lasting message to follow your dreams and your heart — all of this totally makes it worth your while. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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I downloaded a free copy of this via a newsletter promotion.

The Premise

When Blythe finds a scrap of paper with her former lover Finn Lannigan’s number on it, she reminisces about all that could’ve been — if she’d chosen him instead of her now ex-husband. Now a divorcee in her forties, she’s aware that she wasted her best years on a man who ultimately betrayed her. While her ex is on honeymoon with his new wife and his and Blythe’s two daughters, Blythe takes the rare opportunity of solitude to embark on a journey to rediscover herself — and perhaps, to find her long-lost love. She goes to Blue Mountain, a small town with a tight-knit community that seems to clam up when she starts asking questions about the powerful Lannigan family. Can she unravel the secrets of the Lannigan family — and get her second chance at love?

The Pros

Part family drama, part romance, part women’s fiction, Blythe’s story is one that will touch the hearts of many women. I loved the relationships throughout the entire novel, including the family connections between the Lannigan brothers and Blythe and her sister’s close-knit love as well. The matriarch is also formidable and a great character. I especially liked how Blythe’s motherly-ness instantly connected to Kevan’s daughter. There’s a lot to love here, including well-written steamy scenes, heart-wrenching dramatic moments, and soap-opera-esque shocking reveals.

The Cons

Though I liked and enjoyed the story overall, I have to admit that the plot did seem far-flung at times. I found it hard to believe that her brief affair was such a family legacy among the Lannigans, Blythe’s sister’s over-indulgence with expensive gifts seemed unnecessary, and a few other small things that just rubbed me a wee bit the wrong way and spoilt the otherwise thrilling ride of the story! Poor communication and misunderstanding abound in the Lannigan family, which frustrated me as a reader though I understood it was necessary for the mystery buildup.

Conclusion

Despite my niggles, this was a great read and one I would highly recommend. The elements are all there to draw you in, and there is enough sprinkled through about the secondary characters to make you want to read on more. I look forward to reading more by this author, and I may pick up others in the series.

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