jbronderbookreviews

The Girls of Mischief Bay (Mischief Bay – 1) by Susan Mallery

4 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there’s a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she’s never seen. He won’t even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time at her Mischief Bay Pilates studio. Can she say enough is enough without losing the man she loves?

Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, three very different women will discover that friends can become family, and that life is richer with sisters at your side.

This is the story of three women and how they all have different goals in life, have hard times, but are there to help each other. Nicole is in her 30’s, has a young son, and her own business. Her husband decides to quit his job, without talking it over with her, to write a screen play. The screen play is a hit and he jumps into fame leaving his family behind. Shannon is a career woman in her early 40’s that has decided it’s time to settle down and have a family. When she meets someone on an internet dating site things seem to be looking up until his two children come into the picture. And finally there is Pam, she is in her 50’s and feeling down about herself so she decides to spice up her relationship. But when things go wrong she is going to have to decide if she wants to keep fighting.

This is not a typical contemporary romance; it’s more of a bonding story between three women. They all have their highs and lows but they are there to support each other. I have to say that I felt more for Nicole and Pam. Here Nicole is working hard to support her family and her husband turns into such a jerk. And Pam, I just wanted to cry.

This book is not so much of a feel good, happily ever after story. It’s more about the hardships that we face and how we have to have friends there to help us when we are down and cheer us when things are going well. This is a good story and I think many will like it.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on The Girls of Mischief Bay or Susan Mallery be sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Susan’s website.

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Vostok (Loch – 2) by Steve Alten

4 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

Zachary Wallace is on the down hill slide from his fame at killing the Loch Ness monster. Tourism has ended and many are starving. Things are not any better at home either. Brandy, Zach’s wife, is trying to get him to go along with his fathers plan to start a rumor about another monster. She also wants Zach to go along with his father’s idea of starting a rumor about another monster. This leads to things getting tense between the two. Then Dr. Liao has an offer that he can’t refuse.

Ming Liao works on Antarctica and they have just discovered a Mesozoic crocodile. Since Zach is a marine biologist they recruit them to go under the ice to Lake Vostok to figure out what is going on, if these creatures are alive or if they were just frozen. But when they get there they realize that this is just a cover. There is something causing a mysterious magnetic interference. Zach is told to help figure out what is causing it. But there are some powerful people that want this technology and will go to any length to keep it secret.

The story starts with Zach trying to keep everything from going off the deep end but it just seems he is not going to be able to change the path. When Dr. Liao offers him the job he tried to do the right thing but gets sucked in with the help of his father. Once there he forgets about everything outside of Antarctica. I loved the descriptions and I couldn’t put the book down for long. I just wanted to know what happened next.

Then the book goes into part two. I have to say that I didn’t catch on to the change of scenery right away and was very confused. I also was not that impressed by the initial jump. It does work its way around to the point and purpose of this diversion but I almost put the book up. I cheated and looked at other reviews and saw that someone said that then ending is great and to keep reading. I will agree with that.

Vostok started out great, didn’t impress me, and then finished well. I haven’t read Loch or other books by Steve Alten and now I want to after reading Vostok.

I received this book for free from Laura at iRead Book Tours for review.

For more information on Vostok or to purchase it be sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Steve Alten’s website.

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Aoleon: The Hollow Moon (Part 3) by Brent LeVasseur

5 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) Aoléon and Gilbert investigate the Luminon to try and uncover the plot to invade Earth to steal it’s milk cows. In the process, they discover a disturbing revelation about the Martian leader. After overhearing the Luminon discuss his plans to use sabotage to disrupt Mars’s galact supply, the duo races to try and to warn Aoléon’s father Deimos, who is a manager at the galactworks plant before the saboteur can act.

Will they survive?

It’s time for Aoleon and Gilbert to get serious about investigating the Luminon. While spying on him they learn about a plot to steal Earth’s milk cows to start a war. Aoleon and Gilbert rush to the Galactworks to try and stop the attack and to keep Aoleon’s father safe. Although they are too late, they discovery that they know the sabatour and that she is being forced to do things like the attack to keep her family safe.

Things look up when it is Aoleon’s time to take her pilots test. But things go horribly wrong when they are mistaken as spies and barely escape with their lives. Clearly there is a major plot to start a war and both Aoleon and Gilbert have stumbled into it. Neither is going to be safe until they follow through trying to help the resistance since they are at the top of the list for suspicious activity. The question is how are they going to try and stop the war.

I absolutely love this series. It would be great for kids with the action and wonderful pictures to go along with it. But as an adult I love how both Aoleon and Gilbert are kids and get to do kid stuff, like riding skyboards yet get into sticky situations to try and stop the war. There is lots of action with some tense scenes but that just keeps you reading and wanting more.

This is a great series for any age. I have loved the first three books with each of the next books getting better than the last. I can’t wait to read the next two parts.

I received this book for free from the iRead Book Tours in exchange for a review.

For more information on Aoleon: The Hollow Moon or Brent LeVasseur be sure to check out Amazon, Goodreads, or Brent’s website.

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The Maze – The Lost Labyrinth by Jason Brannon

4 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) A near death experience transports Jamie Burroughs into The Maze, a Christian themed realm built by angels and demons and filled with traps and riddles for those haunted by their mistakes.

For Jamie, The Maze becomes a terrifying journey through a world of darkness where his soul and the lives of those he loves hangs in the balance. With his family in danger and his soul in peril, Jamie is forced to reevaluate the kind of man he truly is as he struggles to escape The Maze before it’s too late.

Jamie Burroughs is a normal, family man that has everything going for him. Then one day at lunch he runs into a beautiful ex-girlfriend and things go wrong. With that little temptation he finds himself in a maze. This maze is created from the darkness we find inside ourselves. From the little fibs to the large lies that we tell throughout our lives and our beliefs help mold the maze. And if that is not enough, there is a Minotaur that devours that darkness. Jamie is in a race to get through the maze without being devoured by the Minotaur. This is literally a race for life and death.

This story has a rough start. I admit that I was a little lost trying to figure out what is going on. But once Jamie got into the maze, things took off and it was easier for me to figure out what was going on. I loved how this was a blend of Christianity and mythology. The maze was created solely for Jamie and it is his battle to make it through.

Although the beginning is a bit rough, once the story gets going it will keep you turning the pages. This is a great story and I will definitely be looking for more books from Jason Brannon.

I received this book for free from The Book Rooster program in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on The Maze – The Lost Labryinth or on Jason Brannon be sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Jason’s website.

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November: Ralph Conway’s Immortal Diary by E.P. Rose

5 stars

(Excerpt from Table Thirteen Books) Ralph Conway is a messed-up master-of-wine. What with being unable to do his job and his girlfriend going on hunger  strike and everything in the world being so crap, Conway concludes that suicide’s  the only sensible option, so he kills himself, only to discover that he seems to be immortal.

Ralph Conway is a former Master of Wine that became an alcoholic and thus unemployed. He lives with his girlfriend, Joan. Joan has decided that she wants to get married and have children. Ralph is happy with the current relationship. Unable to change his opinion Joan goes on a hunger strike until he changes his mind or she will leave him and find someone else.

Ralph’s friend Orson is in a legal battle and has the possibility of going to prison. Instead, he gets his hands on a death pill to take in case he is found guilty. After being freed, Orson give the pill to Ralph to dispose of, which after the conversation with Joan Ralph decides to take the pill with some fine wine. Needless to say he is under the impression that he didn’t die because he is immortal.

Joan changes her demands and proceeds to go on a hunger strike until Ralph agrees to marry her and have kids. Even if he leaves she still won’t eat. So, Ralph is stuck trying to test if he really is immortal and what he should do with Joan.

This begins a comedy of errors as we follow Ralph around. We meet his friends, laugh at his attempts to kill himself, meet his parents, and want to throttle Orson in the end. This is a nice little read that I was surprised with. I really felt for Ralph and his situation.

This is a great little read and I think many will enjoy it.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on November: Ralph Conway’s Immortal Diary be sure to check out Table Thirteen Book’s website.

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Brood X: A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion by Michael Phillip Cash

4 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) Seth is laid off from work. His wife Lara just found out they are expecting a baby this summer. Seth plans on documenting the entire pregnancy with his brand new digital camcorder.

Fast paced and filled with tension, Brood Ten is the perfect summer read when you’re sitting outside listening to the cicadas sing.

We start this story with Seth and Lara. Seth just purchases a camcorder and finds himself with a lot of free time after being laid off from work. Lara is a teacher and learns that she is pregnant. Seth decides that he is going to film the entire pregnancy. Then there are news broadcasts about a giant swarm of cicadas is causing destruction throughout the northwest. It is recommended that you stock up on supplies. Seth doesn’t take this serious and gets a large freezer to appease Lara.

Seth is just starting to take this swarm serious when supplies start becoming harder and harder to get. Then an old school friend of Lara’s shows up with her husband needing a place to stay, things start getting complicated. We have the basic struggles of just trying to get along with another couple but then the cicadas start arriving. They destroy power lines, telephone lines, Wi-Fi and other things. Now Seth, Lara, the unborn baby, Marni, and Dominic have to survive as the cicada get worse and worse.

I don’t have a fondness for cicada, mainly because of how loud and annoying they are. But I will not look at one the same way again. Ugh! Just the thought of all the havoc they caused and thinking of Dominic just gives me the shudders.

This is a short book, and I admit that I just kept reading the pages without a lot of interest in the beginning. But then when things got rolling I couldn’t put the book down. There is a lot of build up with the cicadas and when they show up it gets really creepy fast.

This is a short book but very well written. I have read other books by Michael Phillip Cash and have to say that this fits in with the rest, creepy and a good read. This is a great book for those that like thrillers and horror stories.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on Brood X or Michael Phillip Cash be sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, or Michael’s website.

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