One Funeral by Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion

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"This - us - it's important to me." -Kat Bastion with Stone Bastion, One Funeral

WARNING: Not suited for younger audiences

Hannah and Cade have decided to give themselves a chance together. But Hannah isn't exactly sure she can trust in her feelings. Cade's determined they can so he moves with patience, taking it slow. But will everything slowly crumble apart of will they be able to make it through to the other side? Find the official description on Goodreads.

In One Funeral, you can find the descriptions of people and places will get really detailed. However instead of getting to the point of boredom with these descriptions, the authors add some kind of spin to them that makes them interesting or just the way Hannah sees things is interesting. I really enjoyed all of the descriptions and felt that I could see everything in my head. 

One Funeral, instead of being in Cade's perspective was from Hannah's. I was a little leery at first because I really enjoyed Cade's perspective and while I do enjoy Hannah's character I wasn't sure how I'd feel about being in her head. But I had no reason to worry. Hannah's personality was clear to see and still as great as it had been throughout her thought processes. And we were able to get a new perspective on a situation which also adds depth to it. Although I am going to say that I still love Cade even if we weren't in his head.

We also see extended metaphors at least once in One Funeral. While they were metaphors that are used quite a lot, Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion went into more depth and really created a metaphor that didn't sound overused and really sounded much more interesting, using Hannah's voice.

Throughout the book, readers are also given a look at texts between Hannah and Cade. While these can sometimes get confusing about who's sending what, both authors made sure that the reader could easily tell who was sending what. It kept things light and did not make the readers frustrated.

One Funerals is a great addition to the No  Weddings Series, and I can't wait to see more! One Funeral is set to release September 29th, and I definitely think you should grab a copy!

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Laika in Lisan by Maron Anrow

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Laika has always enjoyed learning about Lisan. When she is given a chance to visit the country that always keeps many out, she jumps on it. But politics have a part to play and her biggest dream may turn into a nightmare. 

Official Description from Goodreads: Laika Roen has always been strangely attracted to Lisan, a mysterious and isolated country where the citizens worship their despotic leader. When Laika suddenly receives an invitation to travel to Lisan as a visiting scholar, she abandons her career as a private tutor to pursue adventure in Lisan.

But Laika gets more than she bargained for when her trip is disrupted by violence and she's forced to set out on her own. As she journeys through forbidden sections of the foreign country, Laika discovers horrible truths about the relationship between Lisan's leader and his people.

Can a simple scholar change the course of an entire country? And even if she can, should she? The distinction between right and wrong blurs as Laika explores not only Lisan, but her own conscience.

Maron Anrow is quick to draw the reader in by giving them a glimpse at the end. But not enough to do more than make readers curious, almost forcing them to read on and find out more about Laika, Lisan and the dangerous adventures that Laika has.

Descriptions of character's emotions are able to get those feelings across to the reader without going overboard or using more words than necessary. And yet, it's undeniable that you immediately feel what Maron Anrow is trying to portray through her words.

Politics is always a difficult thing to understand(at least to me) so Laika in Lisan having political agendas in the book should have made me lose interest. But Maron Anrow explains it out, not all at once, but in enough small parcels for the reader to understand clearly and add to the drama that is taking place.

I can't forget the characters. Laika's thought processes are interesting, to say the least. And Rodya is a mystery that you just have to solve. It keeps the reader interested, drawing them into the book. And while romance plays a part, it's not a large part.

There's also several difficult questions that are brought up and they don't have easy answers, if any at all. Many of them are moral and it's difficult to watch Laika go through, trying to keep herself from being destroyed. And yet I was frustrated with Laika. She seemed to be pushing responsibility off on others for the most part and this annoyed me to no end.

Then there's the ending. It's open enough to allow readers to draw their own conclusions but it also ends the book effectively.

Laika in Lisan was a good book, and if you find yourself looking for books that aren't necessarily about romance but do include some than you should certainly check out this book.

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Witch Hearts by Liz Long

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"These things didn't happen to people she knew." -Liz Long, Witch Hearts

Ruby is a witch, as is her best friend Courtney so you would think they'd be safe from murderers. But what if one was able to get through their protection spells? Especially a dark magic user, someone who needs the hearts of five witches? Ruby teams up with Courtney's brother Cooper in order to find and stop the murderer. But she's also attempting to fight the attraction she has always felt to Cooper. But when she finds herself in a position she never wanted to be in will she be able to save herself? Or will Cooper suffer another loss of a loved one? Find the official description on Goodreads.

The very first chapter sounds like it's describing the beginning of an episode of Criminal Minds. I've always loved that show, even though I can't watch it after dark in a house by myself(I'm not a fan of scary, if you couldn't tell, haha).

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Her Desert Treasure by Larie Brannick

 

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"The woman didn't retreat. In fact, she took a step toward him."

WARNING: This book is not for younger audiences. It contains Sexual Content.

Meg Reynolds has just inherited a lot of land in Colorado from her grandfather. Jake Matthews is the local vet who has become friends with Meg's grandfather and has taken to watching a wild herd of mustangs on the land Meg has just inherited. When Meg runs into him, she doesn't  believe him especially because someone is trying to take the land from her. But it isn't long before the two are dating. But who wants Meg's land? And how far will they go to get it? Find the official description on Goodreads.

This was a great book first of all. I enjoyed the romance and the fact that both Jake and Meg are working through things but they're able to get through the issues that they are having because of things from their past with help from the other. It's great to see.

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Spotlight! Vincent Crow: Export

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This is the hilarious follow-up to Trading Vincent Crow – in which we were introduced to Vincent, who was determined that he had to trade-up his life every three months for a new and better one. This meant a new job, new girl, new wheels, new pad, new threads – until he reached the top. 

In D.C.J. Wardle’s new novel, Vincent Crow: Export, we re-visit Vincent – to see that his unique but ad-hoc approach to self-improvement has inspired him to journey east. He has the chance for a completely new beginning as he throws himself in to the unexplored depths of the Asian business world, with support from his unlikely benefactor, Jonathan Fairchild. 

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Burnouts, Geeks and Jesus Freaks: A Love Story by Karen Gordon

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"OK, that was kind of funny. She needed that today." -Karen Gordon, Burnouts, Geeks and Jesus Freaks

WARNING: This book is not for younger audiences. It contains Sexual Content.

Carrie Gould doesn't have the best home life. And yet it's better than most. She doesn't get hit, she has a nice room and food to eat. And yet her mother criticises her in anyway possible. So she finds friends that help her to laugh. In order to stay with them, she believes she has to stay with her current boyfriend. That's alright until she falls in love with her best friend/neighbour/geek Ben.  This is the story of their love, difficult choices and finding a way to make things work. Find the official description on Goodreads.

At first, I wasn't sure that I would like this book. But then Carrie and Ben drew me in. It was their easy friendship, the way that Ben made Carrie feel as if things weren't really that bad and vice versa. That relationship easily drew me into the book  until I was reading just to find out what would happen between the two. You find yourself hoping against hope that maybe this will be the tale where first loves are the forever kind. Carrie is such a smart alec that you just find yourself wondering how she'll respond. Then Ben is the cute, easy to get along with guy who still does sweet things for you. It's no wonder that you quickly fall for both of these characters.

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Cooper's Grove by Ann Werner

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"My time in the city had shown me I am a country girl at heart." -Ann Werner, Cooper's Grove

Cooper's Grove tells the story of Lucinda Mae Hawkins. At first when Lucinda takes up with the rich John Dawson, she feels love, but after a hasty marriage, she soon finds first love's bloom has worn off. But unable to leave, she bides her time. When finally able to leave, she finds herself brought back after a deadly illness strikes her husband. But John is not content to leave her be after his death. After making her miserable during their marriage, he continues to do so from beyond the grave. Especially when she finds love again. But how are you able to get rid of that which cannot be seen?

Cooper's Grove is told from the perspective of Agnes McPherson. It's quite an interesting choice, and one that makes it stand out. Not only that, but the way that Ann Werner tells the story through her, it seems as if you're visiting with your grandmother and she's telling you about the days when she was young. It's a comforting way to tell the tale, while still allowing the reader to get involved.

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