Review: The Solace of Water

The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This was a very emotional and powerful read. I was very moved.
This book takes place in 1950's Pennsylvania where the division of race was very prevalent and boiling over. Racism was rampant and segregation was the norm. We follow two women and a young girl. The chapters alternate points of view from each. These women form an unlikely friendship and bond.

First we follow Delilah who is an African American preachers wife. When we meet her, she is a broken shell after just having lost one of her children. We also get the point of view of Delilah's oldest daughter Sparrow who is also suffering at the loss of her little brother.
Second we follow Emma who is an Amish wife and mother. Her husband is the deacon of the community and has formed a secret dependency on alcohol which is forbidden except in church. There are also other issues that you learn about throughout the book.

This book just touched my soul. I really felt for each of the characters and despite the deep suffering, there was a chance of hope and redemption. I will say that this was a hard book to get through and it is slow going in the beginning. Also, the book did get a little bit preachy which brought my rating down a bit. However, it didn't take away my enjoyment of the book. Overall, there is a lot of pain but there is also solace in the end.


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Review: The Fireman

The Fireman by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a great book and right up there with Stephen King. The writing is so similar to King's and it drew me in from the start.
This book introduces a plague that has swept the world and is spreading like wildfire. This plague is called Dragonscale and it transmitted through contact with a spore. When someone contracts Dragonscale, they start to get black and gold lines and stripes all over their body. The illness is fatal ending in the person spontaneously combusting into flames. At the beginning of the book, the world is already in chaos with the government attempting to round up the sick and killing them is mass genocides.
The main character we follow is Harper who is a nurse working in a hospital and attending to the mass crowds of sick people including those with Dragonscale. Harper is compassionate, empathetic, and really cares for her patients. Harper soon learns she is pregnant and soon after, she contracts Dragonscale. She is determined to survive on the run and live until her baby is born.
As the book goes on, we get introduces to many more characters coping with this new world and seeing if survival with this illness is possible. There are many pop culture references that I really enjoyed. For example, Harper is a huge fan of Mary Poppins and Julie Andrews. She often uses the phrases or sings the songs from the movie. Overall, this book was just so much fun. I highly recommend it for fans of weird fiction or if you like Stephen King.

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Review: Only Human

Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great conclusion to a terrific Sci-fi series! Only Human is the third and final installment in the Themis Files Series. Once again, it follows Dr. Rose Franklin, Vincent and Eva.
*There may be some spoilers for the first two books in the series.*

This book definitely surprised me in a good way. I really didn’t have any idea how everything was going to wrap up. We knew at the end of Waking Gods, that Themis was forced back to her planet and that the main characters were aboard.
When the book begins we learn that they spent 10 years on the planet Esat Esk before escaping back to Earth. So the book goes back and forth detailing their time on the other planet and what is happening in present time on Earth. Rose, Vincent and Eva learn that that the world is now in chaos and there is deep mistrust among countries. This is all a result of what happened in the first two books where we also learn that all humans have a percentage of alien DNA. At the opening of the third book, the government is now arresting and killing those with high percentages.
On another note, with the return of Themis, the Russian government now has a way to combat the U.S. who we learn has been taking over countries by using their own robot who they found called Lepetus.

I really enjoyed this conclusion. There wasn’t as much action as the first two books but it was still amazing. I really loved the details of Esat Esk. The author did a phenomenal job describing this other planet, especially the politics and the culture. I loved seeing the characters interactions with the aliens. If you liked the first two books, this third one will not disappoint.


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Review: It Might Be You

It Might Be You by Jennifer Gracen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun feel good novel. The book starts with Nick Martell, a cop who finds out he is a bone marrow match for a child who desperately needs a transplant. Nick was in the system since the police station had a drive a few years back. In relaying the news to his parents while visiting them and telling them he'll be in New York for a while during and after the procedure, Nick and his mother got the shock of their lives. After literally fainting, she tells Nick, that she knows the family, worked for the family, and that Nick is part of that family unbeknownst to anyone. And the novel goes from there. There is also a sweet romance that develops as Nick is introduced to the child's home nurse.
I found this to be so gut-wrenching at times but also very heartwarming. This is very much about family, finding yourself and also falling in love.
This isn't a straight forward romance. It has two plots, both of which kept my eyes glued to the pages. I highly recommend this book.

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Review: Pretty Little Killers

Pretty Little Killers by Rita Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. This is a crime fiction with a romance subplot.
Pretty Little Killers is the first book in a series. It follows Korine Davenport and Hatcher McGee, two partners in the FBI investigating a string of murders that seem to be connected. This book opens with a punch of watching a 5 year old Korinne witness her father's murder in front of her. As part of the FBI, her father's murder is always in the back of her mind and she is intent on one day finding her father's killer. To further complicate the issue, Korinne and Hatcher had a one night stand on the night Hatcher's wife was killed and are now forced to partner with one another. Korinne and Hatcher begin investigating a string of murders and soon find themselves entangled in a web of connected crimes.
This book basically provides two mysteries with one in the past and one in the present. This was excellent in that it had me guessing to the end. The only bad thing about this book was the love story which I thought was unnecessary and a bit unrealistic. However, other than that, everything else was amazing. There are twists and turns and it left me guessing till the end.

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Review: The Little Cottage on the Hill

The Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A cute fluffy feel good romance with some depth. This book followed Maddie who is hired to help restore and manage an old property of cottages and farmland in order to help lure corporate retreats there. This is a great opportunity for Maddie to prove her worth and start fresh again after dealing with a painful history.
The property is what is called Joy's Acre and has a lovely past of it's own. Joy's Acre was built during Victorian times and served as an oasis for people who needed it. Upon arriving, Maddie finds herself in direct odds to the property owner, Seth, who sees change as harmful to the integrity and history of the property. Things only escalate from there and Maddie has to decide whether to run away or try to see things from a different perspective. Additionally, she starts to feel drawn to this picturesque land and the history it holds.
This book was a fun quick read and I flew through it. I enjoyed the descriptiveness of Joy's Acre as well as the history that the property claimed. I enjoyed seeing the development of the two main characters. They each had to grow a bit and comes to terms with their past and who they truly were. Maddie especially changed quite a bit for the better.
Overall great read and sweet romance.

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Review: The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II

The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II by Catherine Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The was a wonderful account of the life of Queen Elizabeth II before and during her reign. This book gives a comprehensive history starting with King George V. The book goes into depth on not only the good times but the trials and scandals that faced the monarchy over the many decades.
I appreciated the layout of the book especially in the gorgeous pictures and spreads. The writing in the book gives you a greater understanding of the royals and protocols. It helped shed a light on certain scandals that are well known and helped you to see behind the curtain a bit which helps to give a more sympathetic or objective view of past events. I further appreciated the facts given of the problems that faced the common people and their frustrations when it came to the monarchy, the economy, and other crisis.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in British history, the monarchy, or just the queen herself.
#netgalley #TheQueen

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