Book Review: Holiday Secrets (McKade Law #1) by Susan Sleeman

" DEADLY HOLIDAY REUNION
When his ex is thrust into the crosshairs of a deadly syndicate, FBI agent Gavin McKade will do whatever it takes to protect her. Even work the case with his stubborn sheriff dad. Gavin’s holiday homecoming isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy, but he must set aside the past to make sure Lexie Grant survives. As if protecting Lexie from professional killers isn’t difficult enough, the unlikely reunion has rekindled their complicated romantic connection. But if Gavin can’t untangle Lexie from this dangerous web, the blurring line between duty and love may not matter…because this Christmas could be their last."

Goodreads 

I received this book from my best friend's grandma. She reads a ton of these all the time, but I view these books as "the same." I felt like writing these books required little to no brain power, likewise with the reading of them.

Sleeman quickly made me realize that even though these are mass-marketed paperbacks, they still pack a punch with the story development, or, at least Sleeman does.

The McKade family resides in Texas. Gavin has a fight with his father and can't bear to be on the same squad as him, so he makes the big decision to leave town.

In doing so, he left behind Lexi and her younger brother, Adam. Lexi is having a hard time forgiving Gavin for abandoning her when she felt as if she gave him her all and trusted him for him to just throw it away like it was nothing.

One day, Lexi gets a call from her distant father telling her he needs to meet with her. When she shows up, major things happen and it gets ugly quick.

With the help of Gavin, Lexi goes on a wild ride to chase down a killer who may be coming for her and her brother next.

The Graces by Laure Eve

"Everyone said the Graces were witches.

They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair.

They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different.

All I had to do was show them that person was me.
They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair.
They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different.
All I had to do was show them that person was me.

Like everyone else in her town, River is obsessed with the Graces, attracted by their glamour and apparent ability to weave magic. But are they really what they seem? And are they more dangerous than they let on?
This beautifully-written thriller will grip you from its very first page."


Y'all...I have very conflicting views on this book.

 I was put off initially because of the main character, River. She was super creepy right off the bat with her obsession with the Graces. I'm aware this is marketed as a YA novel, but I'm super annoyed at how immature the main cast of characters are. I feel like Eve tried too hard to portray the cliche teenager role in this book. Everything was over the top and over dramatic that I swear I rolled my eyes every other page.

The characters are horrible. River is a god-awful main character, and the family she's obsessed with is just as bad.
The only person I liked in this whole story was Wolf. He's mainly the reason why I'll be picking up the second book!

There were a few positives to this book that I won't fail to mention. I really liked the world-building. There are beaches and coves which really set the mood for me. I love beach towns in books!

I appreciate the way the book is illustrated. Purple writing with an easy to read font with beautiful chapter headers. So for what the story lacks, it's made up by the beauty of the book.

I feel as if the book did pick up the pace at the end, enough to spark my curiosity to pick up the sequel to this. I'll have to see if my library has it on my next trip there. 

A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan + Life Update

Hey, everyone! It's 4 days into August, and I know everyone says it, but really! This year has gone by so insanely fast it's blowing my mind.
One more month until my birthday! I'll be 23. No plans set in stone yet but I still can't believe I'll be 23. Where did all the time go?

I'm excited the weather will be switching to autumn soon. It's my favorite time of the year.

July was a good, albeit stressful month. We struggled to find a house that would take us and our dog, and we finally found one! It's a few streets over from our current apartment but it's a house with a yard so our dog can run around in it. She'll be happy with that! We also adopted another dog named Indi. She's a Retriever-Lab mix and she's the goofiest dog I've ever had the privilege of owning.

Now, onto the book review!

King Midas once had The Touch, but when his ability nearly cost his daughter her life, he relinquished it. 10 years goes by, and Princess Kora is still hindered by her curse. Her skin is pure gold, rumors of grisly things she could do have been circulating, and she's hiding a massive secret about some of her own powers.

Kora floats around the castle like a ghost. Trying to blend into the background despite the whispers of her fellow courtiers. A duke named Aris arrives and things get ugly quickly. Kora is finally able to set sail, but it's only to save her father from his ever weakening state.

What she finds on her trip will be life-changing for everyone involved.

➺
I really enjoyed this book. It has mild romance, involves a high seas adventure with pirates, and it's a re-telling of a myth we all know well!

Princess Kora felt like a character I knew immediately. She suffered with anxiety, feelings of neglect and shame, family problems. These are all things we as humans feel during our lifetimes. She shows that she could persevere which made me feel as if I can too.

There is a lot of fighting and plotting to outwit the other pirates during this book. When they were out on the seas was my favorite part of the story. I loved how the pirates were described and I could see all of the characters perfectly in my head. I'd love this book made into a movie. The imagery really is something else.

I love the fact that this was a refreshing book. It's so unique that I can say I've never read another book like it. It was a quick read as well, which I always enjoy.