ARC Review: Wired by Julie Garwood

Title: Wired
Author: Julie Garwood
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; July 4, 2017
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A beautiful computer hacker and a bad-boy FBI agent must collaborate—in more ways than one—in the sizzling new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood...

Allison Trent doesn’t look like a hacker. In fact, when she’s not in college working on her degree, she models on the side. But behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code. Her dream is to write a new security program that could revolutionize the tech industry. Hotshot FBI agent Liam Scott has a problem: a leak deep within his own department. He needs the skills of a top-notch hacker to work on a highly sensitive project: to secretly break into the FBI servers and find out who the traitor is. But he can’t use one of his own. He finds the perfect candidate in Allison. Only, there’s one problem—she wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down flat. What Liam doesn’t know is that Allison is hiding secrets that she doesn’t want the FBI to uncover. But Liam will do nearly anything to persuade her to join his team, even break a few rules if that’s what it takes. A temptation that could put his job—and both of their futures—on the line and longing for more . . .

My Thoughts:

When I first saw the synopsis for Wired, I was immediately interested because it sounded like a good story. Despite my high hopes for this one, Wired turned out to be just okay.

Wired tells the story of Allison Trent who was a model, college student, and hacker with secrets. She gets involved in case after being approached by the FBI. At times, this story seemed a little busy. Some of the conflicts were resolved almost too quickly, just as I was getting into that part of the story. There was the plotline with the leaks, as well as another that directly stemmed from Allison’s genius level accomplishments/creations. However, I wish that the story would have found its focus and spent more time on the first conflict. Despite that, Allison’s being a hacker was a highlight of Wired. For the most part, I liked the way Garwood portrayed her character. I particularly liked the scenes when Allison was in the zone, because she displayed a clear confidence in her abilities.

Wired was more of an average read, but I would be open to checking out other books by Julie Garwood.

Rating 3/5

This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood. She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL. Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel...

ARC Review: The Space Between The Stars by Anne Corlett

Title: The Space Between the Stars
Author: Anne Corlett
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; June 13, 2017
Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopia
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

In a breathtakingly vivid and emotionally gripping debut novel, one woman must confront the emptiness in the universe—and in her own heart—when a devastating virus reduces most of humanity to dust and memories.

All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit...

Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive.

Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be...

My Thoughts:

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett was a book I happened to see when it was up for review, and decided to go ahead and get it while I had the chance because it seemed interesting. Honestly, The Space Between the Stars is a book I feel mixed about. I don’t know if I like this book or not. It’s hard to say because there were things I liked about the story and others that I disliked entirely—with extremes in both the latter and former categories.

In my opinion, the beginning was the best part. It started with the main character waking up after coming down with a virus that had a low survivability rate. Right there, that’s where the story got its start, when the novels goal was set up, and the main character, Jamie Allenby, was introduced. I liked that Corlett made the decision to tell the story from the point of view of a survivor of this virus, and chose to show what immediately came after beating-the-odds. Actually, I liked Jamie’s narrative in the beginning. Her voice was strong and her experience was both emotionally raw and compelling. In her situation, I could understand her reaction and her desire to seek out familiar places and people. Jamie was a character I could get behind.

However, the direction the story partially took later on didn’t end up being my kind of thing. I kept reading because I wanted to know what the end would bring for Jamie and the people around her. While the beginning was awesome, my problem stemmed from the middle section of the book. It focused on the travels of the characters and how they interacted with one another. Some of the places they visited just made me stop and wonder why it was necessary since it was quickly forgotten.

Sure, near the last couple of chapters, I had to go back and reread certain bits of dialogue, but it was worth it because the details ended up making a whole lot of sense.

So, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the middle of the book, but the things that I liked about the beginning of the book came back at the end. Things I didn’t think would get resolved did, and I was pretty happy about that.

Rating 3/5

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (Publisher) for this review, thank you!

ARC Review: The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick

Title: The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Author: Amanda Quick
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley Books; May 9, 2017
Genre: Historical; Romantic Suspence
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Amanda Quick, the bestselling author of ’Til Death Do Us Part, transports readers to 1930s California, where glamour and seduction spawn a multitude of sins…

When Hollywood moguls and stars want privacy, they head to an idyllic small town on the coast, where the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel caters to their every need. It’s where reporter Irene Glasson finds herself staring down at a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool. Seeking the truth, Irene finds herself drawn to a master of deception. Oliver Ward was once a world-famous magician—until he was mysteriously injured during his last performance. Now the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel, he can’t let scandal threaten his livelihood, even if it means trusting Irene, a woman who seems to have appeared in Los Angeles out of nowhere four months ago. With Oliver’s help, Irene soon learns that the glamorous paradise of Burning Cove hides dark and dangerous secrets. And that the past—always just out of sight—could drag them both under…

My Thoughts:

You know, I felt like I was expecting more from The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick than what I actually got. It was an okay story, but I have some thoughts about this one. At first glance, The Girl Who Knew Too Much has a very interesting premise. I was interested more in how the mystery would work with the time period this book was set in. 1930s California, that’s what the synopsis said, and I did see hints of elements that alluded to the time period.

This is definitely a romantic suspense novel. On top of the both mysteries, there was a heavy emphasis on the romance. It didn’t start out that way. The beginning was really good. I got the sense of urgency that the character felt, and the danger was front and center. But as the story progressed, the focus seemed to shift a little. There was a lot going on—and I mean A LOT—and I almost feel like some aspects of the story weren’t given enough time. That brings me to the conflict. The initial start of the whole thing was incredible. It wasn’t necessarily packed to the brim with action, but the opening chapters set up an atmosphere of suspense. However, the end was just okay—and a little anticlimactic—which makes me kind of sad because the beginning was so strong.


Irene Glasson was an okay character. I liked her more in the beginning, some of her decisions were just kind of meh, but her character development turned out to be alright. The rest of the characters were pretty interesting, but I just don’t have anything to say about them.

Overall, The Girl Who Knew Too Much was a pretty average read for me, and I would definitely consider picking up another book by this author.

Rating 3/5

This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (Publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Pseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz

The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print. She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries. Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington...

Review: Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

Title: Vinegar Girl
Author: Anne Tyler
Publisher/Publication Date: Hogarth; June 21, 2016
Genre: Contemporary; Chick-lit; Retelling
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; Hardcover 

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner.

Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost.

When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

My Thoughts:

I want to make three things clear. First, Vinegar Girl was a light read, not necessarily very romantic, but still entertaining. It wasn’t a bad novel considering how short it was. Next, I knew nothing about The Taming of The Shrew—the inspiration for the novel. And finally, this was the first book I’ve read by Anne Tyler.

I read Vinegar Girl before I actually checked to see what The Taming of the Shrew was about. And now I can say that I can see some of the inspiration Tyler pulled from the original; although, it was modernized to fit the retelling. The Taming of the Shrew didn’t really seem like something I would enjoy—go-figure that the title would be too literal for my liking—which is why I’m glad that I read Vinegar Girl before going back to see what the original was about.

Vinegar Girl was about Kate, who let her family use her for what she was worth. She did everything for them—from cooking, to filing taxes for her father, and even doing the laundry. I spent half the book waiting for Kate to do or say something against her family, to stick up for herself. Ultimately she gets caught up in her father’s scheme to keep his lab assistant in the country. That was the core issue of the book, which was introduced early on. There was nothing wrong with that. In fact, there was nothing really wrong with Vinegar Girl. Sure, I did get a little bored while reading some of the scenes. However, the ending was nice enough, and I felt that it neatly concluded the story. My favorite part of Vinegar Girl was definitely the writing. I really liked Tyler’s style. As such, I would consider the possibility of picking up another one of her novels.

Overall, Vinegar Girl wasn’t a bad read. It was quick to get through and entertaining enough to make me stick around until the end.

Rating 3/5

This copy of the book was provided by Blogging for Books (Publisher) for this review, thank you! 

About the Author...

Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated at nineteen from Duke University and went on to do graduate work in Russian studies at Columbia University. The Beginner's Goodbye is Anne Tyler's nineteenth novel; her eleventh, Breathing Lessons , was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters...

ARC Review: Break in Case of Emergency by Jessica Winter

Title: Break in Case of Emergency: A novel 
Author: Jessica Winter
Publisher/Publication Date: Knopf, July 12, 2016 
Genre: Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Fiction
Source/Format: Publisher (First to Read), eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

An irreverent and deeply moving comedy about friendship, fertility, and fighting for one’s sanity in a toxic workplace...

Jen has reached her early thirties and has all but abandoned a once-promising painting career when, spurred by the 2008 economic crisis, she takes a poorly defined job at a feminist nonprofit. The foundation’s ostensible aim is to empower women, but staffers spend all their time devising acronyms for imaginary programs, ruthlessly undermining one another, and stroking the ego of their boss, the larger-than-life celebrity philanthropist Leora Infinitas. Jen’s complicity in this passive-aggressive hellscape only intensifies her feelings of inferiority compared to her two best friends—one a wealthy attorney with a picture-perfect family, the other a passionately committed artist—and so does Jen’s apparent inability to have a baby, a source of existential panic that begins to affect her marriage and her already precarious status at the office. As Break in Case of Emergency unfolds, a fateful art exhibition, a surreal boondoggle adventure in Belize, and a devastating personal loss conspire to force Jen to reckon with some hard truths about herself and the people she loves most...

My Thoughts:

With this one, I had an interesting reading experience. Sometimes I was a little bored, at other times I was entertained by the antics of the characters, and the sheer ridiculous things that went on and were said. There were also moments that were serious and dealt with issues that directly concerned the characters. And, yeah, I had a few slight laughs, but even still, Break in Case of Emergency was an average read for me.

The book was basically about Jen who had reached a rocky point in her life and struggled with attempts to have a baby, job loss, and new employment—all while trying to navigate life at its best and worst. Along for the ride are Jen’s friends—Pam and Meg—and coworkers at a foundation supposedly meant to encourage/help woman.

Some of it was genuinely humorous, but at some points I felt like the book was trying too hard to be funny and didn’t really achieve the kind of effect it could have had. So, forced humor aside, there were parts that I really enjoyed. The story itself wasn’t actually bad, and the exploration of the various relationships and changes in Jen’s life were actually the highlights of Break in Case of Emergency. The relationships felt almost real and absolutely normal in a refreshing kind of way with believable ups and downs.

The foundation that Jen ended up working for was a source of occasional humor, but it was a toxic work environment. Really, the relationships are what kept me reading despite everything else, because I was curious to see where each character ended up by the end. The ending itself was alright, but I was already expecting it just based off everything I’d read up until that point.

So, Break in Case of Emergency wasn’t bad. And while it did fall short in some aspects, the family and friendship dynamics were great. So, this book had its highpoints, and I’ll give it that.

Rating 3/5

This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (First to Read) for this review, thank you!

Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Title: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey, May 19, 2015
Genre: Fantasy
Format/Source: Hardcover, Purchased

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose...

My Thoughts:

Going into Uprooted I had very high expectations. I’ve seen the hype and the glowing reviews, and ultimately I decided to give it a try because it seemed like my kind of book—you know something I would enjoy. And while I did like this book it had its faults.

Uprooted basically tells the story of Agnieszka. On the day of the choosing she is taken instead of her friend Kasia, who everyone expected to be chosen. Things don’t go that way of course, and Agnieszka is quickly pulled into the Dragon’s world of magic.

The characters were just alright. Agnieszka was clumsy and the amount of dirt, snags, and tears her clothes received as well as her general untidiness was often overemphasized and criticized by the Dragon. The Dragon spent the majority of the book as a cranky, insulting, emotionally distant wizard who lived in the tower. It was part of the reason why I didn’t necessarily buy into the romance between the two, because he was needlessly rude to her. While his character improved towards the end of the book, the romance was just there, present, but not really a focus of the story. Now, one of the things I really liked about Uprooted was the friendship between Agnieszka and Kasia, because it’s always nice to see the main character have female friendships.

Now, the highlight of this book for me was the concept. The Wood made usual outside dangers—snakes, spiders, pollen at the beginning of spring, lightning, falling trees, and so on—look like cheesecake in a basket studded with bows. It was often considered a living thing that stole people and corrupted them, but also thought and planned out its attacks. Often times these things were shown rather than told and it was pretty terrible how cunning the Woods turned out to be. It was the stuff of nightmares, which was pretty awesome. Needless to say, my favorite parts were when the characters were forced to deal with the Wood.

The plot moved along at a steady pace. There was a lot going on, and the action was pretty good. I did enjoy the ending and the resolution of the primary conflict that influenced the majority of the story. And overall, Uprooted was a pretty good story.

Rating 3/5