Review of Destination Unknown

Title: Destination Unknown

Author: Amy Cliptson

Series: sort of a sequel to Roadside Assistance

 

Chapters: 22

Pages: 267

Genre: Christian Teen

Rating: 5 stars

Destination Unknown is the companion novel to Roadside Assistance; Whitney Richards is the cousin to Emily Curtis. When I read Roadside Assistance I really didn’t like Whitney but after getting to know her in Destination Unknown I found myself relating to Whitney and I ended up liking her as much as I did Emily.

Whitney starts off as the typical cheerleader at least what people think when they think of cheerleaders. But when she stars failing her math class and has to get a tutor; things start to change. Do in part to Taylor Martinez her math tutor, her friends and mother doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. He’s from the wrong part of town, the same part of town her cousin Emily is from.

I thought Zander from Roadside Assistance was my favorite male character but Taylor is growing on me. Just like with the first book a classic car plays a part.

Destination Unknown is more that a teen novel about teenage drama and love. It is a novel about learning to trust God’s plans and His timing. Even when it’s not our timing. That it’s alright to want to be your own person but not to hurt others in the process. I really enjoyed this book. I kind of wish there would be a third and four book that show Emily and Whitney at college. 


Here's my review of Roadside Assistance

Review of The Lonesome Young

Title: The Lonesome Young

Author: Lucy Connors

Series: will have a sequel

 

Chapters: 65 plus epilogue

Pages: 367

Genre: teen

The author’s website has a quote that says, “Romeo and Juliet meets Justified” and it fits. The Lonesome Young is that and more. To me it is a cross between Romeo and Juliet, Justified, and the Hatfields and McCoy. Ms. Connors has hit the nail on the head if you’re going to write a teen novel about teenagers in love and a family feud the best place to set the story is Kentucky. That’s exactly where Ms. Connors set the story, in what I believe happens to be a fictional town in Eastern Kentucky.

Though the novel is a work of fictional, it is easy for this Kentucky to girl to image something like this actually happening in the eastern part of my state. Because two star cross teens actually happened between two feuding families in the 1800s. Kentucky’ myths and legends lead to great ideas for novels and stories.

The Lonesome Young has it all; two teenagers who start to fall in love from families who haven’t gotten along in years. No one really knows exactly how the feud started. Each family the Rhodale’s and the Whitfield’s blame the other. The county’s named after the Whitfield’s who happen to be the richest family. The Rhodale’s fall on the wrong side of the law though there’s a good apple here or there in the family.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up the book, and I didn’t know if I would like it. But I did like it and I enjoyed reading it. There was some language and a few scenes that pushed the limits are the few warnings I have to give about the books.

    

Thoughts and Whatnots

Reading this week

Finished

The Lonesome Young by Lucy Connors

The Missing Ink by Karen Olson

The Silence of the Library by Miranda James

Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston

Fairy Slippers by Amber Stokes

Currently reading

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

Pretty in Ink by Karen Olson

Non-fiction reading  

Full of Heart by J.R. Martinez

Getting ready to read

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Paige Turned by Erynn Mangum

The Cowboy’s Reunited Family by Brenda Minton

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Tressed to Kill by Lila Dare

For school 

Audio

On My Kindle

Classics

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Reviewing

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Devotional reading

Bible through in a year

The Unburdened Heart by Suzanne Eller

Reviews Posted this week

 Review of Kissing in Italian

Review of The Secret Diamond Sisters

Review of The Secret Diamond Sisters

Title: The Secret Diamond Sisters

Author: Michelle Madow

Series: The Secret Diamond Sisters

 

Chapters: 28

Pages: 383

Genre: Teen Chick lit

Rating: 4 stars

     I first discovered Michelle’s writing with the Remembrance trilogy. While The Secret Diamond Sisters is different than her first novels the series is still good. While there were scenes and thing that Peyton, Courtney, and Savannah did that I wouldn’t do or approve of. I would however recommend this book to older teens. There wasn’t much language. The Book ended with a slight cliff hanger, but that’s because there are two more books in the series.

I do feel like all three Diamond sisters are falling for guys that they shouldn’t. Savannah’s falling for a guy that’s bad news all the way around. With Peyton and Courtney if things were different who they are falling for wouldn’t be a problem.

That while this wasn’t my favorite book of Michelle’s I do love her writing style. The way she makes the characters leap off the page.

Review of Kissing in Italian

Title: Kissing in Italian

Author: Lauren Henderson

Series: Flirting in Italian

Pages: 254

Genre: teen chick lit

Rating: 4 stars

     Kissing In Italian picks up where Flirting in Italian ended with a cliff hanger. Violet is determined to find out the truth because only the truth can tell her where she stands with Luca. Without knowing the truth she doesn’t have a future with Luca. I enjoyed this book better than the first one. I guess because this one has a few happy endings. I would love to read a book from Paige’s point of view. 

Thoughts and Whatnots

Reading This Week

Finished

Class, Race, Gender, and Crime by Gregg Barak

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

The Nurse’s Secret Suitor by Cheryl Wyatt

Currently reading

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston

The Lonesome Young by Lucy Connors

Non-fiction reading

     Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger by Dick Couch

Getting ready to read

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Paige Turned by Erynn Mangum

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

The Cowboy’s Reunited Family by Brenda Minton

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Bonnie of Evidence by Maddy Hunter

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Full of Heart by J.R. Martinez

For school 

Audio

On My Kindle

Classics

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Reviewing

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Devotional reading

Bible through in a year

The Unburdened Heart by Suzanne Eller

Reviews Posted this week

 Review of Cruel beauty

Review of Bellflower

Review of Bellflower

Title: Bellflower

Author: Amber Stokes   

Series: The Hearts Srping 0.5

 

Genre: Historical Fiction fairy tale retold

Rating: 4 stars

     Bellflower is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast it is slightly darker than the fairy tale.  This short story is also darker and a little harder than the Heart’s Spring series that Amber writes but it is still a good read, though it is a short story. 

Review of Cruel Beauty

Title: A Cruel Beauty  

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Series: no

 

Chapters: 26

Pages: 273

Genre: fairy tales retold

Rating: 4 stars

Cruel Beauty is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that combines pieces from all the versions of Beauty and Beast, including the Disney version at least in my opinion. As well as a few Greek myths and tells of assians. It is a fairy tale retold that has just about everything in it.

Fans of Beauty and the Beast will enjoy this. At first I didn’t think that I would like it, because it wasn’t something that I would normally read. But I when I read the line on the cover: her mission was to kill him her density was to love him. I was hooked. I wanted to read it by the third chapter I was even more hooked. To me it was one of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings that I have read in a while.

There were a few scenes that were on the edge but it never went into details and the two characters it involved were married. I would say that it is for older teens. But other than I can’t think of anything to keep me from recommending it. 

Thoughts and Whatnots

Reading this week

Finished

Hung Up by Kristen Tracy

 It was a slow reading week. The end of the semester is coming in four weeks and I am writing a lot of papers. One of which has to be 20 pages long. 

Currently reading

The Nurse’s Secret Suitor by Cheryl Wyatt

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston

Crash Into you by Katie McGarry

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

Non-fiction reading

Human Traffikcing Around the World by Stephanie Hepburn

     Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger by Dick Couch

Getting ready to read

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

The Cowboy’s Reunited Family by Brenda Minton

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Bonnie of Evidence by Maddy Hunter

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

The Silence of the Library by Miranda James

Riptide by Donn Cortez 

The Missing Ink by Karen Olson

For school 

Class, Race, Gender, and Crime by Gregg Barak

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Audio

On My Kindle

Classics

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Reviewing

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Devotional reading

Bible through in a year

The Unburdened Heart by Suzanne Eller

Reviews Posted this week

 Review of Princess Ever After

Review of Salvation

April Is...

Because I am one this is something near and dear to my heart. 

Review of Salvation

Title: Salvation

Author: Anne Osterlund

Series: no

 

Chapters: 25 plus epilogue

Pages: 276

Genre: teen chick lit

Rating: 4 stars

     In Savlation Salva is the star of the football team. He’s the quarter back of the football team and the golden boy of the school. While Beth is the bookworm and the invisible girl in the school.  That is until they both end up in the same advanced English class their senior year, and Beth becomes Salva’s only hope of passing.

     This is more than the typical high school drama book it is a book about finding yourself and making your own path. All in all it was a pretty good book I don’t remind anything to bad from the book. Other than some language. 

Review of Princess Ever After

Title: Princes Ever After

Author: Rachel Hauck

 

Chapters: 31

Pages: 358

Genre: Christian Romance

Rating:4 stars

     Regina Reggie to her friends is an American woman who would rather be working on cars than dressing up. Finds out that she is a princess when Tanner shows up at her body shop.  I enjoyed Princess Ever After more than I did the first book in the series.  To me this one made more sense to me

Thoughts and whatnot's

Reading this week

Finished

Kissing In Italian by Lauren Henderson

Dark Souls by Paula Morris

Currently reading

The Nurse’s Secret Suitor by Cheryl Wyatt

The Silence of the Library by Miranda James

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly

Insanity by Susan Vaught 

Non-fiction reading

Human Traffikcing Around the World by Stephanie Hepburn

     Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger by Dick Couch

Getting ready to read

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Two Lies and a Spy by Kat Carlotn

The Cowboy’s Reunited Family by Brenda Minton

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Redeeming Gabriel by Elizabeth White

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James

Riptide by Donn Cortez 

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

For school 

Women on Ice by Miriam Boeri

Class, Race, Gender, and Crime by Gregg Barak

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Audio

On My Kindle

Classics

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Reviewing

Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Devotional reading

Bible through in a year

The Unburdened Heart by Suzanne Eller

Reviews Posted this week

 Review of The Soldier's Sister

Review of Safe By the Marshal's Side

Review of Safe By The Marshal's Side

Title: Safe by the Marshal’s Side

Author: Shirlee McCoy

Series: Love Inspired Suspense/ Witness Protection

 

Chapters: 20

Pages: 215

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Rating: 5 stars

U.S. Marshal Hunter Davis

Annie Delacorte

     U.S. Marshal Hunter Davis is a by the book U.S.  Marshal who had not intentions of ever bending rules or falling in love.  That was until he meet  Annie Delacorte in witness protection, and everything he thought he knew went out the window.

     I really enjoyed this first book in the Witness protection series and I can’t wait to read the rest of them. This was the right combination of action, suspense and romance.