The Lovely and the Lost book review

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

SUMMARY
"Kira's earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own, but the remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue.Along with Cady's son Jude, and their neighbor Free.

But when Bales Bennett tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child - one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months - the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected."

Goodreads' link to the book!
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I've read books quite a few books by Barnes (this being the ninth!), some which I've loved (The Naturals) and some I've strongly disliked (Nobody) and multiple that fell somewhere in between (The Squad), so I didn't know what to expect going into this one. Hoping for the best and fearing the worst, I gotta say I really enjoyed it.

And I really hope there's another one coming, because I need more!

Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

+1 | The writing style and the way as readers we were right there with the characters

+1 | The characters, both of the human and non-human kind, all had such unique personalities

+1 | The pace and flow of the story

+1 | The mystery aspect that kept you guessing. Who's who, what happened and how is this going to end?

+/-0.5 | Unrealistic-ness. Sure it made for a better story, but every once in a while I'd think to myself: really?

Read on lovelies,

S

First Sentences in Books part II

I made a part one a while ago, and wanted to do another one with more!
This time around with ones that aren't exactly my cup of tea, and some variations that are.

—
There are ones that feel like you've read it too many times,
or just tell something vague about the main character,
or just a punch of way too much information,
ones that you feel like didn't say anything at all, or just purely confuse you,
and ones that make you think again about reading the book at all.
—

When I was young, I would often spend the weekend at my grandmother's house.
- Eating Animals bu Foer

As Katie wound her way among the tables, a breeze from the Atlantic rippled through her hair.
-Safe Haven

Today was the day a thousand dreams would die and a single dream would be born.
- Kiss of Deception

She was born Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she did not open her eyes for three days.
- Goose Girl

New Year's Eve fell on a Sunday.
- All In

The sun was raining again.
- Furthermore

- - -

Another interesting thing I've been seeing are variations on the classical first sentence explaining who the main character is, and some are greatly done!

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
- The Cather in the Rye

I ain't never been one to trust beautiful people, and Tarrin of the Hariri was the most beautiful man I ever saw.
- The Assassin's Curse

In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.
- Howl's Moving Castle

Eliza Mirk is the kind of name you give to the creepy girl who clings to her ex-boyfriend for weeks after he's dumped her because she refuses to accept that he hates her guts.
- Eliza and Her Monsters

There is nothing remotely remarkable about the background of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
- A Brief Guide To JRR Tolkien by Cawthorne

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
- Harry Potter

Read on lovelies.

S

My Lovely Wife book review

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

SUMMARY
"Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We're your neighbors, the parents of your kid's friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder."

Goodreads' link to the book!
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I wanted to read this book for many reasons; the Mr and Mrs Smith idea, the concept, and the fact the @BooksandLala loved it. And maybe it was those expectations, but as a whole the book fell flat for me, and I feel like it could've done so much more.

Stars: ✦✦✦✧✧

So as usual, I'll tell 3.0 things I liked about the book and 2.0 things I didn't like.

+1 | The idea and premise is clever and intriguing

+1 | Everything written is there for a reason, which I appreciated. It comes full circle at the end if that makes sense

+1 | The ending. Not the "who-dunnit" aspect, but the actual last pages ending

-1 | It wasn't surprising or shocking, which is something I look for in mysteries. I want to be kept wondering

-1 | I felt like the pace was one and the same throughout the book. It didn't move along with the story

Read on lovelies,

S

How I Rate Books

When reviewing a book I like saying as many good things as I gave stars, and as many bad things as I didn't give stars... If that makes any sense.

So if I give something 3/5 stars I say 3 good things and 2 "bad" things or things I didn't enjoy.

I love this system since it also clears my head on what I rate it, and this way I don't nitpick on that weren't that consequential.

So first when reading, and right after, I think about the:

>Plot

>Pace
>Flow
>Characters

>Relationships

>World (if fantasy for example)
>World building
>Language
>Overall: If part of a series would I continue it?


And if you were wondering I don't give 5 stars easily but neither a 0. So usually a 3 and at times a 2 or a 4 quite often.

I also do give half stars, but usually at that point I'm not sure what to rate it and compare it to others books with similar stars. Though a 4.5 is common for me with loving a book but it having something small that I wasn't a fan of.

Star rating system:

* Nope, maybe even DNF

** Decent? but wouldn't recommend

*** Good & Promising

**** Great & Entertaining

***** Unique & Loved it

Read on lovelies,

S

New Schedule?

I've been writing here since winter 2013 with up to 11 posts one month (!) with T5W ones on wednesdays, regular posts on saturdays and wrap-ups at the end of the month for a long time.

Each summer I'd have a break or post every other week, like I have been doing now, and I've been really enjoying it. It forces me think carefully about what I really want to write about since I only have three posts per month with one being a wrap-up.

So I've decided that's what I'll continue to do, at least until Christmas. At the end of each month there'll be a wrap-up. Then every other post will probably be one review (or I've been thinking about doing a couple small reviews in one post) and every other either a tag or something else I'll come up with. But we shall see!

Read on lovelies,

S

Read This Month: July & August

Read This Month:

July & August

1. Magical Experiments ebook Non-fiction REVIEWED ✦✦✦✦✧
2. Fabulous Monsters ebook Non-fiction REVIEWED ✦✦✦.5✧
3. To All The Boys I've Loved Before ebook ✦✦✦✦✧
4. Crazy Rich Asians ebook ✦✦✦✦.5
5. Narnia ✦✦✦.5✧
6. The Lovely and the Lost ebook ✦✦✦✦.5
7. A Natural History of Dragons ebook ✦✦✦✦.5
8. My Lovely Wife ebook ✦✦✦✧✧ 
9. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ebook ✦✦.5✧✧
-
10. Need To Know ebook REVIEWED ✦✦✦✦.5
11. Maybe This Time audiobook ✦✦✦.5✧
12. Down Among the Sticks and Bones audiobook ✦✦✦✦.5
13. Beneath the Sugar Sky audiobook✦✦✦✧✧
14. In an Absent Dream audiobook ✦✦✦.5✧

Data:

Male/Female author:

         64 % female,

         36 % male

Genre:

         36 % fantasy,

         21 % romance,

         21 % crime,

         14 % non-fiction,

         7% retelling

Pages:

       4 124 p

Format:

         64 % e-books,

         29 % audio books,

         7 % physical books

Average:

         3.79

Arcs:

          21 % sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,

S

Need To Know book review

Need To Know by Karen Cleveland

*e-ARC kindly provided through NetGalley  in exchange for an honest review!*

SUMMARY
"Vivian Miller is a dedicated CIA counterintelligence analyst assigned to uncover the leaders of Russian sleeper cells in the United States. On track for a much-needed promotion, she’s developed a system for identifying Russian agents, seemingly normal people living in plain sight.

Vivian has vowed to defend her country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. But now she’s facing impossible choices. Torn between loyalty and betrayal, allegiance and treason, love and suspicion, who can she trust?"

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

+1 | The writing and the way that things were told

+1 | The plot and flow of the story

+1 | It keeps you reading, guessing and at the edge of your seat

+1 | The ending! Throughout the book you think you know things, but then suddenly things are flipped

+/-0.5 | All in all, though interesting it wasn't anything too new

Read on lovelies,

S