Split by J.B. Salsbury

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He's not like other guys...

He’s not like other guys…

After her career goes sour, Shyann finds herself jobless, penniless, and packing for her hometown–where unwanted memories await.

Lucas needs the quiet life. And that’s exactly what he’s found in Payson, Arizona. For the first time in his life, he finally feels like his mind is in check. Lucas has suffered from blackouts since he was a child. He knows he’s not like other guys.

But when Lucas meets his boss’s daughter, her probing eyes and personal questions pick away at his barriers. Shyann is everything he should never have…everything he wants. And soon the blackouts return. The last thing he wants is to expose how dangerous he can be–but he’s helpless, and it could cost him Shyann.

 

Man oh man.

This is one of those books where you really want to rate it higher because it was “reading crack”, but you also had some problems with it to lower it down. Since I am having a hard time with the rating, I am going to give it a middle score of 3 with a list of pro’s and con’s.

PRO-Lucas/Gage
CON- Shyann

PRO- first story I have read with a main character and multiple POV with this disorder.
CON- sometimes the two personalities were too Good vs. Evil

PRO- it kept my interest until the end with the “reading crack”. I HAD to know what happened.
CON- A little predictable, but the downfalls of the story is what made it so addicting!

PRO- The epilogue
CON- The constant reminder and career whining Shyann puts the reader through.

PRO- The cover
CON- Dustin and Trevor (technically that is two cons, but whatever.)

GOODREADS / AMAZON

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

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THE VINCENT BOYS
Series: The Vincent Boys #1
Author: Abbi Glines

There was something wicked about Beau that drew me to him. What was wrong with me? Why did I want to sin so badly?

Ashton is getting tired of being good, of impressing her parents and playing ideal girlfriend to Sawyer Vincent. Sawyer is perfect, a regular Prince Charming, but when he leaves town for the summer, it’s his cousin Beau who catches Ashton’s eye. Beau is the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, and even though he’s dangerous, Ashton is drawn to him.

Beau loves his cousin like a brother, so the last thing he wants to do is make a move on Sawyer’s girl. Ashton is off-limits, absolutely. That’s why he does his best to keep his distance, even though he’s been in love with her forever. When Ashton wants to rekindle their childhood friendship in Sawyer’s absence, Beau knows he should say no.

Ashton and Beau don’t want to hurt Sawyer. But the more they try to stay away from each other, the more intense their urges become. It’s getting way too hard to resist..

Where do I even start? I really wanted to enjoy this story after so many people on Goodreads had rated it with high marks.  I am in that lower percentile that didn’t have such high praise for it.

The writing wasn’t too bad.  The author had some great writing and narration.  Heck, even most of the dialogue wasn’t that bad.  I think it was the flat out cheating that bothered me the most. I am not a fan of stories with cheating involved. I don’t like cheating in real life and I certainly don’t want to read about cheating.  Yes, sometimes it is not so black and white and might be able to work in a fictional world, if the author handles it very carefully.  Well, I was disappointed with the way this one was handled.  It seemed that right off the bat the main characters were getting it on and moved straight into the no-fly zone. I also was about ready to pull my hair out if I had to read how perfect Sawyer was on almost every other page.

The characters were frustrating and seemed not to have any sensible values whatsoever.  Perfect Ashton (who happens to be the preachers daughter). Perfect Sawyer. Bad boy Beau (which everyone in town looks down on). Like I said, the writing was decent, but the story and characters were not.

GOODREADS / AMAZON

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

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In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

From master of suspense Katie Alender comes a riveting tale of twisted memories and betrayals, and the meaning of madness.

I have always set a rule in my reading that I would try and read one spooky themed book in October.  I set the romance books aside and enjoy at least one book to go with the Halloween themed thrills and mystery.  This time I chose The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender. The cover is spooky and the glimpse of a scene we get on the back cover drew me into the story.

Not only do we have a house full of creepy and insane ghosts, but we have a house hell bent on keeping out of control teen ghosts from leaving the place. Delia inherits this mansion/asylum from her relatives and ultimately ends up being a part of the ghost world more than she would like to be.

The story was suspenseful and the author did wonderfully at describing things with giving the reader the chills.  You learn to never trust anyone until they prove that they are worthy of that trust — sometimes being the people you would least expects. Secrets are revealed as Delia learns more about the previous patients and family heritage.

While this book is aimed for the teenage audience, adults will enjoy it as well I believe.  It adds just amount of spooky for the month of October reading.

[sc:rate5 ]

GOODREADS / AMAZON

2016 Scholastic Almanac for Kids

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2016almanac

Updated for 2016 with the newest, most exciting facts and stats.

Need help with studying? Love trivia? Just want to impress your friends or teachers? The Scholastic Almanac for Kids 2016 has information about practically everything! If you have questions, this book has answers. Packed with hundreds of facts, stats, and all of the info you need to keep boredom away and get your homework done. The 2016 edition features an eye-catching cover, completely updated facts and stats throughout, and new pop-culture sections.

 

 

My children and I crave trivia and facts.  We play board games weekly that is trivia based, and we love whenever there is a new almanac released! Scholastic feeds are addiction in the 2016 Almanac for Kids.

The featured topics in this almanac include:
Pop Culture
-Music. TV, Movies, Books, Games
Celebrate
-Birthdays, Calendars and Holidays
Our World
-Landmarks, Population, Languages, Religion, Etc.
Science and Technology
-Space, Inventions, Weight and Measures, Etc.
Nature
-Animals, Plants, Human Body, Weather, Etc.
History
-World, USA and US Government
Geography
-World, Flags and Facts of the World and USA

Also featured are full color pages, timelines and plenty of lists. Anything your child wants to know seems to be in this book. Almanacs are always full of knowledge and important dates/events to remember. This 2016 Almanac will keep your child entertained for hours!

[sc:rate5 ]

GOODREADS / AMAZON

Quickie Reviews For You (9)

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A short post featuring a few quick reviews. Short, sweet and all in one post.

For this edition of Quickie Reviews, I am featuring books that have received a 4 Star rating. The Amazon price posted below is the current price at the time of this post. The prices could change at any time.

curiousCURIOUS (The Finn Factor #1)
by R.G. Alexander
GOODREADS
AMAZON (currently $2.99)

The warning for this book had me Curious. Then I bought it and devoured it in one sitting. This book almost slid onto the 5 star list, but the beginning of the story played out a little too quickly for my tastes. Definitely going to keep reading this series.

jack5.500x8.500.inddGUILTY PLEASURES
by Kitty Thomas
GOODREADS
AMAZON (currently $4.95)

I was recommended to read books by this author if I want to read a dark and not-so-frilly romance. This book will not be for everyone. It is a walk on the dark side in the romance books with dark subjects and scenes.  Personally, I enjoyed the book even with the knowledge that it is out of my usual comfort zone.

good neighborsGOOD NEIGHBORS
by Sheila Roberts
GOODREADS
AMAZON (currently $FREE)

A quick novella that comes in at 77 pages on Goodreads. Rarely I can find a novella that I enjoy enough to give it a high rating. Usually there isn’t enough to the story to grab on to, but this one surprised me. The only downfall to the story was the Hero. I didn’t quite connect to him as much as I would have liked.

straight boySTRAIGHT BOY (Straight Guys 0.5)
by Alessandra Hazard
GOODREADS
AMAZON (currently $FREE)

Another short novella that surprised me. Straight Boy comes in at 48 pages according to Goodreads.  That being said, the 48 pages actually held some story within that short amount of reading time. Not only were the sexy scenes just that, but there is some humor thrown in occasionally to lighten the mood of a prison sex read.

addicted to youADDICTED TO YOU (Addicted #1)
by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie
GOODREADS
AMAZON (currently $FREE)

A bad boy addicted to booze and a naughty girl addicted to sex. This can be a volatile combination to work with in a story but the author(s) pulled it off. These characters went through really bad times to the point of where I didn’t think either one could survive giving up the addictions.  The ending left me craving more and I do recommend having the next in the series on hand.