The Refugee (Valiant Book 1) by Tony D. Jones

Summary

Val is an ordinary boy in an ordinary city, until one day he wakes up shocked to find that suddenly neither of those things is true. He finds himself stranded in a fantastical world of magic and mystery, struggling to cope as he is blindsided by one unexpected revelation after another. He was struck by lightning? He’s in a parallel dimension? His new friends aren’t human? He’s not human either? Each discovery is somehow more bizarre than the last, and every answer only yields more questions. 

As Val is struggling to get a grip on his new situation, a disastrous encounter flips his already shaky reality completely upside down. A critical mistake turns him into a fugitive, hurling him into an extraordinary adventure fraught with grave peril, mortal terror, and heart-pounding excitement. Accompanied by an increasingly unusual band of reliable friends and unexpected allies, Val must run (and fight) for his life as he comes to terms with this new world and his place in it.


My Thoughts

When I received the review request for this book I was definitely interested!  I was super happy when it arrived.  Then, when it was finally time to read it, I picked it up and started.  I just couldn't seem to get into it!  I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for a fantasy type book or what the problem was.

So, I put it back on the shelf and went on to the next on my list.  I picked it up a few more times off and on but kept having the same issue.

Now, here it is quite a bit later, I picked it up again and started it all over.  I don't know what was wrong with me before because this time I quite enjoyed it!  Shame on me for waiting so long!

I'm not trying to claim that the book is perfect with no flaws or issues at all, because that rarely exists.  However, it was a pretty good book and I wish I had read it sooner!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An American Family by Jackson Baer

Summary

Isaac Childs has the perfect life—until that life comes crashing down when his wife Ramie vanishes.

Isaac learns that his wife's disappearance is the ninth in a string of similar cases. In the wake of this news, he struggles to cope, to be a good father to his daughter and college-bound son, and to reclaim something of an ordinary life even as he conceals his troubled past.

After the FBI makes an arrest, and his wife is presumed dead, Isaac begins to move on. Yet will his secrets catch up with him? Has he conquered his vices for good? And what of the FBI's theory that the case isn't completely resolved, after all?

Evolved Publishing presents the first book in the "An American Family" series, contemporary suspense thrillers that explore one family's trials and tragedies.


My Thoughts

Oh, the struggle with this one!  I like it... I'm not sure if I like it... I like it... not really liking it now....
That was my brain while reading this book.

An American Family started out great!  It pulled me in instantly and kept my attention for a bit.  Then there were things that started driving me crazy.  I can't put my finger on exactly what it was that made me cringe, how fast things moved and changed in the story, the writing style, I'm not sure.

You know how you can watch a tv show or a movie and like the plot but you don't really like the acting?  It's like the actors seem like they're reading it straight from the script or something?  Well, that's how this book made me feel.  I wanted to know how it ended but I didn't really like reading it that much.  Does that make sense?

And, speaking of how it ended... it doesn't!!! Not really, anyways.  It is left, in my opinion, halfway through the story!  I have read plenty of book that end somewhat open but never to this degree.  I get that authors want people to buy the next book in their series but this one was just to abrupt and open ended for me.

I hate to post things like this.  It makes me feel so bad!  But, I did promise to give an honest review.  I do encourage everyone to pick it up and try it for yourself.  Just because it wasn't my cup of tea doesn't mean that every reader will feel the same way.

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When the Storm Ends by Rebecca L. Marsh

Summary

Beth thought her violent childhood was something she left in the past—until she met Erin. Now the abuse of her step-father has returned in terrifying nightmares.

Beth became a child psychologist so she could help children who are broken and hurting, but Erin, the fifteen-year-old who killed her father, is different. If Beth can’t reach her and find out why she did it, Erin will spend the rest of her childhood behind bars. To most people, it looks simple—Erin is either crazy or evil, but when Beth looks into Erin’s haunted eyes, she’s sure that something terrible was done to this girl. Erin, however, isn’t talking.

Beth believes Erin might open up to someone with whom she feels a kinship. Of course, Beth knows she shouldn’t share her own past with a patient, but the clock is ticking toward Erin’s trial, and Beth is out of options.

Little does Beth know that taking this terrifying leap will not only reveal the truth about Erin, but will rip Beth’s past wide open as well—and a connection between them that will shake Beth to the core.

My Thoughts

When I picked my kindle up to read this book, I couldn’t really remember what it was about. I just knew it was the next one on my tbr list. As I started reading it, I started to remember bits and pieces of the summary. I tend to like it when that happens. Coming into a book with no expectations!

When the Storm Ends had my attention from the beginning.  I never had a “just power through the boring part” moment at all!  The storyline was very good!  Now, there were a few times when I wasn’t completely in love with the writing style and things like that but, overall, this book was super interesting.

The ending wasn’t what I was expecting but I think I liked it better than what I had in my own head!  I really enjoyed this book and I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read it!  I definitely recommend that you read it too!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.