Alawahea: The Azellian Affairs, Book One by Sara L Daigle

Alawahea: The Azellian Affairs, Book One
by Sara L Daigle


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(I still hate the 5 star rating system, this deserves more like a 4.75, but I don't have that option)



Reviewed for Readers Favorite


Tamara is working to finish her college degree in a time when the Earth has found out that there are other plants out there with life on them, and in fact has been sending and receiving ambassadors for over 50 years. This year is going to be different as the Azellian ambassador has proposed having a sort of foreign exchange program at the University with four Azellian students coming to Denver to study for the year. Tamara is excited because her grandfather had been the ambassador to Azelle years ago, and she is interested in learning, even if her grandmother is having a hissy fit about it all. The thing is that there are secrets in Tamara's life and past that are on a collision course with the Azellian students, and nothing is ever going to be the same. Alawahea, The Azellian Affairs is the first book in a series that introduces the reader to another culture and begins the story of interactions, fears, differences and similarities. Author Sara L. Daigle has created a story that is captivating and realistic, the fears and prejudices that are projected towards the Azellian's are the same fears and prejudices that we as humans project on anyone we don't know much about, and the problems it can lead to are enormous.

Alawahea, The Azellian Affairs is the first book in a new series that looks to be both entertaining and thought provoking. All the characters were so well written and developed that, as a reader, I felt a connection to them each from the start, and it was easy to get caught up in the story and following them and wanting only the best for each one. Author Sara L. Daigle has created an environment in the story that is so realistic and believable that you feel like you are part of the story as the reader. I think this is a great book for all readers, and I definitely think it is a time, when a book that causes the reader to look at pre-conceived prejudices and how we think and treat someone slightly different than ourselves, is much needed and should be read by many people. Will it change attitudes? Maybe of a few, those open to understanding and that in and of itself is worth the read alone.

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Guardian (The Guardian Series, Book 1) by Sara Mack

Guardian (The Guardian Series, Book 1) 
by Sara Mack


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite 



How do you deal when everything has collapsed around you? At least to Emma, the whole world has collapsed and there is no reason to go on, her boyfriend James has died and she has no will to carry on. Her family and friends are worried, so her best friend Shel comes to stay for awhile, and tries to make Emma face life again. Which might have worked, if only James' spirit hadn't started talking to Emma. Now she is trying to let everyone around her think she is fine and moving on, while she is living just to spend time with James' spirit. Guardian is the position that James agreed to take in able to remain as a spirit on earth and be able to watch over Emma, the problem is, he is not suppose to be spending so much time with her, he is supposed to be training and learning to be a Guardian to someone. Author Sara Mack creates an amazing tale of young love, cut short by death, and the effects of choices on life afterwards.

Guardian is said to be the first in a series, which is good, because a number of questions are left unanswered in the first book. In this book though, we learn a great deal about James and Emma's relationship through flashbacks and dreams, which are well written and fit into the story wonderfully. From the start you find yourself feeling for Emma, crying along with her, wanting to help her heal, liking James coming back and then becoming not so sure about it. There is the side story of their friends Shel and Matt, and you find yourself enjoying that story and understanding Emma's frustration at first, but wanting the same for her again. It is a complex and deep story with a number of layers and some unexpected events that you don't see coming. I feel comfortable recommending this book to all ages of readers, given parental consent, there is no sex and only the reference to the accident and one fight scene, but it is not graphic. I feel it is a great story to read and talk about with your teens and such. Enjoy readers!

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Haunted by Eileen Maksym

Haunted 
by Eileen Maksym


My rating: 4.6 of 5 stars


Haunted by Eileen Maksym is the story of three college students who investigate and research hauntings together.

First you have Tara, the smart and pretty girl, who is studying neurobiology and has access to lab equipment. She has a troubled past that she doesn't talk about to anyone, and avoids most friendship except this little group. Second you have Steven Trent, he is a political science major, and has a major crush on Tara, but refuses to do anything about it. He likes the friendship the three of them have and doesn't want to run her off. Last, but not least, you have Paul, who is the one who really makes the haunting group because he can actually hear ghosts.

Add in an interesting newspaper article about an older couple trying to sell their home, only to have all the prospects ran off by the hauntings. Of course the college group just has to investigate this house, right? Now you have a wonderful little book called Haunted.

It was very well-written, everything flowed well, and once I started going I just kept going and before I knew it I was done. There were some unexpected twists, but it was quite a cute story. You get some glimpses into Tara's past, just tiny bits but enough to wet your appetite and make you want to know more and hope that this if just the beginning of a long series! You also get history, some tragic, and some beautiful, but sometimes things happen in the 1800's that just can't be helped, other times they could have been prevented, but you get to glimpse into long ago life as well.

I marked it as Young Adult as the characters are college students. Really, the content of the book, topic and themes are written so that any age reader really could pretty much read this book. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. So glad to have had the chance to have read this book!

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Ancient Guardians: The Legacy of the Key (Ancient Guardians, #1) by S.L. Morgan BOOK REVIEW

The Legacy of the Key
Ancient Guardians, Book One
by S.L. Morgan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .

Reece is your typical college student, dealing with classes and unfortunately, her father's passing. At least that is what she thinks anyway. She is heading to San Diego to finish up things on her father's estate, when she notices two handsome young men at the airport, and then they are on her plane, which ends up having trouble and returning to Philadelphia. She later notices them again while out with friends, and while out on a run they save her from being abducted. Turns out they are her Guardians and she is someone called The Key. Now she must understand that there are other dimensions and worlds other than her own, all while hiding for her own safety. Ancient Guardians is a young adult tale of character and honesty. S. L. Morgan takes fantasy and morals and makes it into a wonderfully captivating romance novel between a young girl called the Key and her Guardian.

Ancient Guardians: The Legacy of the Key is the beginning of a new series, and it is a strong start to the series. It lays a good foundation for more to come. The guardians are shown to be a people that a strong, yet morally upright and have good values; which is why they were originally chosen as the guardians in the first place. Greed and power are the opposite and are shown to get in the way of life and what is really important. This fantasy novel is set in multiple dimensions, which is a fun concept to think about, with Earth being the central focus of the dimensions. Although there is some fighting, the crux of the story is the romance between the Key, Reece and her guardian, Levi. This is a great young adult and teen novel in that the romance is also woven in with a moral message of honesty, trust and doing the right thing. This novel will also appeal to older readers as well, and given that it is very clean, even mature younger readers would do well with the novel.

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Urbino unexpectedly by Maria Chiara Marsciani BOOK REVIEW

Urbino unexpectedly
by Maria Chiara Marsciani

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .

Is it good enough to go through life doing the right thing and never causing your parents any problems? Even if you aren't happy with the choices that you are making, can you live a good life making other people happy? Clara is in law school only because she thought it was what her parents wanted her to do. Her father is a surgeon and not the type to express his feelings to her. Her mother is a socialite bent on keeping Clara doing edxactly as she says. One night, out with friends Clara met Leonardo, a doctor and it is love from the start. They begin dating, and he allows her to be who she is, never telling her what to do or what to think. As Urbino, Unexpectedly continues on Clara finds herself answering first questions and coming into her own. At the same time realizing that having Leonardo, who is not telling her what to do in her life is the best thing she has ever had. Maria Chiara Marsciani gives the reader a story of love and self-discovery, parental control and breaking free all wrapped in the beauty of Italy.

Urbino, Unexpectedly confronts the dysfunctional family that Clara has been raised in, but also some of the friendships that she has allowed herself that have fed off her family relationship. As she becomes stronger, her grandmother is the one person who cheers her in this, but at the same time you see grandma relaxing and saying, "finally, my work is done". Maria Chiara Marciani gives the reader a complex story with a number of different veins. Some of the characters are quite shallow, but the main characters are good and have some qualities that make you want to read and see what happens. This is a women's story, and would even be good for a book club discussion.

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Arielle: Immortal Awakening (Immortal Rapture, #1) by Lilian Roberts BOOK REVIEW

Arielle: Immortal Awakening
Immortal Rapture Series, Book One
by Lilian Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .

Arielle has always been a bit different, she can read the mids of some people. Aside from that, she has searched, never really dating all that much, looking for a prue and true love, one that resembles that in her favorite novel. Sebstain is far from normal and her knows it, but he has spent his entire life looking for the one person her can truly love. While Arielle is on vacation, Sebstain spots her and knows that she is the one, but it takes him almost two months to work up the courage to talk to her. Now he can't imagine life without her, there is only one problem. Arielle is a human and Sebstain is immortal. How will Arielle take the news, and how will Sebstain keep her safe from another immortal that has vowed to destory all he loves? Lilian Roberts gives us a new and differnt paranormal story, no vampires but immortals and blends it with a deep and immediate love story. Arielle Immortal Awakening is the first book in a series that will follow Arielle and Sebastain to hopefully answer the qestions.

Arielle Immortal Awakening is scheduled to be the first book in a series, and be forewarned, it does end on a bit of a teaser, which will have you waiting impatiently for the next book. The idea of immortals has been around in stories with the vampires and other paranormal creatures, but there was always a price to their immortality, with vampires it was blood. That is not the case here, but yet there is a deep ad quick love that develops that results in trust questions only because of the speed in which they fall. Lilian Roberts has done a wonderful job in giving the reader a new look into the paranormal romance genre and this is defintely a book for those who are looking for a heart-stopping romance. Although it is a romance, it could actually be read by young adults as well as adults.

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UNREAL by Riley Moreno BOOK REVIEW

UNREAL 
by Riley Moreno

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just finished with college, best friends Julie and Kim decided to take one last fling before starting real life with jobs and futures. They have no real plans, they are just going to drive and enjoy their week with no rules before settling down. Seems so easy, so many kids have done the same thing over and over through the years, yet nothing is ever as it seems.

On their first stop for lunch, the girls take up with a pair of clean looking college guys, only to find their worst nightmares are waiting. Kim, so worldly and beautiful, surely she can be the strong one and get them out of this mess. Julie, the innocent and sheltered child, can she have the strenght to get out and get home?

Ethan has his own demons, and never thinks he will be involved in anything like what he got himself into. New client, and for some reason he felt the need to impress, now they are taking him into their secret world. A world he never knew existed but one he wants no part of. How to get out safe and keep the account is his main focus until he is left alone with Julie. Now she is his main focus.

You have two distinct storylines that start and later merge into one, which is wonderful storytelling on the part of Riley Moreno. Each person has their own scars already and then to deal with what is happening is ever tougher. Who will become the strong one? Who will be able to survive?

Although there is some sexual references in the novel, and given that the girls are kidnapped you would expect them. They are not overly graphic, in fact the author does a wonderful job of allowing you o understand what is going on but at the same time keeping the information and details to a minimum. Wonderfully skilled writer in the author to do such a good job with this terrible topic.

This is definitely an adult book, but the whole premise of the story will have you wanting to hug your daughters and remind them again just how dangerous it can be to go with someone you just met. I was truly moved by the story.

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James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by: Colin McElwain BookReview

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra 
by Colm McElwain


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra is a pleasing, fictional mix of Narnia, Harry Potter, and the classic, Knights of the Round Table. With these favorite elements comes a fresh new tale from a debut author sure to capture the middle-grade reader’s attention.

James considers himself an average orphan, if there ever was one, with an old grandfather he looks forward to seeing each Christmas. His two best friends, Ben and Mary, also orphans, and James are a family (kind-of); and they look out for each other. When the psychic (who James believes might actually be psychotic) foretells that he and his family “are in terrible danger. I sense there is a man trying to find you. He’s trying to hurt you!”

When James, Ben, and Mary visit James’ grandfather, Wilmore, for Christmas—they learn that the psychic Belinda was extremely correct in her prediction. They are led on a chase to Orchestra, which he knew he recognizes from a painting and the stories his grandfather entertained him with each Christmas. When they finally find, what can only be described as a “secret portal to another world,” James learns of his destiny and will do anything to protect his birthplace.

As a young adult book, with the main characters in their pre-teens, I feel that kids would really relate to the story. The chapter where James, Ben, and Mary explore Orchestra is strikingly vivid and fun. It has plenty of adventure and action, including bloody battles that may be too intense for the elementary-aged reader but perfect for the middle-grades.

Even as an adult reader, I was entertained by the story and compelled to keep reading, not wanting to put the story down until finished. With the book ending on quite a cliffhanger, I do hope that there is another book in the works.

*This review was done for the author. In no way, shape or form did that influence my review.*

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Division by: Karen Wyle BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Readers Favorite

Karen Wyle takes on a unique topic in her new book, Division. It is the story of brothers, Gordon and Johnny, who are twins, but not your normal twins they are conjoined. The book starts out following their life as they grow from young children to teens, then to adults. It takes place in a future era where doctors have advanced medicine in a number of ways, and cloning is just one of them. The idea of a transplant to clone procedure that could be done to give each twin his own separate life is placed in Johnny's mind on day. This begins a long court battle on who gets to choose what to do, Johnny who want to separate or Gordon who is happy being conjoined.

This is such a unique and complex topic that wasn't sure how the author, Karen Wyle would handle it in the book, Division. I have to say, she researched and did a good job of learning about conjoined twins and other twins. The personalities displayed by the characters actually remind me of twins I know. The book is well written and very well thought out, the author really gets into the minds of these two different men. Neither side is pushed as being the best choice, arguments for both are presented so balanced that you don't know which way things will happen until they do. I think of it as a part coming-of-age story, because each twin is struggling to find himself in this world, whether it be conjoined or alone. It will appeal to young and old readers alike. Call is science fiction, fantasy, young adult, future or realistic; whatever you want to call it, it is good reading for all.

Haunted by: Eileen Maksym BOOK REVIEW

Haunted                                                       Amazon Link
by Eileen Maksym                                        Blog Link
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Haunted by Eileen Maksym is the story of three college students who investigate and research hauntings together.

First you have Tara, the smart and pretty girl, who is studying neurobiology and has access to lab equipment. She has a troubled past that she doesn't talk about to anyone, and avoids most friendship except this little group.

Second you have Steven Trent, he is a political science major, and has a major crush on Tara, but refuses to do anything about it. He likes the friendship the three of them have and doesn't want to run her off.

Last, but not least, you have Paul, who is the one who really makes the haunting group because he can actually hear ghosts.

Now you have an older couple wanting to sell there home, throw in a newspaper article about the house being haunted, and then a group of college students wanting to research it. You have a wonderful little book called Haunted.

It was very well-written, everything flowed well, and once I started going I just kept going and before I knew it I was done. There were some unexpected twists, but it was quite a cute story. I marked it as Young Adult as the characters are college students. So glad to have had the chance to have read this book!

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**In the spirit of full disclosure, I received a copy of the book in return for my honest review.**