Farrah is determined to fall in love during her year abroad in Shanghai. The problem? Her possible leading man is her new friend’s boyfriend. But she Farrah is determined to fall in love during her year abroad in Shanghai. The problem? Her possible leading man is her new friend’s boyfriend. But she can’t stop fantasizing about someone else, a cocky blond athlete with a big ego. Ryan is a college football star who has now quit after his third national championship. Instead of dealing with the fallout of his decisions, he escapes to Shanghai. But no matter his intentions of keeping things simple, he can’t keep a certain beautiful brunette out of his mind.
I loved the setting of IF WE EVER MEET AGAIN. Shanghai sounds like a really cool city to visit and an excellent opportunity for a study aboard option.
I really liked both main characters, Blake and Farrah. The romance that develops between them is done over the course of a year, and I really enjoyed how it was done. Huang writes a virgin trope like no other – she expertly crafted a virgin FMC who is not innocent or naïve like so many other books I’ve read. It was truly refreshing.
To be truthful, when I picked up this book I didn’t know it was a duet whose story finished in a second book. This is entirely my fault because I didn’t read the synopsis and was entirely drawn in by a pretty cover. That said, the ending felt very abrupt and, ultimately, was very disappointing to me as I was expecting and hoping for a HEA.
The audiobook narration was very well done and both Blake and Farrah’s perspectives are narrated by a separate narrator which worked really well!...more
The Schmidts have run a family beachfront restaurant through three generations, and Jack has been at the helm since his father’s death. The restaurantThe Schmidts have run a family beachfront restaurant through three generations, and Jack has been at the helm since his father’s death. The restaurant is his number one priority, leaving relationships, hobbies, and free time to the wayside as proof of his commitment. Meanwhile, the DelDine chain has been snapping up family run businesses along the coast and are barking up Jack’s door, eager to take Schmidt’s off his hands. Jack is looking for companionship and is considering how giving up Schmidt’s could affect his life positively, but can he trust DelDine to keep his staff and honour his family’s legacy?
THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is far from my usual read, but I read this author’s A Quiet Life last year and really enjoyed it so decided to pick up this new release.
THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is set in a small beach town that is filled with charm. It’s told in Jack’s 3rd person POV and intermingles his present where he’s searching for meaning within his life with the past and how he got to where his now, and also touches on what the future may hold for him. I enjoyed the dual timelines that tell this story, adding understanding, emotion, and depth.
Jack’s story begins where he is caught between a rock and a hard place – he wants more freedom to develop hobbies and relationships, but he also wants to continue his family’s traditions. I adored Jack’s character. He makes for an excellent protagonist with great depth; he’s also kind, caring, and genuine. The other central characters to this story are also well developed and realistic. I enjoyed the relationships Jack shares with both his friends and his employees.
The ending is absolutely perfect for this story. It’s a sweet, hopeful, and introspective novel that touches on the lighter side of difficult topics. I’d recommend this novel for those who enjoy character driven stories, rediscovering self, and small town beach vibes. ...more
Perry was ready for a carefree summer until a fender bender leaves her working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep. At a local univePerry was ready for a carefree summer until a fender bender leaves her working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep. At a local university meeting, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives. This changes Perry’s outlook and she becomes determined to return Warrior Girl to her tribe by learning everything she can about NAGPRA. The university has been using legal loopholes to keep Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains. Perry and her summer program team quickly realize the only way to get these items back to their rightful resting place is via a heist.
I really enjoyed WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED but I think Firekeeper’s Daughter packed a bigger punch for me. I loved that the Ojibwe community we got to know in Firekeeper’s Daughter is still present here and this continuation in the same setting with some of the same characters allowed for continued learning about the Ojibwe community, particularly with relation to sacred ancestral items and their history. It was really interesting to learn a little bit about NAGPRA through this story.
Boulley writes in an authentic and engaging way, easily capturing her readers from early on. I love how Boulley intersperses the dialect particular to this community within the dialogue in a natural way that lets the reader understand based on context. I think the audiobook narration does a phenomenal job with giving the reader the opportunity to hear how these words should be pronounced.
WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED has a very interesting plot with Perry learning more about her own culture and history, as well as how cultural and ancestral items are cared for and how they get returned (or not) to their respective communities. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and was shocked a couple of times as certain reveals were made.
I enjoyed Perry as the main character of this story — she’s brave, resilient, and caring — but did feel she was a little less mature in comparison to Daunis in Firekeeper’s Daughter.
Regardless, I’ll be picking up whatever Boulley chooses to write next!...more
Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis is biracial and an unenrolled tribal member. DauniDaunis Fontaine has never quite fit in in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis is biracial and an unenrolled tribal member. Daunis puts her dreams on hold when tragedy strikes her family so that she can care for her fragile mother. She witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, for which she agrees to go undercover. As deceptions keep adding up, Daunis soon feels the threat strikes too close to home.
FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER is a book that I’ve seen recommended across Booksta for quite sometime. I finally decided to pick it up after seeing numerous glowing reviews and I’m so happy that I did – it’s a great story.
I loved that it is infused with rich cultural influences and shares a lot about the Ojibwe community, as well as their language, history, values, beliefs, and traditions. I think listening to the audiobook was very beneficial as it allowed me to hear how certain words should be pronounced which I don’t think I would have appreciated as much from the written text.
Daunis is an excellent main character whom I found to be relatable. She’s also brave, smart, caring, and courageous. I loved her narration of the story as she learns about herself, her identity, and her own personal values and beliefs.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this novel — there are many layers to filter through and the author did a great job of weaving this into the story. I did find there were parts of the novel that were a bit slower paced comparatively to the overall tone of the rest of the novel, but nevertheless, I was intrigued from beginning to end. The ending was action-packed as all the pieces come together, leaving me eager to see how the story would end.
Overall, an excellent read! I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel soon....more
Melvin Mars is a convicted murderer counting down his final hours before execution. He was convicted of murdering his parents twenty years ago. But juMelvin Mars is a convicted murderer counting down his final hours before execution. He was convicted of murdering his parents twenty years ago. But just before his final hours come to an end, another man confesses to the crime. Amos Decker has recently been hired on the FBI special task force and takes a keen interest into Mars’ case because it has striking similarities to his own life – both were talented football players whose careers were cut short, and both have families who were brutally murdered. When one of Decker’s team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger is at play.
I loved this second installment in the Amos Decker series. I enjoyed seeing how Decker’s perfect memory is being used by the FBI to solve ‘cold’ cases. In this case, it is an inmate on death row who has another person step up and confess to the crime. While these books can be read as standalones, given that the cases in books one and two are not connected, the character development is very important and starting with the second novel will lose some of that connection, backstory, and development.
Amos is an interesting and likable character – he is unusual given his perfect memory and his social skills need some work, but you can’t have everything, right?
I really enjoyed the plot of THE LAST MILE – it was intriguing with many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the big reveal. There are some aspects of this story that require suspension of disbelief, but this is fiction, so I think that should be expected, and overall, it’s a solid story. I’ll be picking up book three without question!...more
Amos Decker returns home from work one day to find the bodies of his wife and only daughter. His life falls apart as he is overcome with grief – he’s Amos Decker returns home from work one day to find the bodies of his wife and only daughter. His life falls apart as he is overcome with grief – he’s lost his job as a police detective, his house, and his self respect. When his former partner comes to tell him that someone has confessed to the murder of his family, he knows he must seek justice for their loss. Amos suffered a serious brain injury as a professional football player, leading him to gain an incredible gift that can help the police solve a school shooting. As Amos seeks justice for his family, he is forced to relive memories he would rather forget.
MEMORY MAN is the first book I’ve read by David Baldacci but it will not be the last!
Amos is a flawed main character who has been through a lot of tragedy and he’s trying to find his way after the loss of his wife and child. Baldacci writes him in a way that is realistic and relatable. I enjoyed learning about the brain injury that Amos suffered as a professional football player that leads to him having these new abilities. It was interesting to see how he used these abilities to solve the case.
The plot is interesting and well developed with two cases to solve. The execution of the twists and plot is well done and kept me intrigued. I had no clue what was to come but was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I’ll be starting book 2 in this series soon! ...more
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