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Book Review: Lie To Me by Natasha Preston | Blog Tour

May 1, 2018

Lie To Me by Natasha Preston

Pages: 369
Publish date: April 23rd, 2018
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07BFG78TW
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

At nineteen, Savannah Dean escaped her family, leaving behind a note and the people who caused her so much pain.

Now, she lives on her own and keeps to herself.

At nineteen, Kent Lawson’s girlfriend betrayed him, leaving him behind with a broken heart and a whole lot of mistrust in women.

Now, he lives on his own and shares himself with nearly every pretty thing that walks by but only for one night.

When Savannah and Kent meet, they can’t stand each other.

Kent knows she’s hiding something, and he despises liars.

And Savannah has nothing but secrets.

Lie To Me:

I received a free e-arc of Lie To Me by Natasha Preston for this blog tour in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked upLie To Me. I read the synopsis and was really intrigued, but I hadn’t heard much about it in the romance sphere. But as soon as I started reading I was so intrigued. There were parts that weren’t my favourite, but overall I thought that Lie To Me was a worthwhile read.

Lie To Me follows Savannah and Kent, two very different people that are thrown together and sparks fly. Savannah is lying to everyone around her and Kent, well he hates liers. You know things are about to get rough.

When Savannah was nineteen she left everything that she knew behind. She needed a new start and didn’t want a bar of her past. She left without a note and without a proper goodbye – and she doesn’t regret it in any way. There was just to much pain.

Kent’s girlfriend betrayed him in too many ways to count. It left him not only a broken heart but with broken trust and now it takes a lot to even get close to Kent. His closed himself off to a lot of people, especially women.

And when Savannah and Kent meet, it isn’t love-at-first-sight. They are at each other and it was fantastic to see. There are so many romance novels when they just look at each other and bam – we are in love. But Lie To Me isn’t that at all. Yes, they find each other attractive, but both Kent and Savannah have walls so thick that they don’t let anyone in.

Savannah was a pretty easy protagonist to get along with. I was really able to connect with her and understand her – even before I knew her story. She was just likeable and her voice flowed off the page. It was hard at times seeing Savannah suffer not only with her life now but her loneliness. I just wanted to give her a big hug. I can’t imagine going somewhere that you know no one and trying to live a normal but happy life.

Kent, on the other hand, was harder to like. Some of the things that he said, didn’t really sit well with me. He was an asshole a lot of the book. But as the novel went on and his story came to light, I understood why. It’s rare that you see a male character show emotions about past relationships. And that was really nice to see.

The romance while very bumpy at times was on the fast-paced side in Lie To Me. Normally I’m not a massive fan of fast-paced romances, but it seemed to fit the book as a whole and that was really helpful. Kent and Savannah have both had a lot of hurt in their lives and it was great seeing them come together and mend each other – without even realising it.

I adored Kent’s family. You could tell from the get-go that they all cared, loved and respected one another. The banter between Kent and his sister and Savannah’s boss was spot on. And his mother! Ah, she was just so cute. The reader is able to tell that she cares for her children and will do anything for them. But isn’t afraid to tease them and play around. Although Savannah was uncomfortable at first in their environment it was nice seeing her let loose and cherish the love that this family gives.

The plot of Lie To Me was really intriguing and I understand that not everyone will love it, but I did. There were times when I thought I knew what Savannah was hiding and I was like 15% right. But there was so much more and gosh it was fantastic. It did get a little crazy and full on at the end. And I wasn’t a massive fan of it, but the plot was engaging otherwise.

Natasha Preston’s writing in Lie To Me was really well done. Savannah’s voice was spot on and from the first page, I was really able to connect with her. I loved that she was able to combine good family life and bad. While also keeping to the story and have it overtake it.

Overall, Lie To Me by Natasha Preston was a great read. The romance was adorable and although fast-paced it was also slow burning. It explores the notion of new beginnings and starts. How someone can change their life for the better but still feel lonely in this world. Lie To Me explores new relationships, family, and friendships. It’s about forgiveness, heartache, and heartbreak. If you love romance that is intense but beautiful at the same time – this one is for you.

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she stumbled across an amateur writing site and uploaded her first story and hasn’t looked back since.

She enjoys writing contemporary romance, gritty Young Adult thrillers and, of course, the occasional serial killer.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Book Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Apr 21, 2018

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Pages: 434
Publish date: February 8, 2018
Publisher: Hachette
ISBN: 9781473223967
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favourite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

The Belles:

I received a copy of The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton from Hachette in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I wasn’t really sure what if I was going to enjoy this one. I heard very different things, but after I received I decided to why not pick it up? And I am really glad I did.

In a world where everyone is grey and made beautiful only by the belles, it’s bound to get a little crazy. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton follows Camellia Beauregard who has been trained from birth to be a Belle. But Camellia doesn’t want to be just any Belle, just wants to be the favourite. The one that the Queen of Orléans chooses to live with the royal family.

But when Camellia and her sisters arrive at court, it’s nothing like they expected. The dark, power hunger nature of court-life starts to unravel and everything that Camellia seems to know is a lie. She must decide if being the favourite is worth the risk. If everything that she ever wanted to worth her life, her sisters and the kingdoms.

I didn’t love Camellia at the start. I really did hate her. She was arrogant, thought that she was the best and the way that she spoke about people. It really didn’t sit well with me, but I was enjoying the plot so I pushed on. However, as the novel went on and Camellia started to grow, she did become a more likeable protagonist. I felt that Camellia not only started to understand herself but those around her as well, including the world that she lived in.

The world building in The Belles was a weird one. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. But there were some hiccups on the way. I thought the concept was really interesting. Everyone born the same and then they can choose how they look and can change it all the time. It brought out the best and worst in people. However, it also made a lot of the characters very vain. And that made it hard to like any of the characters.

Also, while I normally hate when an author info dumps about the world, I think that Dhonielle Clayton excelled in it. She did it in a way that just worked so well! I didn’t feel that everything was thrown at me, but I also feel that I had a good idea of the world before the book really started.

The plot is what really kept me going with The Belles. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Some parts were predictable and there was heaps of foreshadowing, but it worked for this novel. It worked with the characters and the world. Everything just blended together nicely. The ending definitely left me hanging and wanting more. And I will pick up the sequel for sure.

The romance aspect of The Belles – I don’t want to talk about it much and ruined a lot of the book. But I didn’t really like it. I couldn’t tell from the start that something was off and just wanted to yell at Camellia. However, I also see something else brewing and I hope that it works out.

Overall, I enjoyed The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. It was an interesting read where the world is full of people that are vain to the core. I really enjoyed the plot and that is what really kept me going. Camellia isn’t my favourite protagonist, but as the novel went on, she did become more bearable. I am really excited to see where the story is taken and what’s going to happen next.

Have you read The Belles? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading the rest of the series? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Feb 22, 2018

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Pages: 352
Publish date: May 10, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062438843
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee.

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf and you’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job.

Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.
Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.
Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.

The Season of You & Me:

I’ve wanted to read The Season of You & Me since it came out. It features a recently disabled character and it’s a fun summer romance. What’s not for me to like? It took me ages to pick it up as the paperback wasn’t published until recently, but I finally did and gosh did I love it.

The Season of You & Me follows protagonists Cassidy and Bryan two people who have been hurt in different ways but find each other in this summer romance. Cassidy has had her heart broke, torn apart and when she has the opportunity to spend the summer with her father, she takes the chance. Bryan will never walk again. And it’s hurting, he will never walk, he will never surf. And that is hard to live with. When they both begin to work at Camp Manatee, things change. But can they both risk their already fractured hearts?

I adored Cassidy in The Season of You & Me. She is definitely a flawed character, but that is what makes her such a great YA protagonist. After her boyfriend cheated on her, Cass felt like she needs to get away. So instead of spending a couple of weeks with her father, she wants to spend the whole summer there. Cass has many doubts about staying with her father for such a long time, and it was nice to see that yes she loved him and his family, but it was hard to be there. It was hard to see Cass struggle with herself and who she is. She feels humiliated and hurt all at the same time. So this summer was a real experience for her.

And then Cass meets Bryan and at first his a new friend, but slowly as they spend more and more time together it turns into something more. It was nice to see Cass find not only herself but Bryan, new friends, and family in a place that she thought she would never call home.

Ahh, Bryan. My heart breaks but is also filled with warmth with I think about him. His life has changed forever. Bryan has gone from surfing and hanging out at the skate park to being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. At the start of The Season of You & Me Bryan is trying to come to terms that he is paralysed, he feels lost with who he is, but like Cass, he finds himself as the novel goes on. Bryan has a lot of support but doesn’t necessarily believe he does, until Cass.

The romance in The Season of You & Me was perfect. It’s that nice balance of slowly building a friendship and then turning into something more. Cass and Bryan were very careful with each other at first, for different by understandable reasons. But as the novel went on the reader is able to see them slowly fall for each other. They slowly start to trust each other and come together. And gosh they were adorable together. And one of the main reason why I loved Cass and Bryan together; they didn’t say ‘I love you’.

Family was a major theme of The Season of You & Me and it was really nice to see. There were many different dynamics, but it all seemed to work. In YA you normally only see one good family, but both Bryan’s and Cass’ were great. Bryan’s are still struggling with their life-changing, but they all worked together. They care and love for one another and that was great to see. Cass’ family was just so great. I adored her half-brother, so much. You could see through The Season of You & Me that he adored Cass and wanted her to love him and care for him. Both Cass’ mum and her father and step-mum were also fantastic.

Friendship was another massive theme in The Season of You & Me. We see Cass make new friends, Bryan has a deeper relationship with his. And it all comes together.

Disability played a major part in The Season of You & Me and from what I can tell it was done really well. It’s been a little bit since Bryan landed himself in a wheelchair, but he is still struggling with life. And that is totally understandable. The reader is able to see that his life isn’t the same and that is hard to get on with. But one of the positives spins that the author did be Bryan has it #wheelchairperks. It was a theme throughout the novel where Byran would note something as a #wheelchairperk and it was cool to see it presented as that. As normally something being in a wheelchair was a bad and horrible thing.

Overall, I loved The Season of You & Me. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that really pulls at your heart. The Season of You & Me explores family, friendship and finding yourself. It’s a fantastic coming of age novel that explores disability, love and being okay with who you are. Cass and Bryan and beautiful characters on their own, but when they come together they light up the page.