Revamp by Beck Sherman

Revamp by Beck Sherman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The dark had brought us visitors.

That line right there is pretty creepy, and it sets the story up well. Revamp is the story of Emma and how she deals when the world goes to hell around her…or rather, goes to the vampires. I really liked Emma. She was a tough character. Even though she wanted to sometimes curl up in a ball and cry, she picked herself up and did what she had to in order to survive. Her sarcasm and dry humor kept the book entertaining. The supporting characters were well written, too. They grew on you as you learned more about them.

Sherman is an excellent storyteller. In this book, the present was broken up by flashbacks to how it all began in order to help you understand things better. This is a tricky thing for authors to do, because it can so easily backfire, but it worked with this book. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and the plot was fast and engaging. I would most definitely recommend this book to fans of Stephen King.


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The Omega Option: Rise of Draconis by Rick T. Hodges

The Omega Option: Rise of Draconis by Rick T. Hodges
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Omega Option is action packed from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the world created in this book. The author let his imagination run wild and brought it all together for an amazing effect. The attention to detail and descriptive writing style allows the reader to easily paint a picture in their head as they read.

The characters are completely solid and well-developed. I really enjoyed getting to know each of the team members individually before they were brought together for the expedition. I think that added a lot of personality to the story and makes the reader feel more connected to each individual character. I also love the team dynamics and how the individual team members were able to fit together. Sometimes I think it's hard for an author to bring so many characters together closely as a group and still keep their individuality, but it is done quite well in this book.

As I said, this book is action packed and full of adventure and suspense. The author has a knack for keeping you guessing right up until the end. I will definitely be reading more of this series. Thank you to Rick Hodges for letting me read your book!


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Survival by A.M. Hargrove

Survival by A.M. Hargrove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was so full of emotion. I laughed, I cried (yep, really did), and then laughed some more!

The characters were well thought out, each with their own personality and each easily identified, which was important in the last chapters where we get different points of view all thrown in together. Surprisingly, the author did a terrific job with that, and it was not confusing at all. You always knew who was speaking all the time; that's sometimes hard to do.

The main character, Maddie, was fun and seemingly carefree, but she had some hurts to get past, namely losing her mom and dad, and really kept her emotions and feelings bottled up. She was so easy to like and so easy to relate to. I felt there were inconsistencies with Maddie's character, though, in that at times she seemed so strong and fiery, able to stand up for herself, and other times it was like she was the one from another planet and too immature for the character that had being built.

Rayn was sweet and caring, definitely a guy you could fall in love with. I loved reading from his point of view the best. He loves Maddie so much but is so conflicted over his feelings for her. In the end, you know that he would do anything for her.

I love having different points of view in a story, and Survival did not disappoint. The author did a great job of transitioning from one point of view to the next without being confusing. The only thing I really did not like was when we switched from Maddie's to Rayn's point of view for the first time we went back and had to re-read everything that had already happened all over again, this time from a different perspective. While that is not always a bad thing, I think that in this book it did not really change anything about the story or give us any new information, other than maybe show us Rayn's feelings for Maddie, which could have been done without going back so far.

One thing that was absolutely amazing in this book was the imagery. The descriptions of the scenery, the mountains, etc., was so beautiful, I wished I was there. The author did a great job creating this world, and even though I'm not a hiker, I could picture the mountains and trails in my head as I was reading.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style. It was simple and easy, which went well with the flow of the story. My only real complaint about this book would be…the end! I cannot believe we were left hanging! Good thing the next book in the series is now out!!

Interview with author A.M. Hargrove:
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The Very Thought of Him by Jessa Callaver

The Very Thought of Him by Jessa Callaver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This short, steamy story is incredibly well written. Short stories, I think, are often so hard to write because it's hard to develop personalities and back stories that are necessary to hold a reader's interest in so few words.

The author did an excellent job in this story building the scene that we read and using descriptive language that helps you to imagine clearly what's happening. Dara's character is very well developed and fun.

There was also a nice little twist at the end that I was not expecting. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.


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The Crush by Elizabeth Lister

The Crush by Elizabeth Lister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Crush is the story of Jack and Michael. Jack is just looking to have some fun, not a serious relationship. Michael is a college professor and Jack's sister's crush. Jack and Michael are introduced by Amy, Jack's sister, and are instantly attracted to one another. But Amy has plans for seducing Michael herself. Ultimately, Jack and Michael decide to conceal their relationship from Amy, but when she finds out that they have been seeing each other behind her back, Jack must find away to repair his relationship with his sister.

I really liked the relationship between Jack and Michael. It started as just a fling but evolved into something so much more than they had ever expected. Their relationship was intense both physically and emotionally.

I was impressed that the author was able to pull out so many emotions in such a short story. The dynamics in Jack and Michael's relationship and Jack and Amy's relationship were amazing, and the characters were so much fun.

Interview with author Elizabeth Lister:
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Holiday Matinee by Elizabeth Lister

Holiday Matinee by Elizabeth Lister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holiday Matinee is a short story that continues the relationship of Jack and Michael, who we met in The Crush.

Holiday Matinee follows Jack and Michael on a date night. This story is very short, and only took me about 20 minutes to read. It was a quick, fun read. I enjoyed seeing Jack and Michael again as they move forward in their relationship, and I hope there will be more stories about them!

Interview with author Elizabeth Lister:
http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspo...

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Afterlife by Eric Edstrom

Afterlife by Eric Edstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in The Undermountain Saga was just as captivating as the first. Afterlife continues the story of all of our favorite characters from Undermountain, beginning about six months after the first book, as well as the return of our favorite bigfeet. The story begins with a bang and continues with fast-paced adventure throughout.

I can't give enough praise to the author's descriptive writing style. He really knows how to manipulate words to bring the story to life and bring emotion and personality to the story. The characters are fun and unique. Even the villains in the story are so alive that you want to read more about them.

I absolutely love the world these books are set in. The creativeness and complexity of the society is so much fun to read about, and the myths and legends are blended in nicely. I am very much looking forward to the next book in Undermountain series to see where the characters are taken.


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