BOTM-YA Book Deal!

I’m sure you’ve heard of the subscription box Book of the Month, but did you know they now have a Young Adult edition?!

They’re doing an awesome promotion just through the end of September where you can get your first book for only $5!!!! FIVE DOLLARS for a newly released, highly anticipated, hardback book! You can pick from these 5 books pictured but it’s only until September 30th so sign up fast. 😊

The book I picked from them for August, House of Salt and Sorrows, was AMAZING and you can read my review here, and I have The Ten Thousand Doors of January as my September pick to be read soon!

If you’re interested, click my affiliate link and use code YALIT to save $10 of the normal price and get your first book for only $5!

 

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Book Review: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena-5 Stars

Someone We Know was a great whodunit mystery!

It starts out with a woman being beaten to death with a hammer and shortly after, Robert Pierce goes to the police to report his wife Amanda is missing. It’s obvious he isn’t really worried or concerned about his missing wife. The neighborhood is on edge thinking they are living near a murderer, but that’s not the only drama that’s going on.

Every house has its secrets, and teenager Raleigh gets a thrill from breaking and entering people’s houses and snooping around on their computers. When his mom Olivia finds out, she sends anonymous letters to the two houses Raleigh admitted to entering, one being the Pierce house right around the time Amanda went missing.

Every one has something to hide it seems, but who is guilty of murder?

Shari Lapena is a must read for me. Her novels are quick reads that keep you on the edge of your seat, dying to find out the truth!

Book Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig- 5 Stars

Annaleigh lives at Highmoor, a manor by the sea with her father, stepmother, and sisters. She has lost four of her sisters in tragic deaths. Once there were twelve, now rumors swirl that the remaining eight sisters are cursed. The youngest sister Verity claims to see the ghosts of her dead sisters and draws their gruesome demises in her sketchbook. When Annaleigh starts to have the same visions as Verity she knows something dark and sinister is going on and sets out to uncover the truth before another sister’s life is cut short.

The writing is beautiful, the setting is creepy and magical, and the climactic villainous reveal will leave you with your jaw dropped! If you’re in the mood for a romantic, dark and disturbing fantasy then pick this one up! This spooky story will be perfect for reading around Halloween!

Thanks to Book of the Month’s Young Adult affiliate program for my copy! Click here to sign up and use code GROW to receive your first book for only $9.99!

 

 

Book Review: The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney- 4 Stars

The Perfect Wife is something I would classify as a suspenseful sci-fi mystery/thriller. Abbie wakes up in a haze and quickly learns from her creator Tim that she is a co-bot: a companion robot, that was created in the likeness of her Tim’s dead wife. She has the real Abbie’s memories and appearance. She was created so that Tim and his son Danny wouldn’t be alone. Sounds perfect, right? The perfect wife and mom, gone too soon, but thanks to scientific advances and plenty of money, your loved one can be recreated to be just like the real thing!

Abbie and Tim had a seemingly perfect marriage, but of course nothing is ever as it seems. Diving between the past and present, co-bot Abbie comes to realize something is amiss. She has to figure out what Tim is really all about and what happened to Abbie so that she won’t become just a discarded pile of technology.

This book was really creepy and unique. I can’t give too much away but this one will definitely shock you and keep you reading for hours if you enjoy sci-fi books that really mess with your mind!  Just when you think you’ve figured it out you’re hit with something crazy!

Do you like to read science fiction? It’s not one of my typical genres but I have been enjoying it lately!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book!

Book Review: Recursion by Blake Crouch-4 Stars

Man this book is a ride!

What if you were suddenly hit with memories of a prior life? You have a different job, spouse, children… you can sense it feels real, but what about the life you’re currently living too? What are your real memories? What life is the true, present one? Certain people are experiencing this phenomenon that has been dubbed FMS, or False Memory Syndrome, and it’s driving some people so mad they commit suicide.

Told in alternating timelines varying between Barry, an NYPD detective who witnesses a suicide due to FMS, and Helena, a neuroscientist working on a memory chair to help those with Alzheimer’s. While this book is heavy on the science fiction, it’s terrifying to think about the possibility of something like this happening in our world. The emotions and relationships of the characters are so thought out you become invested in their lives and feel a sense of dread just thinking if this was our reality.

This book is definitely unique, thought provoking, mind blowing, and confusing at times to grasp certain terms and concepts, but still enjoyable. If you liked Dark Matter by Crouch I think you’ll really love this one. I highly recommend!

Book Review: Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune by Roselle Lim- 5 Stars

After her mother dies, Natalie returns home to her Chinatown neighborhood. She and her mother had drifted apart over the years and Natalie left on bad terms due to disagreements they had over Natalie’s career. She yearned to be a chef, like her grandmother, but her mother discounted her dreams. When Natalie discovers she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant, along with her special handwritten recipe book, she dreams about reopening the restaurant, but first, she has a challenge to complete. Natalie has to find three neighbors in need of something and fix three special dishes from the book to heal and help them. That’s where the magic happens. Natalie adds her own personal touches to her grandmother’s recipes but still stays true to her roots and culture, and these dishes transform those they were prepared for. I adore reading books focused around food, and bonus points if recipes are included! I’m also a huge fan of magical realism, which I was pleasantly surprised to encounter in this book as I hadn’t expected it when I read the synopsis!

Natalie has to deal with many mishaps and misunderstandings that could potentially be a threat to her restaurant’s success as well as her own happiness. This is just one of those books that, even through its sad parts, makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was an enjoyable debut and I look forward to more from this author in the future!

 

Book Review: Finale by Stephanie Garber- 4 Stars

*Minor spoilers if you haven’t read the other books in the series*

I love this series! Stephanie Garber creates a world that is so magical, imaginative, and descriptive, you feel like you’re right there in the game. Finale picks up right after Legend abandons Tella on the steps after she wins the game. The fates have been freed from the Deck of Destiny, Scarlett and Tella’s mother has been rescued, and the game is finally over. Now, tough decisions must be made.

Finale is told between both Tella and Scarlett’s point of view. They are both courageous and headstrong, and will do whatever it takes to save the ones they love. This book had quite a bit more romantic scenes than the other two books, including a love triangle between Tella, Dante, and Jacks which I am all here for! Those boys are both crazy, messed up fellas, but I love certain things about both of them!

There’s a lot of characters that make up these books but they are all so well written and bring a lot of dimension to the world of Valenda. I really liked several of the fates, Jacks of course, but also The Lady Prisoner and Assassin. While I didn’t care too much for Tella in the first book, she became my favorite over the course of this series!

I felt the ending was rushed and kind of left me hanging but overall I really loved this book. The magic, intrigue, and shocking plot twists make for a wonderful reading experience! I’m sad this series is over but a book from Paloma or Legend’s POV would be amazing!

Have you read this series?

 

Book Review: The First Mistake by Sandie Jones-4.5 Stars

Sandie Jones has once again given me a suspenseful thriller full of twists and surprises that made me desperate to read this every spare second I had! I loved her debut, The Other Woman, so much I immediately requested this from NetGalley the instant I saw it.

 

Alice runs a successful company with her second husband, Nathan. After tragically losing her first husband, Nathan seemed like the perfect man, showing up right when Alice needed someone the most.  She also has a best friend named Beth that she can always count on, and two wonderful daughters. Life is pretty good for Alice, until she finds something that makes her start to question everything she thought she knew about those around her.

The twist took me by surprise and I’m glad I didn’t see it coming because man, was it insane! This is definitely a quick read but there are quite a few characters to keep up with.

If you’re looking for a thriller chock full of twisty revenge and suspicion, make sure to pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Product Empties + Mini Reviews

 

Here are some of my thoughts on a few products I’ve finished up recently!

 

Target Up & Up Brand Sensitive Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes– these are inexpensive, remove makeup well, and don’t break my skin out or burn my eyes. The price is great too-only $2.49!

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser-This was part of the Sephora 2019 birthday gift I chose. It is unscented, foams up nicely, and does a great job cleansing the skin without stripping and drying it out. The only unfortunate thing is the price! ($32!) While it is a great cleanser, I feel I can get the same results from something much cheaper.

Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm-This came in a Boxycharm box and I absolutely LOVED it. It removes a full face of makeup quickly and efficiently, the light citrus scent is refreshing, and doesn’t leave my skin too dry. It is pricey at $34 but it’s the best cleansing balm I’ve tried so far so I will probably purchase it in the future.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water– This is great for lazy nights when I don’t feel like washing my makeup off at the skin with a cloth and water. You simply use a cotton pad and the micellar water to remove all of your makeup quickly and easily! A full sized bottle is less than $10, prices vary per store I’ve noticed.

Tinkle Facial Razor– These are affordable and work great for tidying up your eyebrows and removing peach fuzz. I purchased a 3 pack from Amazon for $3.69.

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer- This is a great, thin concealer I like to use on my undereye area. It doesn’t crease, it brightens and covers dark circles nicely. Unfortunately I think this has been discontinued!

Clinique Moisture Surge- This is a wonderful moisturizer for dry skin! It feels like you’re giving your face a drink of water; it’s so hydrating but not greasy!

Beauty Blender– The OG beauty sponge! I’ve tried many different brands and always go back to this one as I find it to work the best for me! I try to buy these from HSN when they offer free shipping and flex pay so it helps lessen the pain of paying $20 for a sponge! 😉

 

 

Everything else was pretty decent but nothing amazing. The only thing I would never buy again would be the pink ELF Total Face Sponge. The texture of the sponge made it tricky to get a smooth, flawless foundation application.

Do you see any of your favorites or spot some things you want to try? Let me know in a comment!

Book Review: Such a Perfect Wife by Kate White-3.5 Stars

Kate White brings reporter/wannabe detective Bailey back in her 8th book, Such a Perfect Wife.

I love the Bailey Weggins series! She is such a fearless, intelligent woman. In this novel, Bailey is reporting for online news outlet Crime Beat on location in Lake George, New York, where beautiful and well loved mother named Shannon has gone missing. Like all of Bailey’s adventures, she immediately is drawn to the case and makes it her mission to do more than just your typical news reporting. She wants to get to the bottom of Shannon’s disappearance, even if it means putting herself in harm’s way.

She strikes up a friendship with Alice, a local reporter, and the pair start working together to solve this mystery. But when they start getting too close to to the truth the killer intends to make them suffer and pay for what they’ve found out!

This story kept my attention through the very end. The many possible suspects and constant speculation made it more of a slower read than the others in this series and I didn’t find it as captivating as the previous books but I still enjoyed it!