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Tuesday, July 18, 2017

ARC Review- Weeping Wells by Angel M.B. Chadwick




Synopsis from the author:
Eva loses someone close to her and that's just the beginning, she overcomes one obstacle after another that is throw her way, including one loss after another.
Synopsis from goodreads and amazon:
Fear is like a looking glass


I received a copy of this in return for an honest review

The first thing I want to say is that no matter how good the story or writing, two things I've learned are important that this novel does not have.
1) A decent cover. The picture isn't bad but it could use some time and attention
2) A decent synopsis, neither the one online or the one the author gave me give enough detail to really hook you into reading this book. Nor do they do this story justice.

Now with that said...
This is a fast paced and serious novel. It does need a bit more editing, but that did not detract from the characters or storytelling, both which were pretty good.

It was hard to keep up with the amount of characters and all the action going on. Plus this book is full of drama- which wasn’t for me but I can see the appeal.

Eva’s life is turned upside down when her mother accidentally stabs her twin sister and kills her. I couldn’t really get past the fact they cover it up and bury their little girl in a chest in the woods instead of going to the police, but grief and panic can screw up even the best of people.

One thing I really liked was how this book dealt with mental illness, you can tell the author either has firsthand knowledge of it or did her research.

This novel was depressing and long, written over a span of decades and the formatting is different than standard novels. However each chapter invoked a severe emotional response from me, which I believed was the author’s intention.

I don’t think this novel was for me, but I can’t deny some of the powerful imagery and intense story telling that went on the in 400+ pages.


ARC Review- Dark Designs by Stefanie Spangler






Twins Ivy and Violet Grant are opposites. Ivy, a hot-tempered redhead, couldn’t wait to get off the farm and see the world. Violet, a quiet brunette, was content to stay home and help their grandmother with the family business. The one thing they have in common is their magic.
Charlie Logan’s sinister obsession with Ivy Grant has ruled his life. When he discovers a book of dark magic during a burglary, he decides to return to Oak Hill and use his newfound power to gain control over Ivy.
Ivy and Violet, with help from their grandmother, need to practice their magic to overcome the evil seeping into their lives. A battle is coming, and Ivy’s life is not the only one at stake.



I was given a copy of this in return for an honest review

Twin, but polar opposites, Ivy and Violet don’t just have blood to tie them together, they have magic.
This book is about dark and light magic, a big time creeper is obsessed with passionate Ivy and the twins get help from their grandmother to keep him away.

This was an interesting concept and had unique ideas. Some of which I found interesting and others not so much.

The author writes as if all the characters are important and no one character is labeled the “main character.” Which is a positive and a negative.

The sinister nature of Charlie Logan (the bad guy) turned this short read from simple magical fantasy into somewhat of a thriller.

I did find Charlie’s stumble upon the evil magic book too much of a coincidence, but was able to get past it because I am a sucker for stories about sisters who are friends and loyal to each other. The author did a great job of writing the sister’s relationship.

I found that the magic use didn’t have as many rules as I like in my fantasy novels and think the author should spend a bit more time on the world building.

All in all I enjoyed this novel, it was easy to read and I got into the characters and storyline quite quick and would recommend it to others.