In an effort to catch up on reviews and indulge in a lazy weekend, I've rounded up a few of my recent reads for quick reviews below. Included are:
The Taste of Lavender by Emma Shane,
The Six Days by Anna Carolyn McCormally, and
Caught in the Crossfire by Juliann Rich.
The Taste of Lavender by Emma Shane
Genres: Chick Lit, QLTBG
Every person, no matter who they are or how well
you think you know them, has at least one deep
dark secret. Somewhere, hidden under protective layers of normalcy is something straight out of left field. Chanting in the nude under a pregnant moon. A hidden stash of vodka behind a collection of early American literature. Coveting thy neighbor's wife. That last one? Yep, that's all mine. ~Cindy
Meet Cindy, a freelance book editor and dutiful wife with the occasional wanderlust daydreams. Watch as two worldy neighbors-- Maribel and Lucas-- move into the house across the street. See how close the women become in such a short amount of time, and how relationships shift and realign themselves.
The Taste of Lavender is a novella of approx. 19,000 words and contains vivid portrayals of passion and other adult themes.(Lesbian, F/F)
I have to get this out of the way.
The Taste of Lavender would be so much better if it had a thorough edit. There are some spelling and grammar errors. They aren't glaringly obvious, but they become a distraction whenever you're trying to get lost in the story.
The Taste of Lavender is a very bittersweet story. For anyone who's experienced a love lost, lesbian or not, the emotions in this book will resonate with you. But the story as a whole felt very disjointed to me. The way that it's set up to skip months ahead at a time left a lot to be desired. Instead of getting a story about Cindy and Maribel, I felt like I was only getting small snippets of their story. I never got enough to formulate my own opinion about them or their relationship. One thing that Emma Shane is able to do is capture the emotions of love found and love lost. If you're looking for a quick but emotional read,
The Taste of Lavender just may be your cup of spiced chai.
As a lover of women, I found
The Taste of Lavender to capture the emotions of a lesbian relationship really well. It felt honest to what I've experienced from my own relationships. The sex scenes are lacking and didn't seem authentic to me. I've been whining for years that we need more lesbian fiction that isn't centered erotica.
The Taste of Lavender is a step in the right direction, but it only left me wanting more.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
The Six Days by Anna Carolyn McCormally
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
"You have six days from midnight until the Gate closes again. Bring me what I need by then and maybe you’ll
get your brother back.”
Fifteen years ago, in the middle of the night, Jamie Carpenter’s mother went up to the dark lighthouse on the cliffs. She never came back.
Jamie has spent his whole life trying to forget his mother. But when his little brother goes missing, Jamie has to face the facts. There is another world through the lighthouse, the world of his mother, a powerful witch. And the dangerous magical inheritance she left her sons is now the ransom for Danny’s life in a war between the Council of Witches and the rebel group Jamie's mother abandoned her family to lead.
Desperate to save Danny, Jamie and his best friend Nia cross into a universe they never knew existed. Struggling to survive in a world of shadowy magic ravaged by war, Jamie and Nia seek the help of the Council. But the Council’s leaders aren’t too happy that the son of the witches’ most infamous traitor has returned to Emanu...
With no help, no idea where to look, and no magic on their side, Jamie and Nia have to learn fast if they’re going to survive Emanu and rescue Danny. Because there are only six days until the gate between worlds closes again.
There is currently a Gooreads giveaway for this title! Click here!
The author's writing style coupled with the fantasy of this book made it such an enjoyable read. Everything about the story jumped off of the pages and captured my attention. Magical stories are a soft spot for me, and
The Six Days delivered. A lot of the elements of the book put me in the mind of
Harry Potter. That's certainly a good thing.
There is nothing about this book that didn't work for me. The romance, the plot, the characters; it was all so amazing. The world building really makes you feel like you've been transported into the story. Anna McCormally has a reading style that's fun to read. I never felt bored or like the story lagged like fantasy can sometimes do.
The Six Days is YA fantasy done amazingly, and I cannot recommend it enough.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
Caught in the Crossfire by Juliann Rich
Genres: Contemporary Romance, QLTBG
Two boys at Bible camp; one forbidden love.
That is the dilemma sixteen-year-old Jonathan Cooper faces when he goes away to Spirit Lake Bible Camp, an oasis for teen believers situated along Minnesota’s rugged north shore. He is expecting a summer of mosquito bites, bonfires with s’mores, and photography classes with Simon, his favorite counselor, who always helps Jonathan see his life in perfect focus.
What he isn’t expecting is Ian McGuire, a new camper who openly argues against phrases like pray the gay away. Ian is certain of many things, including what could happen between them if only Jonathan could surrender to his feelings. Jonathan, however, tosses in a storm of indecision between his belief in God and his inability to stay away from Ian. When a real storm hits and Ian is lost in it, Jonathan is forced to make a public decision that changes his life.
I have so much love for this book. As someone who went through the same confusion at a young age of being attracted to the same sex, I definitely identified with it. The emotions portrayed in Caught in the Crossfire are so real. I felt so much empathy for Jonathan. He was excellently written by Juliann Rich.
This is a book that should be read by teens facing their sexuality and those around them who love them. I found it to be an honest portrayal that I wish I would have had whenever I was that age in the same predicament. If you're a fan of One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva or David Levithan, you'll find a new favorite book with Caught in the Crossfire.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
