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Savage Truth (Hidden Valley Elite Series) by Isla Vaughn – Review by RitaWhite

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Savage Truth: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Hidden Valley Elite Book 2)

Another fantastic read!

Savage Truth is the second book in The Hidden Valley Elite series.

This book continues with Riley and Cole and their love and hate relationship. A lot gets unpacked in this book, and the author does a good job of unpacking it and bringing it all out to where you can’t put the book down. Riley finally gets the truth about her biological father, who is not a nice guy and gets to lay this part of her life to rest. Now on to college!

#SavageTruth #HiddenValleyEliteSeries #IslaVaughn#Romance

 

 

 

The 45th Parallel (Antipodes Series Book 6) by T.S. Simons – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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The 45th Parallel (Antipodes, #6)The 45th Parallel by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The 45th Parallel is the sixth book in the Antipodes Series. This book follows many of the children of the individuals from the first five books in the series, but the main focus is on Caitlin and Seraphine. They were born with a specific goal in mind of repopulating the community and keep it immune from disease. Cait and Sera have been told all of their lives that is their destiny to do so but they want more from life than to breed and populate the community. They want adventure and choose to reactivate the Nexus in search of new communities and to see what else is out there. In doing so they get more than they bargained for and are suddenly swept up in events beyond their wildest imagination.

Cait and Sera find themselves in an underwater community where strict rules are in place to prevent overpopulation. The community is ruled with an iron fist and outsiders are forbidden. Cait and Sera do their best to remain hidden until they are able to travel back but one small mistake ends with them getting caught. Will they be able to escape back to the safety of their own community before it is too late?

This book was fantastic and I enjoyed how the author chose to tell the story of the children from the inhabitants of the community of Lewis. The characters were lovable, and the setting was an interesting spin to the story. Cait and Sera were strong willed, independent, feisty, and smart young ladies. All traits that they clearly inherited from their parents. The underwater community was a fascinating aspect to the story, and I enjoyed reading about how it worked. This entire series is a must read and I highly recommend it! You will find mystery, action, suspense, intrigue, love, romance, loss, and even murder. I highly recommend!

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Sessrumnir (Antipodes Series Book 6) by T.S. Simons – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Sessrumnir (Antipodes, #5)Sessrumnir by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The residents of Lewis must do whatever they can to save the lives of their children after they receive some terrifying news. It is up to Illyria and Freyja to figure out who or what is threatening to destroy them and all they hold dear to them. Joining forces with both old and new friends they must eliminate the threat before it eliminates them. Will they be able to save the lives of their children in time?

This series has had me hooked from the first book and it just keeps getting better and better. Cam, Freyja, and the residents of Lewis have all become like family to me and I have become heavily invested in their lives. I have watched them grow older and wiser. I have been there with them and experienced the ups and downs with them. I have felt the sadness through the deaths of loved ones and the joy at the births and new beginnings. I have experienced a rollercoaster ride of emotions as the characters deal with some unimaginably difficult situations. Yet, throughout it all they overcome adversity, and fight through all of their difficulties becoming stronger for them. Through it all the importance of the love of family has been the focus and of never giving up hope through the darkest of times.

This book was beautifully written, as were all the books in the series. The characters were relatable and the issues they experienced were ones that I feel many of us can relate to. The author draws the reader into the story, and you can picture yourself there with them in that time and place. You feel each emotion as much as the characters do and root for them each step of the way. This is a series that will be worth reading time and time again. I cannot begin to say enough good things about this series! I highly recommend!

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Caim (Antipodes Series Book 4) by T.S. Simons – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Caim (Antipodes, #4)Caim by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Freyja and Cam are blissfully happy with their lives in their community of Lewis. After all the hardships they have experienced through the years they finally feel safe and secure. Their community is sustainable and they have forged some valuable friendships. Life is peaceful until some individuals from their past arrive unexpectedly and bring with them some horrific news. Freyja feels compelled to get answers and heads out on a quest to find them.

This book was a bit darker than the first few books and really digs into the diabolical plans that the scientists had for them and the reasons why they were chosen. Cam and Freyja face some horrific and terrifying adventures throughout their journey that really tests their courage and perseverance. This one is told from Freyja’s point of view and it really opens up the reader’s eyes on who Freyja is and how courageous she is. She is a strong female role model and I admired her strength, courage, and resilience through the most difficult of hardships. Cam and Freyja make a remarkable power couple as they build each other up and are there to lean on one another through the hard times. Nothing can stop them when they are together and are a force to be reckoned with. A must read!

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Ouroborus (Antipodes Series Book 3) by T.S. Simons – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Ouroboros (Antipodes, #3)Ouroboros by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Book 3 of The Antipodes Series things become intense for Cam and everything he values is put at risk. Freyja is not only back in his life but they have been thrown together in the hopes that together they can save everything they hold dear to them. Cam is still reeling from the loss of his one true love and his on his own journey to discover who she was and where she came from. Now he is tasked with facing the feelings he has kept suppressed for his first love Freyja when they join forces to save their community.

Along their journey Cam and Freyja make some horrifying discoveries about the truth of their community and why they were chosen to rebuild. As secrets are revealed and the truth comes to light, they are shocked at what they learn. The real reasons each of them was chosen were purely evil and were part of a much more sinister plan. The survivors are now pitted against each other, communities are divided, and friendships are tested as they decide what to do.

This series has captured my attention from the first book and it has been impossible to put down. The storyline is brilliant and as the story unfolds it becomes more intense. There have been some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Freyja returning came as a surprise to not only me as the reader, but to Cam as well. He had suppressed his feelings for her so long that it was eating him up inside. I was surprised that Freyja had been pining away for him and that she had not moved on with her own life. Her love for Cam almost came across as obsession, in a way. In other ways, it was sappy and romantic and you could not help but feel sad for her that she had still loved Cam after all that time apart. The revelation behind the real reasons each of the individuals was chosen was mind blowing! A must read!

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The Liminal Space (Antipodes Series Book 2) by T.S. Simons – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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The Liminal Space (Antipodes, #2)The Liminal Space by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 2 in The Antipodes Series picks up where the first book left off and continues with Cam’s journey. He is now living in the community of Lewis where he has been accepted and where he feels at home. He loves his community and has not only made some strong friendships, but he has found love again. Although still in love with Freyja, Cam knows that she is never coming back and it is best that he move on with his life. He has found his soulmate in Laetitia and is wholly, truly, and deeply in love with her. For once he is content and feels at peace with his life and his community.

Then Cam’s world is turned upside down when he makes the startling discovery that someone, he loves dearly may not be dead as he had thought. He sets out on another journey and along the way he makes some startling revelations. Cam is overjoyed with the news of the loved one still being alive but is conflicted when someone else from his past also suddenly resurfaces. After finally coming to terms with his feelings and letting go of the past he is faced with some very difficult decisions and must navigate through the conflicting emotions of joy, grief, anger, betrayal, loss, and hurt simultaneously. Any decision Cam makes has a devastating outcome for those he loves dearly.

Book Two was amazing and we really got to see Cam grow as a person. The hard work of rebuilding and making a community flourish have made Cam wiser and stronger as a person. I enjoyed reading about his journey as told from his point of view. Laetitia is a truly beautiful person both inside and out and it is easy to see why Cam fell in love with her. I enjoyed reading about the portals and was fascinated by how they worked. I highly recommend this book! Now please excuse me, while I anxiously read Book 3 to see what happens to Cam next!

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Antipodes (Antipodes Series Book 1) by T.S. Simons – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Antipodes (Antipodes, #1)Antipodes by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The world’s water supply has been contaminated by a deadly virus and it is rapidly killing people all over the world. Australian scientists decide to select a group of individuals within a specific age range, and with very specific skills, to live in on an island in a domed community. The young people are put through rigorous testing prior to being chosen because the intention is for them to save and rebuild the human population.

Cam is one of the young people who has been chosen for this important task and he must make the difficult decision to leave his parents and his sister behind. Cam finds himself settling into a routine on the island and even finds love in a girl named Freyja. However, when Freyja disappears Cam finds himself lonely and at a loss. He sets out to find Freyja and makes some startling discoveries along the way. In his journey he finds similar communities and forms new friendships. However, in doing so, Cam is forced with making a difficult decision that could change his entire life.

I loved this book and was invested from the first few pages. I was fascinated with the idea of the pandemic that was wiping out the world’s population and how the author had come up with creative solutions for the characters to rebuild. Cam was smart, tough, and unafraid to back down from a challenge. As the story unfolds Cam really grows as a person due to all the hardships and challenges, he faces along the way. I highly recommend!

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