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Hero High:: Heartbreak Rebellion (Hero High Collections Book 2) by Mina Chara – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Heartbreak Rebellion (Hero High, #4)Heartbreak Rebellion by Mina Chara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the next stage in the story of Friday Fitzsimmons, as she prepares to re-enter the life of Icon City and her second year at Hero High. In the prologue we recap over why Hero High was founded and how the Hero’s and their opposing villains came to receive their powers.

We then join Friday as she recovers from some injuries and tries to get her life back in some semblance of order. She is in her room in the dorms when Ashley comes to her window to see her, although they aren’t supposed to, they still enjoy spending time together. They decide to visit the Hero Museum and Friday shows off her knowledge of Hero trivia, through this they learn more about each other as well.

As the story moves on, we join her at her 18th birthday party where she catches up with friends and is surrounded by celebrations, as well as the fans of the Hero Channel who have followed her story from the beginning. Veronica appears and leads her away from the party and into the mall to pick out a few bits and pieces of her choice from both her own merchandise, those of her team and the other Heroes and villains. Friday does this and when finished she sees that Veronica is joined by someone else, she is then introduced to Luke, a student at Hero High. Friday finds out that they will be working together a lot during the season and is led to the offices to sign her new contract. After she signs it, she is given her new clothing requirements and her lines for the next week.

What she doesn’t realise is that the filming for the first scene has already begun at the party, as her teammates run towards her, they see that one of the villains has appeared at the top of the party’s ferris wheel. As they go to stop the villain, they realise that they are being filmed and that it is all just a set up. As Friday finds the device that the villain has hidden, it is apparent that Luke knew it was a set up from the start and continues with his lines as though Friday was doing the same. This leads to an argument with Veronica about it and the realisation that she and Luke are meant to be love interests this season.

The next day, Friday goes to try and visit Jake in prison with Captain Fantastic, as usual, she is refused, but she does hear something that doesn’t seem quite right, this is where she and the Captain discover the biggest secret that the Hero TV channel has. They are both shocked and in disbelief that this is actually happening and as they learn about what has been happening, they make a decision together to investigate what is really happening.

What will this revelation mean for her, the Captain and the school? Who is behind it all and how will it affect their lives? What about Luke and Ashley, how will this affect their relationships, both working and personal? Can Friday keep up with the demands of the show, the fame, the power and the stardom and all the while keep her integrity in place, or will she comply with the way her life has been mapped out for the season?

The only way to find out what happens is to read on and let your emotions go on this latest whirlwind ride through Icon City.

Reveiwed by @roxsannel

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Better To Have Loved by Christy Nicholas – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Better To Have LovedBetter To Have Loved by Christy Nicholas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story begins with Julie Jensen writing to her sister to tell her that she has moved to England with the family of the children that she looks after. It is a surprise to herself that she made the decision to go and that she is looking forward to the challenge of living somewhere completely different to her life in the midwest of America. We join her as she moves into her accommodation in East Grinstead at the Saint Hill mansion which holds the international headquarters of the Church, who the family work for.

She is signed in and told where she will be living, which turns out to be one of the outlying cottages and not the mansion, as she hoped, once she has lugged her enormous suitcase of belongings there, she meets Sheila who she will be living with, Sheila helps her to settle in and takes her on a tour of the grounds.

As Julie settles into her routine of childcare during the day and her artwork for the church at night, she slowly gets used to the changes and differences she is encountering, although, she is enjoying meeting the people who pass through from all around the world and learning about their cultures and personalities, be that during work, where they enjoyed meals, in the old ballrooms where they could enjoy hobbies and leisure time, or at the parties which the Church throw on weekends she makes friends and flirts with some of the men, but only one really catches her eye. She was also enjoying the freedom to walk around the surrounding countryside, villages and scenic areas, as well as exploring the mansion and the surprises it hid.

This is where these relationships all start to develop and other opportunities come Julie’s way, however, not all of these opportunities are equal, some good and some bad, but all are things which turn her life around and as she continues life with the church and the new places she visits because of this, her life changes in ways she could never have imagined.

This is a story which leads you around the world in a flurry of emotions and excitement, where choices are made, relationships develop and break down, love and loss cause disruption and all of these things create a journey worth reading and exploring.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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John the Baptist: As His Soul Remembers by Stuart Ledwith – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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John the Baptist: As His Soul RemembersJohn the Baptist: As His Soul Remembers by Stuart P. Ledwith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John the baptist

This book is a very interesting look at the life of John the Baptist, I am not a religious person and this is not a religious book in any way, however, I still found it immensely informative and thought provoking.

This story starts with Tiberius Claudius Nero Cesar Augustus, or Tiberius the Great one having a discussion with his emissary and close friend Paternuns Maximas he tells him of the things he has learned while on his travels to Syria, Jerusalem, Palestine and the Judean Desert. They discuss the legionnaires stationed out there, the situation with King Herod, the rebellious uprising of a group of religious zealots and the rising of a Hebrew “King” and a powerful and influential man who will aid him from the Essene religion. They discuss the problems that these different parties are causing the legions and how to remedy it, this is as well as discussing the “God” of these new religions and how his followers have said that they will remove the “invaders” from their lands. This worries Tiberius, especially because it isn’t a god which is known to them or one that they are familiar with.

This is where we first hear about John the Baptist or the “Desert Prophet” and the things that he has done, miracles he has performed and to Paternus, other outlandish things. It is this that worries Tiberius more than anything is that these “god-men” could become more powerful than him.

We next join Rabbi John the Nazarene and learn more about his daily life, who he interacts with, as well as his family and the journey which he will go on with them. We learn that he is a humble man who lives by himself in the desert, he baptises and preaches to the local population and lives a solitary, but enjoyable life by the River Jordan. His peaceful life is then interrupted by a visit from an old friend he has known since school who comes to him with a message. This message is that he is going to be an influential man who will teach people about love and equality, he will do this with the aid of a woman and that this will also be his demise.

This is where we truly learn about the journey he embarks on in the first person as his soul tells his story and enlightens the readers about the messages he brought and his life while he did this. It talks about his thoughts, feelings, experiences and ultimately his death. It is an original concept which is absorbing and wonderful to experience.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Rose of Anzio – Moonlight (Volume 1): a WWII Epic Love Story by Alexa Kang – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Moonlight (Rose of Anzio, #1)Moonlight by Alexa Kang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story begins in a rose garden in Chicago where Tessa is seen clipping some roses in a messy fashion by Anthony, who proceeds to tell her off. He goes into his house to see his parents and proceeds to tell them what has happened outside, he is shocked to learn that Tessa is a member of the family and that she has come over from England without her parents to wait out the war. This first meeting sets the tempo of their interactions as time goes on and even though they live in the same house, they lead very separate lives.

Tessa is fourteen and thrown into a life which is completely different to her one in England, with all the pressures of high society and private schooling when all she wants is to be left alone so she can enjoy her own company. That is until she makes a friend at the post office where she posts letters to her parents, as this friendship starts to develop and she goes to visit them where they live, another whole new world opens up to her. It is more like what she was used to at home and she relishes the both the familiarity and newness of it all.

Anthony is eighteen and studying at the University of Chicago and spends most of his free time training with the University swimming team, the rest of his time he spends with his friends or coming home over the holidays to see his close knit family. Their discussions also become about the war in Europe and how this is affecting their lives as well as Tessa’s. They have strong views as to why Americans shouldn’t join in and these discussions become more heated and opposing to the ones he is hearing at university, but there are always going to be discussions about the war and when the conscription bill becomes the law, this triggers the need to make a choice as to which side he is on.

When Tessa and Anthony’s paths keep colliding and their opinions of each other change, there are sides to both, which the other cannot see and as the war comes closer, their lives will change, in ways which they will not expect. As the war comes closer to them, their friends are drafted and chance encounters fling Anthony into Tessa’s other world.

This is quite a shock to both of them, but will their differences keep them apart and become a hurdle that they cannot overcome, or will they choose the same sides and handle the war together in their own ways?

This is a story of love, friendship, loss and courage as they face the life that pre-World War II and it’s challenges will bring them.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Shattered: Rhodes Family Book 1 by Lisa Wood – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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ShatteredShattered by Lisa Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book for the over 18’s only due to scenes of an adult nature.

This is the story of Olivia and Gabe. Olivia is a 26 year old graduate from law school who is sure she knows where her life is heading, until she is placed in a predicament where she has to give it all up, move to a new city and find a new job with only the clothes on her back and in two suitcases. Gabe is a senior partner in his father’s law firm with an eye for the ladies and an arrogant, playboy attitude.

We begin with Olivia as she leaves her old life behind to start a new one in the first place she points to on the map. This just happens to be New York City, so she packs her bags, gets in her car and drives there, she is in pain and disbelief, as to what she just walked in on and this is the reason she has to leave.

Next we meet Gabe, he is conducting interviews for a new junior partner for his father’s law firm, he is unimpressed by the candidates so far and after 4 of them, he needs to see how many more he has to deal with. He is unimpressed to find that there are still four more, that is until he sees a beautiful woman waiting to be seen and is completely shocked by the effect she has on him. He eventually makes his way through three more run of the mill candidates and finally calls her in.

It is at this moment that Gabe shakes Olivia’s hand and she is taken aback at the reaction she has to him as well. She is honest, straight forward and a breath of fresh air after all the others he had to put up with today, as she continues with the interview, he realises that his thoughts earlier were correct and that she was the perfect person for the position and so makes her an offer that she can’t refuse, but not something that he should be offering in the first place because his offer is a complete lie, apart from the job.

Gabe has to make a few calls which go over well, although he is seriously risking a lot for her, he can’t help it, as unbelievable as it is to those he speaks to.

What will the future hold for these two complete opposites? Will the lies and secrecy rip them apart or bring them closer together? Only time and experience will tell.

Reviewed by @RoxsanneL

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The Perfect Outcast by Melissa O. Hansen – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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The Perfect OutcastThe Perfect Outcast by Melissa Ott Hansen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a very engaging story about Alina, she is a teenager with all the issues that comes with it, hormones, blemishes and imperfect teeth, but she is not as normal as she seems, she lives in a place filled with perfection and being imperfect as she is, makes her stand out in a way she does not want.

We start the journey within this book at school with Alina, in her biology class and this is where we discover where the book is based, in Pria, as well as a bit about the people living there. During this lesson we discover why Pria is known for its perfection and what this means for Alina and the other residents, as well as why Alina is different. Later on in history, more about the leader of Pria is revealed, as well as the repercussions which may happen if someone speaks about him in a less than friendly manner.

It is here that we find out more about Alina and how she is ostracised by the community she lives in, how she experiences life and how this all makes her feel. It also starts to uncover the relationships she has with those she lives with and those whom she hopes to be friends with. These relationships reveal things about herself and Pria which she never expected to hear and would never have believed if she wasn’t the imperfect being she is.

When things start to go wrong for Alina, she has to discover if perfection is all it’s cracked up to be and whether it is worth paying the price demanded for it.

The journey which Alina must now go on means that she has to discover new strengths of character which she didn’t know she possessed, as well as finding the strength to become who she is meant to be, but will all of this newness overwhelm her, or will she be able to step up and stand up for herself and those around her?

Reviewed by @RoxsanneL

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Accepted: Rhodes Family Book 2 by Lisa Wood – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur

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AcceptedAccepted by Lisa Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is only for those over 18.

Thomas, Hunter and Olivia have been friends for years, since their early school years in fact, but one night seven years ago, well, too much tequila and not enough talking led to something only one of them regretted and that night tore them apart.

In the present, Hunter wants to make amends, he wants nothing more than to have his two best friends back, they are all senior partners in Ava’s father’s law firm, but for seven years, they have only spoken in a professional capacity and even then, nowhere near as much as they used to. He misses them and what they shared all those long years ago and so he writes a letter to each and prays that they can forgive him for what he did and what he plans to do if they can’t.

In each letter he explains that the box attached is an explanation as to why what happened happened, what his life has been like since and how much he regrets the situation. He delivers the boxes to Thomas and Ava and waits to see what will happen next.

How will Thomas and Ava react to the packages and letters which Hunter has written and what will the two of them think? What will the future hold for them all?

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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High Flyer (Verdant String) by Michelle Diener – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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High Flyer (Verdant String, #4)High Flyer by Michelle Diener
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an action packed adventure from start to finish, situated on the planet Faldine in the Verdant String, a planet which is notorious for being a nightmare for those who rely on technology, as it has magnetic fields over most of the surface. These fields vary in strength from mild, which makes the technology unreliable and patchy, all the way to dead zones which render this technology completely redundant.

Iver is the head of the planet and embraces the difficulty of making technology work on this unforgiving planet. Hana loves her job as Iver Sugotti’s pilot, it tests her skills every time she flies and gives her the adrenaline rush she craves. The only thing both want, but can’t have, is each other.

The story begins with Hana and Iver Sugotti starting a journey from his home to Touka City, as Hana gets Iver’s plane ready to pick him up, she is also planning her own solo trek into the mountains near Tuoka. When she picks Iver up, she realises that his assistant Lancaster is not coming with him and that he has a look on his face that is out of the norm. Iver confirms that it will just be the two of them when he gets comfortable in the cockpit with Hana, this is also out of the norm and Hana isn’t wholly comfortable with the situation.

The flight begins as usual with Hana and Iver exchanging small talk and observing the scenery when things start to go wrong, Hana picks up that they have been targeted by someone and that danger is on the horizon for them both. She warns Iver and begins the evasive maneuvers that she needs to execute successfully in order for them both to stay alive. As usual, Hana is calm and collected as she evades the danger, but is unable to avoid the dead zone which she has to fly through to do this, leading to them having to abort the flight and land as safely as she can with nothing working on the plane. She manages to do this, but as they leave the plane so that Iver can call for help, their plane is destroyed.

What Iver doesn’t know about Hana is that she is not just a pilot, she has some extra abilities which could mean the difference between life and death for the pair of them.

Is Hana going to be able to keep these abilities from Iver, or will her secrets come out as they fight for their lives?

Will they be able to work together and will something develop which they both want, but are scared to accept, or will they be torn apart?

The only way to find out is to join them in their fight and become drawn in as their story develops and it will definitely suck you in!

Reviewed by @RoxsanneL

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EverMarked by AJ Eversley – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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EverMarkedEverMarked by A.J. Eversley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sienna is a young girl who is about to graduate from her school in the DEZ where she is living after being abandoned by her parents at birth, nothing seems too untoward about that, except that because of this she is one of the Marked. This means that she is not allowed outside of the DEZ and as such, not know what the outside world is like and she takes risks by actually going outside and into the arena in the city of Cytos, but she is doing it for a reason, she is preparing for life outside the DEZ, so as well as her studies during the week, she goes into the arena on a weekend so she can provide for herself and her friends when they do graduate.

Jayla is a Watcher and is part of a secret force who keep the citizens of Cytos safe from those they have no idea about, she stops those who would want to harm the population and maintains the secrecy that has been around for over one hundred and fifty year and she has done her job successfully until now.

This story begins with Sienna in the ring and fighting her opponent so that she can remain the Champion, although she has to cover up her marks and her face so that she is not recognised as one of the Marked. After she finishes the fight, she is confronted by her friend who has also sneaked out of the DEZ to find her, as they walk back together, they visit another friend on the way.

As both Sienna and Jayla go about their lives, there is an explosion at a genetics lab within the city limits and this event is a shock and mystery as the explanation is a gas leak, however, this is suspicious to both of them because of the use of robotics as a means to ensure the safety of the population.

As both parties decide to investigate what happened, they realise that something isn’t right and that all is not well in the worlds they both live in. What they both don’t realise is that the challenges and barriers which will be thrown up in front of them, will be something that neither is expecting or anticipating.

What will happen once Sienna and her friends graduate? Will Jayla be able to figure out what the significance of the explosion is? Will either of them be able to carry on as they are, or will their futures be more than they are capable of facing?

The answers are in this fantastic book and they’re ready and waiting to be discovered as you are drawn into Jayla and Sienna’s worlds and lives. Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride of emotion, as you delve through this fast paced and exciting read.

Reviewed by @RoxsanneL

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Tompkin’s School: For The Extraordinarily Talented (A Supernatural Academy Trilogy Book 1) by Tabi Slick – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Tompkin's School For The Extraordinarily Talented (Supernatural Trilogy #1)Tompkin’s School For The Extraordinarily Talented by Tabi Slick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a tale of transferring to a new high school, in a new place and let’s not forget that it is a boarding school as well. This tale starts with a landing plane and setting off to a new, unknown place and the one who pick’s the new passengers to take them to their new home, is none other than a local policeman who takes them to stay with him and his family for the night, before hitching a ride with his son to the new school the next day. While looking out of the car window, a realisation hits that the new school is in the middle of nowhere and that there will be nothing interesting there.

On arrival there is something a bit unusual and off about the new school and from driving up to the gates, the place and the people within it are astounding, but not all for the best reasons, being shown around, normality resurfaces with the meeting of roommates, finding out what the school year will look like and who the teachers will be.

As everyone at the school starts to settle in, that things are not as they seem and the people are not who they are perceived to be, and the fact that one of them has black wings and shifts into a demon on the full moon, is a lot to handle on top of everything else.

there are twists and turns in this adventure, but will the ties that they develop last the distance, or will this school break those bonds? There are discoveries to find, decisions to be made and mysteries to uncover, how can anyone still maintain who they are as they get through these new challenges and stay in control of the darkness within?

You can only find out by reading the book and it will keep you guessing about what will happen all the way to the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Vantage Point (Gray Ghost #4) by Amy McKinley- Review by Emma Morreale

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Vantage Point (Gray Ghost #4)Vantage Point by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me level with you. Hawk? Dope as all get out. He’s the quiet one and they are the ones you ALWAYS need to look out for. Doubly so in Hawk’s case. Also, since he’s got an awesome name, it was almost impossible for him to not be everything I had hoped for in a main character.
Stella is pretty cool but I’ve think she could benefit from hearing the full idiom “Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” I get that she feels she needs to help her brother, but come one. That dude is bad news anyway you slice it. I also find him to be pretty rude but I would bet a considerable amount of money that it was deliberate. Family is family but if they get you in trouble to further themselves, cut them out like any manner of unsavory growths.
Lastly, so as not to gush over spoilers, who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt?!
This entire series is really good and you may be a little lost if you try to read them out of order. The back stories are very important. That being said, I love Vantage Point the most and want to tell everyone to read this first even though I am a huge proponent of reading book and watching movies, shows, ect. in order.

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