A lot of the times when we see books that are advertised, these are usually by authors who have already gotten their name out there. Names such as Stephen King, R.L. Stine, Nora Roberts, etc are constantly circling within the #writingcommunity. There are so many books in this world, and so many amazing authors to choose from.
Recently, I have been reading a lot from lesser-known authors through Voracious Readers Only, a service that provides free copies of books from less popular authors in exchange for honest reviews. I have seen a couple of books that really caught my attention, and want to share them so they can get the attention they deserve (with links to GoodReads)!
Summary: Scarlett Waverly's parents buy a beach house in Florida when she is a little girl. Soon after she meets a boy named Julian Rose, a boy whom she finds herself falling in love with every summer. Her parents are unrelenting in their disapproval of Julian and his family, taking drastic measures to keep them apart.
Now, as an adult, Scarlett is reflecting on lost love, her damaged relationship with her parents, and what could happen if she takes a leap of faith.
My Review: I had no idea that I was in for such a treat when I received a copy of this book. At first, I was a little skeptical, as the beginning started a little slow for me, but WOW! One of my favorite books I’ve ever read. This was so emotional, touching on topics such as classism, racism, mental manipulation, forbidden love, and the choices that we make. It tugged on my heartstrings, and I found myself engulfed in Scarlett's story and sorrow. I bought this book digitally and had to buy a physical copy to have it, as well as the sequel (which I can't wait to read). 10/10 storytelling.
Summary: Grandmothers always know best, even in the afterlife. Two grandmothers that meet in the afterlife work together to get their single grandchildren together, resulting in an "opposites attract" story.
Daphne Morris is a corporate lawyer with a checklist of goals to achieve in order to consider her life perfect. After being betrayed by her boyfriend, she heads to her mother's house in Florida, getting stuck along the way.
Jackson Weller is the minister of a small town and happens upon a woman who is stranded along the highway on his way home. Although her big-city attitude is unimpressive to him, he finds himself attracted, and getting more attached to her as she becomes ingrained in the town he's grown up in.
As feelings start to fly, Daphne gets called back to the job she wanted to leave behind and has to choose between her growing love for the minister of a small-town, or her career-driven dreams.
My Review: *SPOILERS AHEAD*
I loved this take on the very well-known romance genre. Having the grandmothers coaxing their grandchildren was such a refreshing perspective, almost like the narrators in the sky.
Despite the more lighthearted take on romance and how it is driven, the story also contained some very real and very raw elements. Touching on rape, domestic violence, bullying, autism, etc was a nice touch that ended up bringing the characters that much closer. My only complaint was that it went by so quickly!
Summary: Heidi Pfeiffer is driving down a dark road in the pouring rain. Why? A year after breaking up with her long-time boyfriend and new fiancé, Heidi is ready to make a fresh start. Her fresh start includes taking a job as a cook in an old-fashioned resort, where the fire boy Doug Barrett greets her with a bad attitude and suspicion. As Heidi begins her work, interacting with the resort's staff, she finds out more about Doug and what his deal is, willing to put her heart on the line (again) in order to learn more about her attractive and mysterious colleague.
My Review: This book was short and sweet. I think that it delved into the complications of facing your past and moving forward. The only complaint I had was that it was so short, only because it was so good! Either way, I was invested until the end, which left me feeling fuzzy inside and satisfied. So good!
Summary: What would happen if your dreams and nightmares come to life?
Eden Maybrey calls them shades, and her job is to hunt them down before they become problems in the real world. As she hunts a particularly dangerous shade, her own secrets threaten to spill out into the open. She struggles to come to terms with her newfound truths while working alongside Vaughn Taylor, a fellow hunter with a visceral hate for shades of all kinds.
My Review: Genuinely, I thought that this book was a really great read. The way that it began was great, and I really liked the storyline throughout the book. It was very consistent and I was hooked from the beginning! The characters were all complex, but there weren’t too many people involved in the story to the point where you get confused. I would definitely recommend this book!
These books changed the game for me! All had a unique aspect that hooked me and kept me reading. Lately, I've been reading a lot of books from more underrated authors, and it has been rewarding discovering all of the secret gems that come with it. I implore you to step out of your comfort zone and check out some books by an author you're not too familiar with. You might find your next favorite!
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