The Spirit by D. Nichole King

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RATING: 5 STARS

Witches, demons and ghosts grace us with their presence in this small town in Iowa. Carrie is told she has to live with her Grandparents in Villisca, Iowa for the summer after her parents divorce and her Mom has a rough time with it. Carrie dreads it, but she quickly changes her mind after settling in, starting work, and meeting a few people, including Lucas. 

Lucas and Carrie fall for each other almost instantly, but the evil powers that be just don't want that to happen. Carrie is propelled into a world of uncertainty. Feelings she's not sure of and feelings she doesn't think she deserves after experiencing the heartbreak her mother went through. Lucas is not something of this world. Megan; who works with Carrie, is and warns Lucas to stay away from her. We watch these two dance between knowing what they feel is right, and what's meant to be. This is a story of heartache, a story of love. A story of good and evil, and the battle between them. 

D. Nichole King has done a great job of syncing good and evil with love and heartbreak in this book. This was her debut novel, released in April 2014, and the 2nd part of the series was released on Nov 18th. Stay tuned for the review of "The Body." 

Keri

This book is currently free- snatch it up now while you still can!


*** You can find our review of book two "The Body" here.

Fractured by Leanne Pearson

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Rating: 5 stars

This is the story of loss, heartbreak and the hard and long journey back from grief. It's a story about learning to move on, even when it seems like you never will. It's the story of what happens when two people so broken and lost find each other and realize maybe, just maybe there can be love after loss.

Our main characters in this story are Kate and Dom. After suffering the loss of her long time love and boyfriend, Kate is struggling under the heavy weight of her grief. Suffering from the staggering symptoms of PTSD, immense survivor's guilt, and a broken heart she spirals into a life where the only thing that seems to matter is how much she can drink to make the pain go away. Enter Dom, a struggling war survivor who knows exactly what Kate is going through when it comes to her PTSD and wants nothing more than to make the shadows disappear from the woman who seems to push everyone away in her grief. Dom doesn't give up though, and we follow along while he tries to help her back into the world she's shut herself off from. Dom knows a little bit about survivors guilt himself, after being one of the very few survivors from a tour in Afghanistan, he's struggled with his own demons for years. Almost right away he is drawn to Kate, he sees her struggles and understands what it's like. Their journey together isn't always easy but not much is a match for love, it always finds a way.

I want to tell you so much more about this story, since I can't, I will just say that you will not be disappointed. I cried, I laughed, I got really freaking frustrated at points with the heroine because I just really wanted her to realize what she was doing to herself and those around her but at the same time I understood. Dom was what every hero should be. His devotion to Kate from the beginning had my tummy all a flutter. He was strong and that was just what Kate needed, someone who could help shoulder and fight through all of the negative feelings and thoughts Kate constantly struggles with. If you are looking for a story about love lost, love found and love's redemption then please pick up a copy of Fractured by Leanne Pearson you won't be sorry. GREAT debut novel.

Caitlin

(ARC provided in exchange for honest review.)

Relapse by Matthew Faist

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5 STARS

If you're looking for the book you can't put down, then I strongly recommend picking this one up. Matthew Faist has written a book that made me feel and reel leaving me turned inside out. I wanted nothing more than to hug this poor girl and cry through the whole book.

The story is not for the faint of heart. It's dark from the very beginning when we are introduced to Casey, the lead character on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. Very quickly life spirals out of control, leading her to run away and is taken under the wing of a prostitute in NYC. As the story unfolds we're taken through the next 20 years of her life and the trials and tribulations that accompany it. It's breathtaking, heart-stopping and just fantastic. I highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a story that makes you feel and experience as it happens.

Keri

This book contains mature content, covering sexual abuse, prostitution and drug addiction. As a result, I strongly recommend readers 18+.

(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.)