arcreviews – Page 11 – Sincerely Karen Jo

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Hello loves!! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Katy Upperman. OH THE FEELS in this precious book! Upperman writes such beautifully touching, emotionally intense, and amazingly captivating YA contemporary romances. Her previous novels, KISSING MAX HOLDEN and THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US, are some of my absolute favorite reads and this one just got added to the list.

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aboutbook

Published: August 6, 2019

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages

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AMAZON – BARNES & NOBLE – BOOKSAMILLION – INDIEBOUND

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synopsis

Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.

When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.

But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?

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mythoughts

A Haunting, Poignant, and Gorgeously Written Romance with a Paranormal Twist

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Haunting and gorgeously written, How the Light Gets In delivers an engrossing and heartfelt YA contemporary story with a unique paranormal twist and an adorable romance that left me reeling with so many wonderful FEELS. Katy Upperman has such a beautiful way with words and weaving all sorts of emotions in her books that make readers fall in love with her stories and characters. I always do… and this book definitely has a place in my heart.

I was incredibly smitten with Katy Upperman’s previous novels, so I had high expectations for this book. I’ll be honest… the first few chapters were a tad bit slow for me and it took me a while to get into the story. BUT, Upperman’s writing is just so lovely, compelling and addictive that I eventually and completely got hooked and never wanted the story to end. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects, the beautiful beachy small town setting, the adorable romance, and the twists and surprises throughout the book. The plot is engaging, suspenseful, intriguing, and satisfyingly emotional with just the right mix of conflict, drama, mystery, sadness, joy, hope, and love.

The characters are not always likable, but I love that they seem so real to me and I can easily sympathize with them. I think they’re fantastically fleshed-out, well-developed, complex, and interesting. I liked Callie and really felt her pain over the death of her younger sister, Chloe. I didn’t always like her decisions, but I enjoyed her personal journey and seeing her finally letting herself heal, live, and love again was really satisfying. Tucker is such a sweetheart and my new favorite book boyfriend. He’s dealing with his own grief and my heart ached for him in so many ways. I adored Aunt Lucy and her quirky and fun personality, and really admired her passion for what she’s doing. And Chloe… well she’s quite charming and wonderful.

The romance is deliciously slow burn and swoony. I enjoyed seeing the lovely friendship between Callie and Tucker slowly, sweetly, and perfectly turn into a believable romantic relationship. They have awkwardly cute moments that will make you smile, emotionally intense scenes that may break your heart, and endearing and flirty moments that will make you swoon and feel the warm fuzzies. They’re absolutely adorable and so great together.

Upperman never ceases to amaze me and I think she’s extremely talented in creating stories that will touch your heart and give you all the FEELS. Stories that will surprise you and leave you wanting more. Stories that are sometimes sad, but also utterly sweet, fun, romantic, and affecting. Stories that feel genuine and authentic that they’ll stay with you long after you finish reading them.

With a breathtakingly engrossing writing style, an achingly touching storyline, a fun paranormal twist, and realistically flawed and relatable characters, Katy Upperman has created another beautifully poignant, thoroughly absorbing, and delightfully thrilling story that gave me all the FEELS, had me on edge, and got me teary eyed a few times. How the Light Gets In is truly a wonderful story about dealing with loss and guilt, forgiveness and healing, and learning to live and love again. I love this book and cannot recommend it enough.

If you love the small town charm, solving mysteries, paranormal elements, and an irresistibly cute romance, then add this book on your TBR.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. divider4

abouttheauthor

katyupperman Katy Upperman is a wife, mama, author, reader, baker, and wanderer. She writes novels for teens and teens at heart. She’s a Washington State University alum (go Cougs!), a country music fanatic, and a makeup stockpiler. She loves the ocean, pedicures, sunshine, Instagram, Dirty Dancing and The Princess Bride, Jelly Bellies, true crime documentaries, and Friday Night Lights.

Katy’s debut novel, Kissing Max Holden, was published August 1, 2017, and her sophomore effort, The Impossibility of Us, released July 31, 2018. Her third novel, How the Light Gets In, will be out August 6, 2019. All three books are with Swoon Reads/Macmillan. She’s represented by Victoria Marini of the Irene Goodman Agency. She can be reached via email at katy.upperman@gmail.com.

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Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

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Thanks for stopping by lovelies! Happy reading and as always, have a wonderful day!!

sincerelykjologo

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bythefeetofmen1

abouthebook2

Expected Publication: September 1, 2019

Publisher: Cosmic Egg Books

Genre(s): Science Fiction, Dystopia

Format: Paperback, 344 pages

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AMAZON – BARNES AND NOBLE – GOOGLE PLAY – BOOK DEPOSITORY

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WANTED: Men and women willing to drive through the valley of the shadow of death.

The world’s population has been decimated by the Change, a chain reaction of events triggered by global warming. In Europe, governments have fallen, cities have crumbled and the wheels of production have ground to a halt. The Alps region, containing most of the continent’s remaining fresh water, has become a closed state with heavily fortified borders. Survivors cling on by trading through the Runners, truck drivers who deliver cargo and take a percentage. Amid the ruins of central Germany, two Runners, Cassady and Ghazi, are called on to deliver medical supplies to a research base deep in the Italian desert, where scientists claim to be building a machine that could reverse the effects of the Change. Joining the pair is a ragtag collection of drivers, all of whom have something to prove. Standing in their way are starving nomads, crumbling cities, hostile weather and a rogue state hell-bent on the convoy’s destruction. And there’s another problem: Cassady is close to losing his nerve.

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mythoughts

An Intriguing, Gritty, Unique and Haunting Dystopian Story

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An intriguing and unique dystopian tale, By the Feet of Men addresses hopelessness, hard-wired survival instinct, and what it truly means to be human in a dark, desolate and dangerous post-apocalyptic world. It’s thrilling…it’s gritty, it’s haunting… and will leave readers wondering and contemplating about life and more.

I love dystopian stories and while this may not have completely worked out for me, I still think it’s quite interesting and compelling. I haven’t read anything quite like this, so I really did enjoy the storyline. Grant Price managed to create a realistic post-apocalyptic future with complex characters that feel genuine and real to me. That being said, I just didn’t really get into the story as much as I thought I would. There’s action, suspense, and thrills, but I didn’t feel a strong connection with the story or characters. So, in the end, it’s a fascinating read that made me think, but it’s not something I would consider “fun.” I mostly read for fun and to escape reality and while I do like the story and could probably discuss the themes and significance with other people, I personally would not choose this book to relax with at the end of the day. BUT, this book is definitely worth the read and I would absolutely recommend it.

I like the world-building well enough. Price immediately thrusts the readers in this terrifying and chaotic world without really explaining how humanity has fallen into drought, destruction, death and savagery which definitely made me more interested. The storyline is clever, unique, and engaging with plenty of fast-paced and heart-pounding scenes, intriguing dialogues, and unexpected twists, turns and surprises. The characters are likable and fascinating in their own ways. I like the runners – Cassidy, Ghazi, and the others I meet throughout the story. They each have their own stories, their own flaws and insecurities, and their own hopes and dreams. The writing is exceptional and I think Grant Price is an incredibly talented author. He writes with purpose and passion and I could definitely feel that in this book. I have never read anything by Price before and even though this isn’t a 5 star read for me, I would absolutely read more of his books.

Overall, I think this novel is well-written, intriguing, and gripping. Even though I didn’t love it as much as I expected, I think Grant Price has masterfully created a chilling and believable dystopian narrative filled with nerve-wracking action, great character development, wonderful suspense, and relevant and realistic exploration of survival, loyalty, camaraderie, sacrifice, and ultimately what it means to hold on to our humanity when faced with impossible life and death decisions. If you’re in the mood for an interesting, somewhat disturbing, but fascinating story that will definitely leave a lasting impression, then add this book on your TBR.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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abouttheauthor

Bio and Photo taken from Author’s Website

grantprice

Grant Price (b. 1987) is a British-German author currently living in Berlin, Germany. After spending too many years translating and writing copy, he started writing fiction full time in 2015. His first novel, Static Age, appeared on Kindle in 2016. His second novel, By the Feet of Men, is due to be published by Cosmic Egg Books in September 2019. His work has appeared in The Daily Telegraph and a number of magazines and journals. He has taught writing at the University of Gießen in Germany.

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