books – Page 220 – Sincerely Karen Jo

Above the Sky

(Above the Sky#1)

J.W. Lynne

5 ★ Brilliant Stars

Published July 9 2015

Genre(s): Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopia

Pages: Kindle 352

Buy: Amazon – Barnes and Noble

Her first eighteen years were filled with lies. She is about to discover the truth.

Eighteen-year-old Seven and her best friend, Ten, live where all is peaceful … except for the violent war raging above the sky. Lifelike humanoid robots and self-operated drones tend to everyone’s needs, leaving people free to spend their time stimulating their minds and enjoying life’s pleasures. But there are strict rules and few choices.

Every year, on Assignment Day, the path of each eighteen year old’s life is laid out. Some are given the jobs for which they have shown exceptional aptitude and are “paired” for mating. The others are sent off to fight in The War and never return.

When Assignment Day comes for Seven, the assignments shatter everything she’s ever believed. The rules force everyone to accept their fates, but Seven decides to do something unprecedented: to go against the Decision Makers’ wishes.

Above the Sky by J.W. Lynne surprised me in the best possible way! Jen actually approached me to read and review for her. The synopsis sounded intriguing so I said yes! Well, I had a long list of books on queue for review and I didn’t get to this until 2 months after I downloaded the book. And you know what… I was totally kicking myself for not starting sooner because this book is incredible!

The writing is exceptional – it’s imaginative, detailed, and deeply moving. I have to admit, after reading a few pages I didn’t know what to think or to expect. Then out of nowhere… BOOM!!! My heart couldn’t keep up with ALL THE FEELS and it just didn’t not stop. I absolutely love it when a book can evoke all kinds of emotions and just make me FEEL. This one certainly did that and more. I also really love that I felt an instant connection with the characters. They affected me and my heart just broke for them…YES even for the ones you feel like you should hate. They’re just so realistic, genuine and relatable that you’ll root for them so hard to have a happy ending.

I love the concept of this book and the world building is truly fantastic. While there are a few similarities with other books I’ve read before, this one is definitely unique enough to stand on its own. I was utterly captivated by the storyline that I didn’t want to stop reading. Obviously it’s terrifying and not the type of world I would ever want to live in, but there’s something fascinating about reading dystopian stories that always draws me in. But what really made this special for me is just how emotional I was throughout the entire thing. I was so overwhelmed I thought my heart would burst… but I loved every moment.

Seven is a wonderful character and I admired her so much. She’s intuitive, determined, and brave. She’s definitely my kind of hero – always looking out for others, breaking rules to protect lives, and making sacrifices for the people she loves. Ten is just as brave as Seven. He’s also very curious, adventurous, caring, and compassionate. I absolutely adore the both of them and enjoyed watching them go from best friends to lovers. Their chemistry had me swooning throughout the story. It’s innocent but intense, sweet, beautiful and just so real. I don’t want to be repetitive, but seriously the FEELS with this one is unbelievable!

I’m so happy Jen asked me to read her book and now I have a new series to rave about. The writing and world building is amazing. The characters are absolutely lovable. The plot is fast paced, full of action, and filled with a lot of twists and turns that will leaving you wanting more. Above the Sky is fantastic in so many ways and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Follow and Connect with J.W. Lynne: Website / Twitter / Facebook

Thanks for reading and if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions, just sound off down below. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely Karen Jo

Dirty Little Secret

(Forbidden Desires #1)

4.5 ★ – IRRESISTIBLE AND SEXY

PUBLISHED BY KENDALL RYAN / CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

GENRE(S): NEW ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, ROMANCE

PAGES: KINDLE 300 PAGES, PAPERBACK 354

She’s much too innocent for me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting the sweet, young librarian. I’m dominating and possessive, and my control streak runs a mile wide.

The way she looks at me—like I’m one of the heroes in the books she loves, like I’m broken, and she wants to be the one to piece me back together—it only complicates things further. I’m nobody’s hero.

But there’s no denying my tragic past reads like one of her favorite literary classics. It’s raw. Visceral. Captivating. And together, we’re a perfect mess.

How can I resist when the sexual sparks zapping between us set me on fire? The need to control, and claim her force my walls to come tumbling down, but when she learns about my dirty little secret, will my world come crashing down with it?

Every now and then I love a good steamy romance. Something sexy, but also sweet and swoony and will give me the FEELS. Dirty Little Secret by Kendall Ryan definitely did not disappoint and I had a lot of fun reading it.

I’m quite new to Kendall Ryan’s books, but I did really enjoy The Room Mate and The Play Mate from the Roommate Series (and I have the other two on my TBR), so when I read the blurb for this book, I was sold! It’s a little dark, highly addicting and super sexy. I thought the story was alluring, well-written and had a great flow that kept me hooked the entire time. I loved the build-up, the anticipation, and all the steamy moments. I also really enjoyed the multiple POVs which made the story more interesting. Oh and there’s also some humor and I really loved the bantering between the characters.

I loved Emma and Gavin. I thought Emma is a fantastic MC. She’s smart, sweet, and a bit naïve, but she knows what she wants and goes for it. I loved that she’s a bit saucy too and surprised me a few times. Gavin is the kind of leading man I love. He’s driven, successful, and confident, but just a little broken and mysterious enough to be incredibly irresistible. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are plenty of adorable moments that had me swooning. And their chemistry… just shooting sparks everywhere! I certainly enjoyed all their interactions and could not get enough.

Dirty Little Secret is a lovely romance story about taking chances to find love. The writing is beautiful. The characters are extremely likable. The story is engaging and has the perfect balance of intrigue, steam, humor, and sweetness. It’s absolutely an awesome guilty pleasure read and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.