Kim

Book Review: Midnight Wings by Ariele Sieling

Midnight Wings: A Science Fiction Retelling of Cinderella
by Ariele Sieling
Book 1 in the Rove City series
Rating: 4/5

I love retellings. I can’t get enough of them but place them in outer space and I was hooked! I am in love with this new world that Ariele Sieling has created! I can’t wait to read more in this series. This story is more novella length but it tells the story well and surprisingly, doesn’t feel rushed at the end.

El, short for Eleanor, basically works as a slave for her stepmother and two stepsisters. Besides doing all the household chores, errands and cooking, she works at her space station’s mechanic repair shop, but all the money goes to her stepmother. She dreams of being free and becoming a fighter pilot. In a world based on flight simulators and social rankings, she is the best pilot with the lowest social rankings and despairs of ever being truly free. When an opportunity to prove her prowess as a pilot comes up, will El have the courage to try for her dream or will her stepmother’s abuse provoke her to give up?

Who doesn’t love a Cinderella story set in a sci-fi world? Slightly Black Mirror-ish with the social ranking stuff, but I love the premise and enjoyed every second of this story. The romance actually gets a chance to develop and the fairy godmother characters are believable. El’s struggles are believable and are more the focus of the story than the romance, which was is refreshing.

Highly recommend if you love retellings and sci-fi.

My thanks to the author and BookSirens for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

January 5, 2020 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Love By Chance by Kacy Cross

Love By Chance: Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie
by Kacy Cross
Rating: 4/5

When I saw that this story was available for review, I jumped at the chance. I am a huge fan of Hallmark Channel Original Movies that just make you cry and feel good inside. I knew I would enjoy the book version of the movie, Love By Chance, because I’d get to read and understand the characters better. It did not disappoint.

What do you do when your mother likes to control everything about you and is obsessed with your love life? Claire is a pastry chef who co-owns a struggling bistro but is determined to make it work. Her mother is determined to find her a husband at any cost. Claire’s mom, Helen, has a sixth sense about these things and considers herself a successful matchmaker. When Helen takes things a tad too far, she meets someone new who she insists is perfect for Claire – Eric, a pediatrician. Helen somehow convinces Eric to go to an art gallery event that Claire is catering. When the two meet, sparks fly and now Eric has a problem. He is quickly falling for Claire but hates lying to her. Meanwhile, Helen is still trying to control everything with Claire while neglecting her own husband and their plans for retirement. What happens when the truth comes out?

I loved reading this version of the original movie because I was able to be inside the head of the different characters and really understand their motivations and thoughts for their actions. Helen still frustrates me to no end but I know her heart’s in the right place. I loved the Epilogue because that wasn’t in the original movie. There’s also a recipe in the back of the book which I definitely want to try out.

The book is basically the movie in written form but with a more filled out story which I enjoyed reading. I highly recommend this book for lovers of Hallmark Channel Original Movies and clean, sweet romance.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

January 4, 2020 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason

Collateral Damage
by Lynette Eason
Book 1 in Danger Never Sleeps series
Release date: January 7, 2020
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. That was so good. Lynette Eason always has thrilling stories but this one was extra special. Action, mystery, romance and medicine – what else could a girl need? (I’m not biased as a medical student at all lol.)

Having almost finished serving her time in the military as a psychiatrist, Captain Brooke Adams is injured overseas and sent home. She loves her job being able to help people but has never felt that she really helped any of the service men and women she saw in Afghanistan. She is determined to try to forget what happened and move on by not seeing any veterans in her new practice. That all changes when retiree Sergeant First Class Asher James walks back into her life just as bullets are flying. Unsure of why she’s being pursued, she and Asher must figure out what the bad guys are after and how to keep each other safe along the way. Will the sparks flying between these two souls help them deal with their PTSD and bring them closer together?

The military details are very authentic sounding and well explained for a non-military person like myself. It was a bit confusing in the first chapter with all the military lingo, but after re-reading it a second time, it made more sense. I guess I needed a warmup. 😉

I also love the way that Eason incorporates her faith into these stories. She has a way of weaving it all into the story without any cringe.

Her characters are flawed and need time to grow and develop. Mental health is such a huge topic in this day and age, especially with veterans. The story could be taken from the headlines – I love that she writes about what’s current and relevant for today.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves Christian military action, romance, mystery, and suspense.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.