Review Shots
- Published on
- Shalini
- in Book Posts, Book Reviews, Digital Reads Media, Digital Reads PR, Digital Reads Reviews, Fiction
Review Shots are the mini-reviews of the books I have read over the week.
What does not work for me might just be apt for you.
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Publication Date: October 2021
Book Links
My Review Shot
A modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty which breaks the misogyny and chauvinism of fairy tales and brings to light an alternate fate for Sleeping Beauty.
Zinnia has a rare industrial lung disease due to which her death is eminent.
A birthday party complete with a spindle and a transport into another world to save the real Sleeping Beauty
This novella is fun to read as Zin traverses a new world.
New dynamics new friendships with alternate fates are good
But style of writing, tone, half-written sentences feels like book is trying too hard
The shadow illustrations are weird, and none of them goes with the storyline
Final decision about this author will be after the next book in the series,
Blurb
It’s Zinnia Gray’s twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it’s the last birthday she’ll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no-one has lived past twenty-one.
Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia’s last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.
His Other Woman by Sarah Edghill
Publication Date: May 2022
Book Links
My Review Shot
A different kind of domestic drama that goes a different direction.
Though given the vein of thriller in the blurb, the book has enough twists within the realm of family to make it interesting.
Not really character driven, it just shows a slice of a few days in the life of a couple when the husband suddenly leaves home, along with sections of their past.
The reasons and the method that a husband leaves homes are a bit far-fetched; nevertheless I enjoyed this.
Easily finished in a couple of hours with tea and jam.
Blurb
Lucy’s husband has been missing for days while she tries to pretend to those around her, including her distracted teenagers, that everything is normal. In desperation she uses a phone app to track him—and discovers he’s with another woman.
As her life falls apart, Lucy realises nothing is as it seems. There is another woman in her husband’s life, but it’s someone she has known—and hated—for twenty years.
As the story unfolds, including in the national press, the family must pull together before lives are destroyed . .
Let Me Stay by Bahar Pendar
Publication Date: May 2022
Book Links
My Review Shot
190 days left for Amel to renew her visa in Canada. And to make a life for her baby daughter and herself, she does everything to secure it.
The character development is good. Amel’s determination comes through. Although many of her reactions feels to be too over the top.
The living conditions of immigrants is well depicted. I felt sad for all the workers.
I can’t judge Amel, but I couldn’t connect with her, either.
At 140 pages, the book reads like non-fiction and is more realistic than I realized.
Overall, readers of this genre will enjoy.
Blurb
190 days left of her work visa and having had no results from her job search, Amel focuses all her energy on getting the only permanent position at work.
Hoping to convince the director of her competence to become the manager, she goes to meet him in his office.
That meeting changes everything for Amel since she leaves the director breathless and helplessly in love with her.
It doesn’t take long before Amel realizes she might have made a huge mistake by approaching the boss since love is not the only motivation for him to make her the manager.
Amel finds herself in a complicated relationship with the director and in constant conflict with her coworkers who are not too pleased about her sudden promotion.
Amel, however, is determined to persevere to stay in Canada permanently and build a life for herself and her daughter.
Marvelous Marvels by J. E. Miller
Publication Date: August 2021
Book Links
My Review Shot
A fantasy set up in the backdrop of a circus is fascinating to read.
I love how the various exotic acts are performed. The author has really done her research in aerial acts.
This is first book in series, so is slightly slow to start with many descriptions but then it catches speed
The secrets hidden in each character and appearance of the exotic creature adds to the spice.
The writing can be more welcoming when there are many characters. The second half is much easier to read
I enjoyed it. An easy two-hour read.
Blurb
Janie Morgan is independent and a traveling loner until she meets Andrew, a like-minded dreamer with aspirations of constructing his invention.
Their friendship strengthens as they team up and gig their talents for money to travel to Fimaldi Hunu, a place where each of them feel certain they’ll find optimal success and happiness.
By a serendipitous encounter on a train, they hear about auditions for a circus that pays wages and travel.
But this intriguing circus has some lore surrounding it, and the ringmaster runs a tight ship.
Can Janie and Andrew survive the stops the circus makes in unusual towns, keep up with the seasoned performers of the troupe, and manage not to get kicked out? Or worse, Janie slowly realizes… separated.
I downloaded the digital versions of the book from an online retail, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
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