Review: Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong
Publication date: May 22nd 2018
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
My rating:  3 Stars
Pages: 384
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

 

Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there's no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn't a victim; he was a shooter.

Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don't heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend--Skye.

Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can't resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer. 

My Thoughts:

Aftermath is a story that’s relevant to current times.  Living in the States, school shootings are sadly becoming more and more frequent. I’ve often thought of the family of the shooter, how they’re affected when one of their own commits such a horrible crime.  Often the family is shocked, blindsided and branded as villains as well.

Aftermath is a fictional story centering on Skylar, the sister of one of the school shooters of a shooting that took place three years ago.  My heart went out to her.  The brother she knew would never have done what Luka did, and with him gone she’s been left to bear the brunt of hate aimed his way.  More now than ever when she’s forced to return to her hometown where the shooting took place.  Skylar expects hostility, but not the sinister pranks, bullying and phone calls she experiences.  Is someone trying to punish her for her brother’s crimes or question his guilt?

I’ve enjoyed Kelley Armstrong’s writing for quite some time, lately with her Casey Duncan series.  Love that series!  While I liked Aftermath, I can’t say it wowed me.  Skylar was a likable and sympathetic character and I liked Jesse as well, but their romance was a bit underwhelming.  It was sort of a second chance romance and they both had gone through so much, so of course I wanted them to be together, there just wasn’t really any spark to it, IMO. Kelley Armstrong usually has me on the edge of my seat with suspense, and there were a couple of tension filled moments in this story, but I think the danger was downplayed by the characters when the panic button should’ve been pushed!  They didn’t feel the urgency (stupidly, IMO) and so I think the story didn’t feel as suspenseful.  Maybe this was because the story is Young Adult?  I don’t know.  Still, I was entertained, and felt the need to push on and find out what exactly was going on.  

Weekly Recap #33

Hi everyone, with Rachel and I's crazy work schedules, we miss sharing whats going on with us. We used to have a lot of fun with our Showcase Sunday posts, so thought we'd do something regular on the blog, where we share bookish news and life news in general as a weekly recap! We've decided to link our weekly wrap up's with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer.

WHAT I READ/REVIEWED 

Jasprit:
(Click on title for Goodreads link)

 

A bit of a mixed week for me again this week, whereas I loved Burn For Me, the first book in the Hidden Legacy series, it took me a while to get into White How, however regardless I still will be reading the next book in this series to find out how things will go down! And I was super eager to read From Twinkle, with Love, but it ended up falling a bit short of my expectations. 

Rachel:

 (Click on title for Goodreads link)

Forged in Ember was a great series ender. Lots of action and the romance I was most looking forward to since it's been building since book one.  I picked up the audio for Breathe to listen to while running my half-marathon since I've read it 2 times before I knew I wouldn't have to pay close attention to the story, but still be entertained.  End Game is the most recent Will Robie out and the least riveting in the series so far.  I was disappointed that Will and Jessica didn't get their act together yet.  Don't Call Me Cupcake was magical and sweet! Can't wait for the next in the series!

BOOKS RECEIVED 
Jasprit 

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Surprisingly nothing this week, I'm still trying to get my ARC pile down, so this is a sort of blessing. 

Rachel:

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Love Katie Ruggle's romantic suspense and Scarlett Cole is fast becoming a favorite author with any genre!  I can usually count on RaeAnne Thayne to tug on my heartstrings so I couldn't resist Season of Wonder..


NEW TO MY TBR
Jasprit 
(Click on Book for Goodreads link)

I blame my lack of time on Goodreads for not discovering any new books this week. But if you have any new recommendations hit me up! 

Rachel:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link) 

I  added books 15 and 16 of J.R. Ward's BDB series. I received a copy of The Thief (book 16) and now I need to read the previous book first. I'm kind of dreading some parts of The Chosen (book 15).

  WHAT I'M WATCHING:

Jasprit  

Despite books not working out for me lately, I've been binge watching the heck out of The Good Wife and loving it. Thank goodness Amazon Prime has all seven seasons up, as I think I've found a new favourite. 

Rachel:

 

The Impossible starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts and was based on the true life story of a family's harrowing experience during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Thailand.  It was intense, but good!

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Jasprit 

There's just eight weeks from today until my event! I know that may seem like ages away, but last weekend I was reading thoroughly up on it and was kind of worried with all the obstacles that we would have to tackle. Also my cousin told me that if you're unable to do an obstacle, you have to do 20 burpees as a forfeit! Well this week I started running again, I was fine when running, but then had an aching hip and shin after. We also got an arm bar, so I can work on my upper arm strength, wish me luck, as I'm so going to need it! 

Rachel:

I ran my first half-marathon this last Saturday and it was fantastic! My training really paid off since I felt really good through the whole race and I beat the time goal I personally set for myself.  I would definitely do this particular race again since I really enjoyed the course.  The weather was cloudy for most of the race, which was perfect, and the scenery (wine country) was gorgeous!

How was your week?

Review: Don't Call Me Cupcake by Tara Sheets

Don't Call Me Cupcake (The Holloway Girls #1) by Tara Sheets
Publication date: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Zebra Shout
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 304
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

 

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island . . .
 
Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes wishes into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

My Thoughts:

Emma’s family has baked magic infused cupcakes for the small, picturesque town of Pine Cove for generations.  Cupcakes to fix what ails, bring contentment, success, or just lift someone’s spirits.   Emma is hopping mad when she finds out Hunter Kane, a big city entrepreneur has come to Pine Cove Island to build a competitive business just down the street from her cupcake/sweet shop, and she unknowingly gave him three of her “success” cupcakes.  Emma can’t afford to lose any money with her old house in need of urgent repairs, and her ex taking off with her savings.  Emma wants Hunter gone! He’s a big city guy who doesn’t appreciate the small-town charms of Pine Cove. But their mutual intense and irresistible attraction has Emma reevaluating her plan of baking a magical “be-gone” cupcake to get rid of him.

Hunter plans on getting his business going, revamping the Pine Cove shops and restaurants and then moving onto his next investment.  The feisty, pretty town cupcake baker, Emma, makes him stop and take a closer look, and re-think his plans. The more time he spends with Emma, the more she bewitches him with her beauty and big heart. 

Don’t Call Me Cupcake was a sweet, magical romance that made me giggle and swoon.  Hunter and Emma knock heads a bit when they first meet, but sparks flew every time they were together! So playful, and fun!  I loved the whole magical aspect to the story, from Emma’s special cupcake recipes, to her sentient house that nudged and protected when the need arose.  Pine Cove sounded like a quaint, beautiful seaside town, making the story even more charming, and a place I wish I could visit!  

I’m eagerly anticipating the next in the series,  Don’t Touch My Petunia (love that name, lol!) centering on Emma’s cousin, Juliette, with her own magical gifts.  There was a sneak peek at the end that had me wanting to read more!

Weekly Recap #32

Hi everyone, with Rachel and I's crazy work schedules, we miss sharing whats going on with us. We used to have a lot of fun with our Showcase Sunday posts, so thought we'd do something regular on the blog, where we share bookish news and life news in general as a weekly recap! We've decided to link our weekly wrap up's with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer.

Jasprit:

I was a bit more social this week, I went out with friends to try out a new place and the food was super nice, I had a Just Mex Slider and a refreshing mocktail, which was just what I needed with this heat! My sisters and I also went to watch Avengers Infinity War, I actually really ended up liking it, I've always been a Marvel fan, so loved seeing so many superheroes come together! We were also given some neat posters for watching the film. 

WHAT I READ/REVIEWED 

Jasprit:
(Click on title for Goodreads link)

It was a bit of a slow week this week, as I only managed to read one book this week, and it was only so so read for me, which is a shame as I loved the rest of the books in this series. 

Rachel:

(Click on title for Goodreads link)



Hello Stranger (the narration was perfection!) was my favorite of the bunch above, but all were a win. I've been listened to David Baldacci's Will Robie series on my commutes and runs and I'm really enjoying the series. Lots of action and there's two narrators, a male and female. Kyf Brewer for all the male characters and Orlagh Cassidy for all the female parts, which is a rarity in audio books even when there's a male and female performer.  Both are excellent!

BOOKS RECEIVED 
Jasprit 

(Click on title for Goodreads link)

 

I came across The Art of French Kissing this week and I thought that it sounded super cute. I've probably mentioned this before, but I haven't really been enjoying Kasie West's last couple of books, but I have high hopes for Listen to Your Heart!

Rachel:

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I love Kelley Armstrong's writing! Most recently her Casey Duncan adult mysteries, but she's back to YA with Aftermath.  I had middling feelings about the previous Katee Robert romantic suspense, but I have enjoyed her romances a lot in the past so I thought I'd give her RS another try.  J.R. Ward's new series kicks off with Consumed and I can't wait! I had a friend read and love it already and I just want to read it now.  I want to read Abandoned now, too, but both Consumed and Abandoned are out later in the year and I have other review books I need to get to! Ack! I'm about to say hell with it and read what I want!

NEW TO MY TBR
Jasprit 
(Click on Book for Goodreads link)

The Art of French Kissing was actually a book I only came across this week, and I just knew I had to get a copy straight away. 

Rachel:

Aftermath and The Surviving Girls above.

  WHAT I'M WATCHING:

Jasprit  

I've been trying to find a new show to watch for a while now and one of my friends suggested The Good Wife, I only watched the first episode this week, but I'm a fan so far! 

Rachel:

I remember the last book was my least favorite in the series, and now I remember why. There was so much death and sadness in this installment.  The movie was well-done, though.

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Jasprit 

I ran twice this week, my last run was a tough one, but our pace and time seems to be getting faster on the route we've been doing. I also bought some new trainers, as my other ones weren't supporting my arch heel as much, my new Nike Pegasus 34's seem to be super comfy so far. But my shin started hurting again this week, I'm hoping my shin splint isn't back!

Rachel:

Well, my half marathon is one week from today, next Saturday! I'm both nervous and excited!  I ran my 11 miles this last Monday, the longest run of my training schedule and 8 miles this morning. It's all lower mile runs/walks until the big day now. The race is in Santa Barbara Wine Country and there's wine tasting after the run, so even if I bomb there is that, lol! I have a time goal I'd like to meet, but other than that I'll just be happy to finish.

How was your week?