Monday's RSU: April 30th

 

Welcome to Monday's RSU. Every Monday I share an update of my reading status - what book (or books) I finished since last Monday, what book I am currently reading and what I am planning on reading next. 

 

Just Finished:

 
  

Currently Reading: 

  

Reading Next:

What are you books are you currently reading or have recently enjoyed?

Dangerous Waters by Christy Barritt

Series: Lantern Beach Mysteries #4
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: River Heights
Released: April 9, 2018
286 pages

About the Book:

Danger lurks on the horizon, leaving only two choices: find shelter or flee.

Cassidy Livingston’s new identity has begun to feel as comfortable as her favorite sweater. She’s been tucked away on Lantern Beach for weeks, waiting to testify against a deadly gang, and is settling in to a new life she wants to last forever.

When she thinks she spots someone malevolent from her past, panic swells inside her. If an enemy has found her, Cassidy won’t be the only one who’s a target. Everyone she’s come to love will also be at risk.

Dangerous waters threaten to pull her into an overpowering chasm she may never escape. Can Cassidy survive what lies ahead? Or has the tide fatally turned against her?

 

Goodreads / Amazon 

Christy Barritt's Website
 

My Rating & Thoughts:    🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟    (5 stars)   

Cassidy’s present and past are about to collide unless Cassidy find a way to stop it. Every friend Cassidy has made on the island is now in danger, will Cassidy be able to protect them and still keep her secret? Not all is as it seems, can Cassidy figure out what is really going on? I felt like I was right there with her trying to sort out what was really happening and keep her new friends safe. There was one point Cassidy makes a decision that I was not happy with and had me shouting at her don’t do it! Almost as if she heard me she changes her mind and does what I have wanted her to do for a while now. I was so pleased with the direction that this story takes. Even though there is a bit of closure given for this particular storyline Cassidy is left with more questions than answers. Will she ever be safe? Guess we now wait for the next book to be released to find out what else Cassidy is going to have to deal with. Thankfully it won’t be a long wait as book 5 releases next month.

(I received a copy of this book from the Ms. Barritt; opinions expressed

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 Other Books in the Series:

   

Hidden Currents Review / Flood Watch Review / Storm Surge Review

Goodreads / Amazon

C Reviews: The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Revell
Releases: May 1, 2018
288 pages

About the Book:

According to Dr. Maggie Maguire, happiness is serious science, as serious as Maggie takes herself. But science can't always account for life's anomalies--for instance, why her fiancé dumped her for a silk-scarf acrobat and how the breakup sent Maggie spiraling into an extended ice cream-fueled chick flick binge.

Concerned that she might never pull herself out of this nosedive, Maggie's friends book her as a speaker on a "New Year, New You" cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. Maggie wonders if she's qualified to teach others about happiness when she can't muster up any for herself. But when a handsome stranger on board insists that smart women can't ever be happy, Maggie sets out to prove him wrong. Along the way she may discover that happiness has far less to do with the head than with the heart.

Goodreads / Amazon / Christianbook 

Kristin Billerbeck's Website

My Rating & Thoughts:    🌟 🌟 🌟    (3 stars)   

I enjoyed this book, however it was not my favorite.  Kristin Billerbeck has been one of my favorite authors for a long time – it was one of her books many years ago that really got me into reading and I have always enjoyed her witty writing, so I was very excited to see a new book by her.  There were several things that I really enjoyed about the book, however there were a couple of things that made this not one of my favorites.  This is written in first person, which I loved.  There were lots of fun moments that had me laughing, and I enjoyed the cruise setting.  The story was an interesting concept, a scientist who is studying happiness; however she is not truly happy herself.

I did enjoy that this was a light easy read, and I liked that there was some depth to the issues that the characters were dealing with.   At first glance, it may seem that Maggie is thrown for a loop due to a breakup with her fiancé.  However her issues went deeper to dealing with unresolved grief from her childhood.  As the story unfolds, we see Maggie starting to deal with her grief, and recognizing that some of the issues that seem to be on the surface are really deeper seated than what they appear.  I found myself not fully connecting with Maggie’s character.  I enjoyed a lot about her – especially her love for Hallmark movies, but at times she felt annoying and repetitive.

I also struggled with the characters of Maggie's best friends. At first it seemed like they had her best interest at heart and were genuinely trying to help her, however as we got further into the story they were more annoying and not very supportive of her, being too critical and just looking out for their own interests.  This didn’t seem to me like how her true adult friends would act towards her.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley.
Opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.