So, the world has stop spinning and we are all stuck inside. Spring and maybe even Summer has been cancelled so why not catch up on all the books you been meaning to read but never have the time because your too busy adulting. I have not been quarantined due to my job in healthcare, but I have still managed to spend my weekends catching up on great books so I thought I would share some good titles with you. Hopefully being stuck in a good book will take you on some great adventures to take your mind off the fact that the only place your allowed to go is the grocery store, liquor store and hospital/doctor office. So here are some of the adventures I been on recently.
The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher. This was a new author for me, but the book caught my eye during a sale, and I decided to go with it. This book takes you on an adventure with Susie a wife that makes life decisions that not only changes her life forever but also her family life. Then we meet Louise Susie’s first child who grows into an adult with a upside down world due to her mother’s lie. Louise quickly learns that you should never judge someone based on their lies and skeletons because one day you will have your own. We also meet Grace and Danny in this story the daughter and husband of Susie. They both soon learn the effects ones lies can have over the people who are close to them. This story starts with an innocent night of fun and letting your hair down and it goes too far. Susie tells the ultimate lie to cover up an unforgivable act up and it ends up costing her sanity, love, trust and possibly her family.
This book was a good read. It made you realize that sometimes people lie not only to cover up something they did wrong but also to protect others from the hurt the lie could cause them. I could easily relate to Susie because we have all been in that place that we shouldn’t have and things go wrong and you wish that you could just erase that moment or maybe make a different decision in that moment. I could also relate to Danny and the kids because I have been the person who the lie has been told to and know the hurt and pain that comes with it. I know the effect that a mother, father or spouse lie could have over time on you even if it’s not directly your lie. The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher is a good book to curl up with when you need a little drama in your life but are tired off ratchet TV.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. Before I start on this book let me say how much I love Tomi Adeyemi as an author. I have only read one other book by this woman (that’s how good she is) but when I tell you she took me places in that book with her words.(dancing) This is part two of Children of Blood and Bone and if you have not read this yet please stop reading now and run and pick up this book. If you have read part one like me a year ago you know how eagerly we all anticipated this book dropping. I felt like a kid waiting on Christmas for this book. So, part two came out in the beginning of the 2020 and at that point I needed to refresh on where we left off. I reread part one before diving into the second part. In part two we pick up trying to find out how Zelie will put her life back together now that she has lost so much and fallen in love with the enemy. We quickly catch up with Zelie, Zane, Amari and Inan to learn the fate of Orisha and the crown.
Part two gave me goose bumps! After quickly rereading part one I dove into this book with eager eyes to know how this would end. Ms. Adeyemi took you to foreign lands and gave you magic with strong courageous characters along the way. She made us love Zelie but at the same time frustrated with her decisions and sprinkled in Zane and his love for his sister but his want and need to find his own way and new love with Amari. Then we were given Amari who made the ultimate sacrifice and turned on her family, fell in love with the enemy and her need to be accepted into a world she was taught would destroy her. This book takes you through the ups and downs of love, family, and life decisions. Ms. Adeyemi teaches us how to be strong but love and sacrifice all at the same time. If you like fantasy mixed with a sprinkle of real-life struggle this is the book to curl up with. This book will take you away with its magic and nail biting battles it will make you love, hate and cry. If you’re looking to escape your four walls to an enchanted place, try Children of Virtue and Vengeance and yes Tomi Adeyemi left us hanging with more to come in this series.(dancing)
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens. This was a new a new author for me again. This book starts a little slow but quickly drew me in introducing me to a college kid Joe Talbert who had a hard childhood and was looking forward to college to get away from his mom who was an abusive but was a little scared to leave his younger brother behind. Joe writes the life story of convicted murderer Carl Iverson as an English project and quickly learns a book should never be judge by its cover or other readers. He learns things are not as they appear with Carl and this book takes off on a page turning adventure to find out if Carl Iverson is really a murder or is there more to his story. Along the way you meet Lila a girl Joe lives next door too and has a huge crush on and you also get to know more about Joe’s younger brother and why Joe was hesitant to leave him behind.
This book was a page turner it kept you guessing and intrigued to know if Carl was who Joe and the world thought he was. This book teaches that people sometimes can be given a title before anyone reads fully into them to knew the full story. I would love to read more books by Allen Eskens because this was surprisingly an exciting read and very emotional at times. So, if you are looking to escape for a little murder mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat this is a great one to read.
Stay with Me by Alexandria House. This is another series by House that will warm up your quarantine nights. You meet Angela Strickland a forever single woman. She has everything going for her great career, nice looks, financially stable but she has the worst luck with men. You quickly learn that Angela has tried every type of man but Mr. Right. She finally has given up on trying to find him and settle into just being a single girl with a great career until Ryan Boye’ comes along. Ryan is a lady’s man and does not believe in relationships. He never allows a woman to get to close to him and thinks any man who does is a fool. Ryan has it all good looks, charm, great career and an accent that make women swoon. When Ryan and Angela cross paths things heat up quickly.
I have read one other series by Alexandria House that was good and this one did not disappoint. I have not finished this series yet, but I will. Alexandria House gives you romance, hot steamy sex and unbelievable detailed relationships that most of us in real life will never have but that is why we read right? The House books are great if you need to fill the lonely nights with romance or if you looking to just spicy things up at home. These series are great reads if you like romance if not they are way too steamy for you and I also suggest this and other books in the series for adults only. Ms. House can get a bit too dirty for the young ears.
Ethic by Ashley Antoinette. So, this series is by an author who I discovered years ago when I was younger. I loved her books then but stepped away from the books to discover new genres and have just come back to find she has written so many new books to dive into. Ethic is a 6-part series by Mrs. Antoinette. In this book you will meet Ethic a powerful man in the streets who loves as hard as he plays but his street play will not allow him to be happy. You find out that Ethic has lost two major women in his life and refuses to love again due to fear of losing and Ethic is a man who never loses. Ethic has 3 kids two who are his own and a teenage girl Morgan who he is raising as his own after she lost her family to the streets. Ethic is doing everything in his power to keep from losing Morgan to the streets like he lost her family and being a great father to his kids all while being the king of the streets. Along the way Ethic meets Alani. A woman like no other he has ever had in his life and he falls hard and fast for her. Ethic is scared to love again knowing his street karma always comes back to collect but Alani takes him places with her love he has never been before. You will also meet Messiah in this series. Messiah is Ethic’s right-hand man and like a brother to him but when he sets his sights on Morgan it does not end well.
I have read through book 4 of this series and this series is a page turner. From the moment you start this journey with Ethic you become immersed in his world and feel every up, down, pain and torment he goes through. You will fall in love with Alani and feel her struggle to love Ethic after the ultimate crime is committed against her. You will laugh, cry and feel pain for Morgan as she loves for the first time with a forbidden fruit. Ethic is a spin off from Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette. All of Mrs. Antoinette books tie in her characters who you come to love, hate, and sympathize with. This series has been one of the best I have read in a while. If you like a good street book with a little romance on the side this is a series, you should start. Mrs. Ashley Antoinette is married to an author JaQuavis Coleman who’s books are also great. So, check him out also if you want the streets from the male point of view.
I hope this book review finds everyone healthy and happy maybe a little bored but that is ok if your alive and healthy enough to acknowledge your boredom. I wanted to give a book review to give everyone some material to read while cooped up in the house. I do plan to blog more but unfortunately; I have been working as an essential worker and not able to blog as much as I would like. I hope the books helps to bind your quarantine time and give you new adventures and characters to love.
Coffee & Conversation 