REVIEW: Sparrow by Sara Mack

Purchase Link:  AMAZON

Book Summary

When Kyle Dayton was seventeen, he lost his heart to Addison Parks.

It was easy to do. After spending countless summers of boredom with his grandmother at Buhl Lake, Kyle’s world turned upside down the minute Addison appeared. She was unlike any girl he had ever met; she was confident, out-going, and honest. She was beautiful inside and out, and she accepted Kyle for who he was ~ a young man without direction. They shared an amazing summer and, despite living miles apart, Kyle felt sure they had a future.

Until she vanished without a trace.

Where did she go? How could she disappear without saying a word? Was everything between them a lie? Unable to answer his own questions, Kyle had no choice other than to bury his memories and move on with his life. Eight years later, his hard work to forget is threatened when he is forced to return to Buhl Lake. Faced with reminders of Addison, Kyle wonders if he will ever discover the truth.

Little does he know it is about to be revealed.

Sparrow is the story of finding love, losing it, and the uncertain journey to reclaiming it again.

*Due to language and suggestive scenes, Sparrow is recommended for ages 17+

First thank you to Sara Mack for providing an ARC of sparrow to read and review.

Sparrow tells the love story of Kyle and Addison. After meeting at the lake when they were sixteen both feel a connection that transcends time. But after a lovely summer together everything ends abruptly. Kyle's world is turned upside down and he lives his life wondering what happened with Addison. 

Years later when Kyle and Addison are brought together by certain circumstances, Kyle is adamant to get the answers to the questions he has had for a long time. When those questions are answered and a friendship is formed the story takes a turn. What starts as a friendship turns into so much more and eventually they must face reality. As adults they have to face the reality of the screwed up situation they are in and the fire they are playing with. 

As an avid fan of Sara, I wish I could rate this higher and say that I obsessed over Kyle and Addison's story. Sadly, I cannot. I thought their story was sweet. They fell in love and never fell out of it. They had a few "bumps" in the road but those were solved pretty neatly. My issue wasn't with the story itself but with the disconnect with the characters. I didn't feel any connection to Kyle or Addison and wasn't immersed in their story like I wish I could have been. 

Surprisingly,  I found myself more interested in the secondary characters lives, then in the protags. I think Sara did a wonderful job of providing a little background for her secondary characters in the book. I was particularly interested in Jen and look forward to maybe reading more about her.

Overall,  Sparrow was a good read. Although I'm rating this 3 stars,  I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a sweet and light read.

Also, if you haven't checked out Sara's Guardian series, I recommend you do.  

HAPPY READING!

~RELEASE DAY~ New Release & Giveaway: Lussuria by S.J. Molloy

Book: Lussuria - The Luminara Series

Author: S.J. Molloy
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 26, 2013
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Synopsis

Lussuria (Lust)

An emotional erotic heart-wrenching story of lust, love and light.

Alexis Evangeline Robertson is a beautiful insecure woman who is daunted with painful memories from her past. She has rules, and she has boundaries.

She never lets anyone too close.

An internal Mental Filing System allows her to sustain order in her complex life and help her cope.

What she didn’t expect was her past coming back to haunt her, and she must stay strong.

Lucca Caruso has the most mesmerizing crystal azure blue eyes and a heart of gold. When Lexi meets this Italian God, she doesn't expect to see him again.

But fate intervenes.

While on vacation at a Villa in Val D'Orcia, near the Chianti hills outside of Florence, she is more than surprised to see Lucca arrive at the very same villa. Lexi begins a journey of self-discovery, helplessly folding, melting and crumbling to the temptation of her heart’s desire.

He is a gentle lover and he is a wild lover, he's the man that we all want and can’t get enough of.

After the desires of lust ...

And the sweetness of love ...

Lexi will spread her wings towards the light ...

This is the story of one woman’s destiny to find her light from her sinister, dark, harrowing past and the one man who can take her there. An intriguing hot, sexy expressive story of learning to accept, trust and believe
Welcome to the Luminara Series

~EXCERPT~

When I saw your eyes filled with dread and fear, my heart nearly stopped, I thought I would lose you, I need you and want nothing more, please trust me Doc, I ….I love you, I love you Dolcezza”.

He claims my mouth with profound longing and as soon as our lips meet the chemistry and energy ignites a burning desire deep in my soul and heart. My body submits to him with his sensitive words.

I’ve folded yet again!

Another tidal wave of water is flooding from my eyes cascading down my cheeks, he has me…

“You love me?” my voice is breaking, my eyes weeping.

“Yes, I love you; I’m very much in love with you. You are mine forever and my something special baby”

My body and mind become weak. I stare into his wide wet azure blue eyes,

“Lucca I…….I don’t know what to say”.

“Then don’t, write it in your journal”.

With these words we melt into each other, passionately kissing in a tight embrace filled with love and traces of uncertain fear.

Lussuria - Book 1 of The Luminara Series

~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

SJ Molloy, first time British Author of ‘The Luminara Series’ was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. As a young child, her family moved and raised her in Lanarkshire, Scotland where she currently resides with her husband, two daughters and her energetic, hyperactive loving gun dog who is utterly spoiled.

SJ is a qualified Fitness Instructor and Health & Fitness Motivator of various fitness styles and disciplines. Music and dance aerobics have always been a pleasure and passion for her. SJ will sporadically make up dance style routines at any hour of the day when a move comes to her or piece of music moves or inspires her. Currently not teaching classes she is focusing her time into nurturing her yearning passion for creative writing, exchanging one visualization for another.

As a child, SJ loved to write in journals and make up short stories and has a flare for all things creative. With an overactive imagination at times, SJ adores to make notes, visualize scenes and settings to create characterizations.

While on holiday with her family one summer reading book after book, she had a flash of inspiration and has had various ideas whirling around in her mind ever since. It was not until she pulled back on teaching classes that she found the courage, time and insight into actually bringing these ideas to life.

In February 2013 she decided to bring that imagination to light by beginning her writing journey with ‘Lussuria’ the first installment in ‘The Luminara Series’ available from late October 2013.

Being a self-confessed book junkie, she loves nothing better than to get lost in an emotional and moving book. A true romantic at heart, her guilty pleasure is reading heart-warming, passionate stories and falling in love with her favorite fictional characters.

With five books already mapped out in ‘The Luminara Series’, SJ’s busy creative mind has already planned two more fictitious novels, both stand-alone romance books and very different in their own right.

When she is not writing or reading, spending time with family and friends or exercising and walking her dog, SJ loves all things practical and creative. Dancing, music, cooking, travelling, good food and wine and painting are her favorite past times along with laughter, lots and lots of laughter.

 Connect with SJ: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS AUTHOR | WEBSITE | PINTEREST

~GIVEAWAY~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~REVIEW~ Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Title: Red Hill
Author: Jamie McGuire
Genre: Apocalyptic Romance
Purchase Links: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Synopsis

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

~MY REVIEW~

"Looking back, everyone knew then what was going on, but it had been a running joke for so long that no one wanted to believe it was really happening. With all the television shows, comics, books, and movies about the undead, it shouldn't have been a surprise that somebody was finally both smart and crazy enough to try and make it a reality.
  I know that the world ended on a Friday. It was the last day I saw my children"

I cannot express to you how much I adored this book! Jamie McGuire impressed me away with Beautiful Disaster but what she did with Red Hill just blew me away!! From the very first page I was so absorbed with the story that it was hard to put the book down. The writing in this book was phenomenal and there is no other way to say it! The horror of the pandemic felt so utterly real that I found myself pretty terrified at times and the attachment you develop to the characters is so strong that every circumstance and every loss affects you so much that it feels REAL.  


Told from alternating POVs, Red Hill, weaves together three journeys during what is known it be as"the days the world went to hell". Through Miranda, Scarlett and Nathan’s eyes you feel every uncertainty they feel, every fear that consumes them, and every loss, from the very first day of the pandemic.

"That puzzled me, much like the tiny woman with the huge set of balls holding the rifle in the living room."

Scarlett is an X-ray tech and is working in the hospital when the patients start to attack the staff. Realizing what is going on and desperate to find her daughters she leaves the hospital in search of them. But what seems like an unbelievable myth quickly turns out to be the reality and her journey to reach her daughters is not easy. Shufflers are turning at a rapid rate and they are hungry. Scarlett comes across gruesome scenes and the death of innocent lives. She quickly comes to realize that in order to survive in the world they are now living in she must do anything and everything. A mother’s love is the strongest love there is and Scarlett shows us just how strong that is during Red Hill. Nothing will stop her until she retrieves her daughters and makes it to the safety of Red Hill, the safest place to be during a zombie apocalypse.

“It’s just up the street there. Let’s just get it over with.”
“Famous last words. Have you ever seen a zombie movie? What you said would be a clear signal that something bad was going to happen if the characters continued on. My mind is made up. We’re going back.”

Nathan is in a miserable marriage and he's the only person that loves and cares for his daughter. After hearing about the outbreak Nathan's only responsibility is to get Zoe away and safe. When he rescues his daughter from school he makes his way to his brother in laws house. With Skeeter he knows they are safe. While there they are attacked and move to a church but Nathan doesn't believe they are safe anymore. So with the help of an unknown stranger he is able to escape the church and the infected that are quickly overtaking it. Nathan's only desire is to keep Zoe safe and during their journey he encounters many obstacles but also many people that help him in his search for a safe haven, Red Hill.

"I wasn't sure how long we could survive, but I knew I wasn't dying on day one of the fucking zombie apocalypse."

Miranda, her sister Ashley, are on their way to visit her father when the epidemic breaks out. Along with them are Miranda childhood friend Bryce and Ashley's current boyfriend, Cooper. The four are completely different but have been friends for a while and during their fight for survival turn out to be courageous in their own ways. Luckily they are on their way to the safest place during a pandemic. But not before they encounter dangerous "soldiers" who are the barrier on their way to safety and run in to those that have been changed. Circumstances that lead them to take shelter in a church for the night. A place where their lives are brought face to face with the zombies they are trying so desperately to escape. And later, after their escape from the church, they encounter a new survivor, Joey. With an additional person things between the foursome becomes a battle in its own. Soon they are once again stranded in another town and realize that they must work together to come up with a solution, or they will die. With the help of Joey and their determination to get to safety the five of them eventually find a way to get to Red Hill. But not before their lives are changed inexplicably.

‘It’s easy to forget that our lives before weren’t a dream. This isn’t the reality, how we are meant to live, or who we are.’

When everyone finally make it to Red Hill the story takes on a new twist. They aren't yet safe. Not until they are all together. Not only do they all fight to continue keeping their sanctuary safe but also help Scarlett in her quest to find her daughters. The problem is that the infected are relentless and during an apocalypse you have to expect lives to be lost. Even those that you grow attached to. :( Almost every character in this book will capture your heart in a way that you have never imagined. Their determination and courage throughout the pandemic will have you rooting for their survival and at times crying because of their circumstances. Others will have you yelling, screaming and fuming.

"I didn't really understand when you said the end of the world was the best thing to happen to you, and how it was so close to perfect. But now that everyone in our family is here......and safe.......I get it.

And of course I'm not going to forget the romance in this book. Now I have to say that the romance was not the forefront of this story. We didn't even really get any until the end. And being a romance lover, I will tell you all that I didn't mind it one bit. Yes of course I would have wanted to have more, but this story wasn't just about that and the amount we did get was perfect. Because really how can you think about romance when you are facing what can be the end of the world! Any who, the romance that developed between Scarlett and Nathan was actually really sweet and although it wasn't detailed I actually understood the development of it. There was even a triangle that developed and an unexpected romance. I don't want to reveal too much so I will just assure you that there is romance!  

“Everyone seemed to be suffocating. We were surviving, but every passing day felt less like living.”

One of the things I loved about Red Hill was that during each of their separate stories we see how their lives cross.  They each play a pivotal role in helping each other get to Red Hill and they don't even know it. The way Jamie weaved together their stories was incredible!

So I can sit here all day and talk about this book and how wonderful it is until the cows come home, but I won't. If you love horror, zombies, romance and a beautifully written book don't waste any more time and pick up Red Hill. If you enjoy The Walking Dead, this is the book for you!

Trust me; you don't want to miss out!


BUY this. READ it. LOVE it.

HAPPY READING!

~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~


Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.
Her most recent novel, Walking Disaster debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. She has also written bestselling contemporary romance Beautiful Disaster, and the Providence series.
Jamie now lives in Enid, OK with her three children and husband Jeff, who is a real, live cowboy. They share their 30 acres with six horses, three dogs, and Rooster the cat.

 Connect with Jamie:  Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

~PROMO SPOTLIGHT~ Stolen Chances by Elisabeth Naughton

Synopsis:

Nine years ago, Archaeologist Maren Hudson lost everything when a member of her team was killed during a routine dive. Now she’s been drawn back to Mexico and the career she walked away from in order to protect the most precious thing in the world: her daughter.

One desperate phone call brings salvage expert Thad Leighton back to Mexico. For his murdered brother, he’s ready to settle the score, but one look at Maren and everything changes. Years may have passed, but she’s still as mesmerizing as she once was, and a few days on site together have him questioning his priorities and why the hell he walked away from her so long ago.

Sparks between them reignite, but Thad knows Maren is holding something back. Thrust together in the middle of the sweltering Yucatan, Thad is more than willing to strip away her layers. But while the truth might offer the second chance he’s been searching for, forgiveness may be as elusive as the relic they’re both hunting. Because when Thad unearths Maren’s biggest secret and discovers who she’s really working for, suddenly it’s not just about a life that was stolen from both of them, it’s about staying alive and outwitting a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

BUY: ~AMAZON~

~About the Author~

I was never one of those people who knew they wanted to be an author at the age of six. I didn’t have imaginary friends. I didn’t write stories in my journal or entertain my relatives by firelight after Thanksgiving dinner. For the most part, I was just a normal, everyday kid. I liked to read, but I wasn’t exceptional at it. And when my teachers complimented me on my writing abilities, I brushed them off. I did, however, always have a penchant for the unique and absurd. And as my mother told me all throughout my childhood, I should have been an actress—I was a drama queen before my time.

Years ago, my husband bought me Scarlett: The Sequel to Gone With The Wind. If you ever saw the book, you know it’s a long one. I sat and read that thing from cover to cover, and dreamed of one day being a writer. But I didn’t actually try my hand at writing until years later when I quit my teaching job to stay home with my kids. And my husband? After that week of reading where I neglected him and everything else until I finished Scarlett, he vowed never to buy me another book again. Little did he know I’d one day end up sitting at a keyboard all day drafting my own stories.

My writing journey has not been easy. I didn’t just sit down one day, decide I was going to write a book and voila! sell my very first attempt. As most authors will probably agree, the path to publication is filled with hours of work, pulling all-nighters I thought I’d given up in college, sacrifices, rejections, but a love I discovered along the way I just can’t live without. Instead of a big, thick book to read by lamplight (I do read much smaller ones when I get the chance), I’ve traded in my reading obsession for a laptop. And I’ve never been happier.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful family and fabulous husband who put up with my writing—and obsessive personality—even when life is chaotic. More than once my kids have been late to swimming or baseball because I needed just five more minutes to finish a scene. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me. I also have amazing friends and a support network I couldn’t survive without. So to all of you out there who have encouraged me along the way, sent me emails and fan letters, phone calls and congratulations, I just want to say, thank you. You make this whole writing gig that much more enjoyable. I truly wouldn’t be here without you.

~Connect with Elisabeth~
Website/Blog:  http://www.elisabethnaughton.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElisNaughton
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.naughton1
Eternal Guardians FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/EternalGuardians
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2002988.Elisabeth_Naughton