Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
The Naturals- Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a knack for reading people. She can tell the tiniest details about a person just by looking at them. Cassie has never put much stock into her ability and never thought it would catch the FBI's notice. Cassie gets recruited into the Naturals program, a classified group of teens with talents like hers. The point of the Naturals program is to help the FBI solve cold cases, but soon, Cassie finds herself the target of a deranged serial killer. Can Cassie and her new friends uncover the killer before it's too late?
If you were to look up the definition of "page-turner," you would see a picture of this book. It's so fast-paced and addictive that I read it in only a few hours. I kept seeing it referred to as a YA version of Criminal Minds, and that hits the nail on the head. I loved how everyone in the Naturals program has a different ability that makes them indispensable, and it was fun seeing them work together (although I wouldn't be able to stand Lia for more than five minutes). Was this a perfect book? No. You have to suspend your disbelief a bit. I also didn't love how this is another series by Barnes that sets up a love triangle between our main character and one guy who is silent and broody and one who is carefree and sarcastic. Other than that, I thought this was so entertaining, and I'll be picking up the next book ASAP.
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| Pub Date: 9-26-23 Adult - Contemporary |
Unleashed Holiday- Victoria Schade: After her father's passing, Chelsea Higgins has thrown herself into her work as a dog trainer. Chelsea is looking to expand into the empty building space next door with her business thriving, but there's one problem. Her newest neighbor, gym-bro and ex-college nemesis Andrew, is also looking to expand his fitness center. When a run-in with Andrew's tornado of a dog leaves Chelsea injured, the pair strike a bargain: Andrew will help Chelsea rehab her injury if she helps him train his dog. Soon their bickering turns into fondness, and the more time Chelsea spends with Andrew and his family forces her to face the feelings she's been hiding from her own family. Between vying for the open real estate and her growing feelings for Andrew, Chelsea finds herself needing a Christmas miracle.
I'm not the biggest fan of holiday romances, so I liked how subtle this was. It still is very much a holiday rom-com, but it wasn't over-the-top. There were a lot of aspects of this I enjoyed. I liked how while it was comedic at times, Schade also dealt with heavy topics, such as grief and family dynamics. I liked how Chelsea and Andrew weren't afraid to challenge one another. I also love a romance that includes adorable pups, and this one felt very Hallmark-y. Unfortunately, I did have some issues with the writing and story itself. There were times it felt like we were missing chunks of backstory. Chelsea and Andrew have known each other for years and have a history, and while we get little bits of that, I never felt like I had the whole picture. That applies to Chelsea and her friends as well. It was a whole lot of telling and not showing. It made it hard for me to connect fully to these characters. I still liked it and thought it was cute, but I wanted more.
I'm not the biggest fan of holiday romances, so I liked how subtle this was. It still is very much a holiday rom-com, but it wasn't over-the-top. There were a lot of aspects of this I enjoyed. I liked how while it was comedic at times, Schade also dealt with heavy topics, such as grief and family dynamics. I liked how Chelsea and Andrew weren't afraid to challenge one another. I also love a romance that includes adorable pups, and this one felt very Hallmark-y. Unfortunately, I did have some issues with the writing and story itself. There were times it felt like we were missing chunks of backstory. Chelsea and Andrew have known each other for years and have a history, and while we get little bits of that, I never felt like I had the whole picture. That applies to Chelsea and her friends as well. It was a whole lot of telling and not showing. It made it hard for me to connect fully to these characters. I still liked it and thought it was cute, but I wanted more.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 9-26-23 YA - Mystery |
Thieves' Gambit- Kayvion Lewis: Ross Quest is only seventeen-years-old, but she's been in the family business of thieving since she was young. The Quest family is known for being master thieves, but Ross longs for a more normal life. Ross musters up the courage to break away from her family, but when a job goes wrong and her mother gets captured, all her plans go out the window. To get the money to save her mother, Ross must join the mysterious Thieves' Gambit, a competition that pits swindler against swindler in a series of daring international heists. The Quest family motto is to trust no one, but with the stakes this high, Ross will have to turn to her fellow competitors--including her childhood nemesis and a charming smooth-talker--if she hopes to save her mother before time runs out.
I love a good heist story, so I was excited to pick this up. I loved the idea of a bunch of master thieves who are all barely out of their teens going up against each other. They all have such different personalities and ways they go about things. Some are more cut-throat, while others have a more nuanced flair. I liked following Ross and thought she was intelligent and cunning. It was fun seeing how her mind worked and how she went about all the heists. I did have a few issues with this, though. One was the romantic aspect between Ross and Devroe. It felt so unnecessary. The other was that the ending went a bit off the rails. It was like a whiplash of betrayal and plot twists. Aside from that, I did find it entertaining, and the ending leaves it open for potentially more books, which I may pick up. If you're looking for a fast-paced story, I recommend checking it out.
I love a good heist story, so I was excited to pick this up. I loved the idea of a bunch of master thieves who are all barely out of their teens going up against each other. They all have such different personalities and ways they go about things. Some are more cut-throat, while others have a more nuanced flair. I liked following Ross and thought she was intelligent and cunning. It was fun seeing how her mind worked and how she went about all the heists. I did have a few issues with this, though. One was the romantic aspect between Ross and Devroe. It felt so unnecessary. The other was that the ending went a bit off the rails. It was like a whiplash of betrayal and plot twists. Aside from that, I did find it entertaining, and the ending leaves it open for potentially more books, which I may pick up. If you're looking for a fast-paced story, I recommend checking it out.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 11-5-13 YA - Mystery |
The Naturals- Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a knack for reading people. She can tell the tiniest details about a person just by looking at them. Cassie has never put much stock into her ability and never thought it would catch the FBI's notice. Cassie gets recruited into the Naturals program, a classified group of teens with talents like hers. The point of the Naturals program is to help the FBI solve cold cases, but soon, Cassie finds herself the target of a deranged serial killer. Can Cassie and her new friends uncover the killer before it's too late?
If you were to look up the definition of "page-turner," you would see a picture of this book. It's so fast-paced and addictive that I read it in only a few hours. I kept seeing it referred to as a YA version of Criminal Minds, and that hits the nail on the head. I loved how everyone in the Naturals program has a different ability that makes them indispensable, and it was fun seeing them work together (although I wouldn't be able to stand Lia for more than five minutes). Was this a perfect book? No. You have to suspend your disbelief a bit. I also didn't love how this is another series by Barnes that sets up a love triangle between our main character and one guy who is silent and broody and one who is carefree and sarcastic. Other than that, I thought this was so entertaining, and I'll be picking up the next book ASAP.
Rating: 4/5
The Naturals in the one series of JLB books I haven't gotten around to reading yet but you're convincing me I should make it a priority!
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