Review: Play With Me by Piper Shelly

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Buy on Amazon 

Buy on Amazon 

This was not as bad as I was expecting. It was cute and sweet, but also generic, cliché, and predictable.

The idea behind the book is that Lisa Matthews is in love with her best friend, Tony. Lisa and Tony have been friends since Kindergarten. And the two have spent many days together and never kissed. After spending time away at soccer camp, Tony’s attention has been shifted to a new girl, Chloe, whom he met at there. As an attempt to win back Tony, Lisa joins the new co-ed soccer team at school, and eventually starts spending her time with the team captain, Ryan Hunter.

The love triangle was exhausting. It added a little unnecessary drama. I wish the author would have chosen something else as the main conflict, because the love triangle fell flat. I’ll speak more on that subject later on.

I was a little surprised with how steamy it got. It was miles away from NSFW; however, it got a little hot and heavy for a book that I assumed would be very innocent.

The soccer aspect of the plot was pushed to the background. Lisa is only on the team for a couple of chapters before she quits. And after that, soccer is only casually mentioned.

Characters

There were very few female characters. I think that Tony was Lisa’s only friend.

Chloe was the only prominent female character besides Lisa, and even then her scene time was lacking. Her name is mentioned 25 times in the book, and she probably only is physically present half of those. And her presence brought an extreme level of unnecessary girl hate. Her justifications for hating Lisa were never explored. She was instantly rude to Lisa the first time she met her, and one can only assume that she wasn’t aware of Lisa’s crush on Tony.  

Lisa was an okay main character. I did not understand her reasoning for obsessing over Tony. There’s a lot of Lisa telling us that she’s loves Tony, but not a lot of showing us why.

When the readers are introduced to him, he gives off bad vibes. For example, he completely let Chloe talk down to Lisa for no reason.

He was not anything special, and he did some jerk things. For example, he completely ditched a vulnerable Lisa for Chloe.

It was frustrating when the plot thickened and she got mad at both Tony and Ryan. Ryan was clearly the better choice, and Tony only wanted Lisa when Chloe left and Lisa was no longer available. He sort of took her for granted.

Love triangles can be frustrating because of the constant uncertainty, so if there is going to be one, it needs to be strong. When you have a weak one, it’s pointless because the readers are confused to why the main character is not with the obviously better choice. The time that is spent with the other romantic contender, could be better used to develop a solid relationship between the main character and better choice.

Ryan was okay. I liked how it was not instalove at first sight. There was a hint of banter between Lisa and him. And he was genuinely sweet to her. I think they still need to get to know each other a little more because Ryan is sort of a mystery. However, the strides taken in this book is a good starting point for their relationship.

His comment about why Lisa shouldn’t drink alcohol at parties rubbed me the wrong way. It was unclear about why she shouldn’t drink alcohol at his party. It felt sort of like he was babying her.

Final Analysis

Play With Me is not overly serious and is a quick, decent read. It is predictable and there is some unnecessary girl hate. The love triangle should have been avoided; however, it does conclude happily without leaving the reader too frustrated or confused.

Review: Sunrise by Scott Abel

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Scott Abel’s recently published book Sunrise tells the story of a boy whose whole life is torn apart after a painful tragedy. We are introduced to a blood-chilling representation of human suffering. Guilt, unbearable pain and a sense of complete hopelessness set the overall mood of this book. 

As we enter its fictional world, we learn that this boy, Parker Austin, considers himself responsible for his sister’s death in a mass shooting that took place during a football game at his school. On the other hand, many consider him to be a hero. He had saved so many lives during the shooting. Yet, he had failed to save his sister. After all, his little sister died while he survives. A promising football player and team quarterback, Parker trains professionally on his high school team. He and his fellow teammates had been anticipating this game, the biggest one of the year, but, quite inexplicably, a tragedy had extinguished their excitement. For the remainder of the novel, Parker suffers from profound guilt. 

The book encourages readers to enter Parker’s consciousness and see the entire experience through his eyes. One character is, however, fighting to support him. An angel named Marie is Austin’s guardian and is dedicated to saving his fate no matter what. A dark nemesis covets his soul, and Faust-like, good and evil forces fight for it. The book offers a unique discussion of the battle between good and evil. 

With a nod to Milton’s Paradise Lost, it explores the deep recesses of the human conscience. We encounter a character at war with himself.

The boy could not have stopped all the bloodshed. While many characters throughout the novel keep telling him that he is not guilty, he still cannot stop blaming himself. What he may not realize is that he had already saved so many lives, and, in the end, there was nothing he could really do to help the situation. The book poignantly portrays the character’s battle with his conscience as we see him overwhelmingly depressed past the point where anyone’s sympathy could save him. 

In addition, as we read, we are encouraged to think more deeply about the themes it explores. After all, so many shootings on different campuses occur regularly. It is an ongoing struggle. The book effectively draws attention to pressing issues on campuses today. Mass shootings, violence, and hate crimes have taken so many lives. In fact, as many of us may be duly aware, it is often enough for one person to suddenly start shooting at people randomly. As soon as the individual finds a reason to despise humanity and to exterminate everyone in sight, then he or she would do it. 

The book shocks the reader. From beginning to end, we live through painful moments. We encounter characters who suffer and do not see the end of pain. Is there a saving grace like the hand of an angel that could help the situation, encourage Parker to get back to his life, and help his family live through this? There must be. Because if there is nothing that could help all these miserable characters, then the book offers no hope, no sense of victory, and, especially, no relief. And yet, it ends on a more redeeming note. At least, Parker is trying to move on. We get the sense that he might still live through it. After all, angels are on his side, this side of paradise.

Review: The Girl Who Could Read Hearts by Sherry Maysonave

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Kate Kindrick, the main character of “The Girl Who Could Read Hearts,” has a unique gift. At the age of six, the child possesses rare intuition. Incredibly observant like no ordinary child at this age, little Kate actively participates in the lives of her loved ones. Born with a special gift, she sees colors and images in people’s hearts. The child has a mystical connection to Etta Ebella – an angel doll given to her by her loving grandmother, Grandma Mer. With the help of this angel, Kate can acutely sense what people are thinking and thus has the special ability to influence their lives. Ultimately, Kate can prevent them from making mistakes and hence save them from potential tragedy. 

The novel hinges on the unique power of intuition. As we read, some of us could be motivated to listen more carefully to the heart. A closer look at the book moves us to realize that miracles can happen all around us no matter where we are, who we communicate to, or even what we do in life. In the end, we learn that we have the power to influence, even change, the reality we live in. What we should do is begin to believe in the living power of miracles.

At the beginning of the book, little Kate turns six. In the opening scene, a festive birthday party seems to promise a peaceful and happy life for Kate and her family. We get the sense that Kate is surrounded by love and constantly guided by her angel doll. No obstacles seem to prevent the innocent child from enjoying her life and learning new lessons every day. But when Etta Ebella’s wings are burned in a birthday cake accident, Kate’s uncle, Terrence Kindrick who is also a famous writer, appeals to Dr. Angelique Donahorn, an angel doctor. 

One glance at the doll leaves the doctor speechless. She has seen this doll in the past. Angelique and her two sisters crafted these angel dolls together. Etta Ebella was particularly precious to Angelique, because it was the first doll she made. Angelique then gave the angel to her mother who treasured her as if she was a real person. The book portrays the inevitability of death, the pain of loss, and the importance of timeliness. Angelique had failed to see her dying mother before her death and had felt guilty for years afterwards. She had not dared to disobey her mother’s request. Her mother had wanted Angelique to finish her education. After her mother died, however, to Angelique’s dismay, Etta Ebella had mysteriously disappeared. 

Once tragedy strikes the peaceful lives of Kate and her family, the cheerful atmosphere of the book immediately changes. Readers are almost cruelly jolted out of this happy mood and returned to an abruptly changed and grim reality. Upset by the birthday cake accident, Kate sits in a tree and continuously blames herself for having let it happen. She then starts climbing higher up and falls out of the tree into the arms of her uncle, Terrence Kindrick, who runs to save her. At this point, one tragedy follows another. As she falls, Kate breaks her arm and scratches her face. Terrence who ends up saving her gets hit by a tree branch and suffers a very serious concussion. 

Kate’s loving grandmother, Grandma Mer, is paralyzed and regrets that she cannot guide the child in the right direction as well as teach her to use her gifts for the benefit of others. She is even able to telepathically sense that her granddaughter was falling from the tree but cannot communicate it to Terrence who arrives too late. Her silence makes her remarkable precognition futile. She can read hearts but has lost the power of speech. 

In the remaining part of the novel, the characters encounter more and more tragedies. Kate and her uncle both end up in the hospital. Terrence undergoes brain surgery, while Kate suffers from a broken arm. Suddenly, the lives of these initially happy characters turn into chaos. After Kate recovers, her parents go off to Hawaii to get a much-needed rest, while Kate stays with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. The long-suffering child is now tortured by her cruel uncle and cousin. 

At this point, the novel offers an interesting commentary on religion and people’s attitude to faith. Kate’s uncle Vaynem Moxsin is an important man of the church, but we soon learn that he practices Churchianity as opposed to Christianity. Ironically enough, this esteemed man of the church is a villain on the inside. Cruel and brutal to his wife and daughter, Vaynem is the very epitome of hypocrisy. 

The novel goads readers to look underneath the surface. No matter how powerfully we may be attracted to characters who seem deeply religious, the novel sends us a completely different message. Real Christians should focus on how they treat each other and not on flaunting their piety. As he is immeasurably fixated on his vanity, Vaynem becomes completely inhumane and tortures his wife, daughter and little niece. Is this, we might ask, remotely what we expect from a man of the church? No, but the character portrays corruption and shows how fixation on our vanity can ruin the best of our intentions and efforts.  

The flaw in the book, in my opinion, lies in the extreme focus on tragedy. We do not necessarily get the sense that we are liberated from suffering even after all the characters have healed and are celebrating Kate’s seventh birthday at the end of the book. A shroud of pain and sadness seems to weigh over these characters to such an extreme that I did not feel like they could ever get over the pain of all the tragic moments they lived through. And yet, the book ends on a strangely (to me) optimistic note. Life goes on… Kate turns seven. Her angel continues to guide and support her. Everything is back to normal. Or is it? Maybe the stamp of tragedy remains. Once planted, it seems hard to eradicate. In the end, however, the book teaches us many a valuable lesson. We learn, we grow with Kate, and we believe, so very strongly, in the power and existence of angels.

Review: Shaken by Tim Tebow and A.J. Gregory

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For all the athletes that grab the headlines for their negative lifestyle, it is refreshing to read about one who defines everything that I'd want a kid to look for in a role model that isn't their parents. I really didn't know anything about Tim Tebow other than he played football and was pleasantly surprised after reading this book how much didn't let the lifestyle defined him, he defined it. 

I'm so captivated by his commitment to his faith, family and friends that he has allowed him to frame the positive and conscious life his lives. Here's a guy, who after reading this book I'm taken back by the heart wrenching defeat not just by himself along his journey but for the people who have endured real challenges in life yet have risen. There are so many people out there who have felt defeated, rejected or just beat down by life but no matter how hard life comes down on them, there is always something or someone that comes in their life that defines its purpose.

Shaken, isn't about Tim Tebow the football star. It's about his spiritual evolution through defeat, persevering through his grounded faith and purpose. Humbled and gaining insightful wisdom through many of the people we meet in the book, really not only for him but for the reader put a perspective on their own obstacles that have presented challenged in their own life but still live life to the fullest. The takeaways from their life blended with how his faith has shaped his really is inspiring.

Whether your life is grounded in faith or not, reading the book really has a purpose beyond his name. I appreciate the honest, candid introspective commentary that can be interchanged with anyone feeling fear, rejection or defeated by life. I'm not the biggest fan to athletes because of their lifestyle but Tim is an exemplary guy whose story I know so many will connect and be inspired by. Whether you have followed his career or not, Shaken will uplift your spirit, inspire your hope and through the stories shared make you push harder to find your inner strength to persevere through any obstacle life throws.

Review: Fallout (Lois Lane #1) by Gwenda Bond

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Lois Lane has always been one of my favorite comic book characters, right up there with the Princess of Themyscira aka Wonder Woman. It is safe to say I fangirled extremely hard while reading this.

As a fan of the Superman mythos, it was very exciting to see Lois Lane at the center. And I appreciate that other iconic characters, like Superman, were not given the spotlight. It was interesting to see Lois navigate through the mystery and be the star. She is an interesting character, and also someone who would stop at nothing to find the truth.

And I also appreciated that the story added key elements from the comics, such as the Daily Planet and Smallville. I really enjoyed the book. The mystery was good, and I thought that it was well done. The pacing was very nice, and it kept me guessing.

I really adored the spin that the author took on it. For example, I was wary of how the author was going to incorporate a virtual game into it without it feeling out of place or overwhelming, but I thought that aspect was intriguing. She did a great job of providing details for how the game worked and also surrounding a story around it without disappointing the reader.

I was also afraid that she was going to keep the story entirely grounded and realistic. So when it started taking a science fiction turn, I was thrilled because it makes it easier to accept this as canon in the Superman universe.

What I mean is, that it makes it possible for a reader to accept this story as Lois’ backstory; and accept that the universe that this story takes place in could potentially be a universe with the Justice League.

Those who are not non-comic book readers and have a limited or no knowledge about Lois Lane would not be confused by this book. It does a great job of establishing the character and giving background information. But if you are a hardcore fan, the tiny details that the author does slip in- such as Lois’ violet eyes and Clark’s dog Shelby, will leave you with a huge smile.

After reading, I’m interested to see Bond’s take on other iconic comic characters. It would be great to see a novel dedicated to younger versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, and others incorporated into this universe.

Characters

There have been many incarnations of the intrepid reporter; the one thing that stays the same is her personality. Lois is a very bold, sassy, intelligent, and lovable woman, and it was great to see Bond keep the characterization of the iconic character, while also adding her own traits. So that it made it easier to accept that this character is Lois Lane, although she is younger and has a few differences.

I couldn’t help but imagine Erica Durance’s (CW’s Smallville’s Lois Lane) voice as I read Lois’ internal monologue.

One thing I will say about this book’s Lois is that she was very tame in comparisons to the other. Which is understandable, because this book is very tamed and is something that could be read by a younger audience.

We did not really learn much about Lois during this novel. She was very focused on getting the work done that her emotional state and tiny details were never explored. If those tiny details or random facts had been included, I think that I would have felt more connected to her. I know her more like an acquaintance, rather than a friend.

Most of the supporting characters were Bond’s own original characters, with exclusion of Perry White and Lois’ internet friend, SmallvilleGuy. Before I dive into Perry and SmallvilleGuy, I want to touch on the original characters. I liked them. They were nice and all were important to the story. And I liked how Bond incorporated her own characters, with their own unique personalities. For example, the backstory of Maddy’s band t-shirts was awesome.

I know Perry White, and I’m aware of his role in the comics; however, he’s not someone I have great knowledge about. Although, I did like his character as somewhat of a mentor to Lois in this book.

My enjoyment of the book mainly came from my adoration of Lois and SmallvilleGuy. You only get to know him through the virtual reality game and his chat conversations with Lois, so his character is a mystery to the reader and also Lois.

She does not know his real name, what his face looks like, and many other details. They’ve been friends way before she moved to Metropolis, and he is not ready to share his secrets with her. Again bringing up Lois’ emotions, I would have liked to see her frustrations or other emotions because of his hesitation to reveal himself. That would added a little more insight to her feelings toward him. She does struggle with whether he is a friend or if there is something more with him. However, the emotional side of it was lacking.

We did get to see a strong friendship between SmallvilleGuy and Lois, which was wonderful, because they really complement each other well. I especially loved them working together to solve this mystery. From what I gathered, SmallvilleGuy is a sweetheart and does trust Lois; however, something is holding him back. So it would be interesting to see them continuing to build trust and what eventually leads him to reveal his secret.

Although there are not many hints, I’m quite positive that SmallvilleGuy is Clark Kent. And I’m interested to see Bond’s take on his character and his powers. Right now, there this side mystery of this “Flying Man” that Lois and Clark frequently talk about. They actually met on an online message board about the “Flying Man”. I’m curious, if this mystery man is actually Clark or related to him. Because of the vague backstory of SmallvilleGuy, we are not even sure if he has powers. We just know he lives on a farm in Smallville, is a teenager, and has a dog named Shelby.

Final Analysis

Fallout has Lois Lane front in center like the star that she is. The plot is intriguing, and the author stays true to the iconic character while also added her own twist to the character.

Review: Lists to Love By for Busy Wives/Busy Husbands by Mark and Susan Merrill

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About the Book

From Mark and Susan Merrill, the founders of Family First, comes a collection of lists created for the busy wife who wishes to strengthen her marriage and love her husband well.

It's no secret that there is a wide emotional gap between men and women. Couples crave love and attention from one another, but they don't always know how to show it. LISTS TO LOVE BY FOR BUSY WIVES presents creative and practical ways for wives to bridge this gap and improve their relationship. These thirty lists will carry wives through an entire month of learning to love their husbands more deeply with advice they will come back to again and again. From lists addressing a wide range of topics, readers will learn to set better expectations for their marriage, to communicate more effectively with their husband, to build a deeper foundation of love in their marriage, and much more.

Review

There are so many couples out there who face tests of the “worse” part of their vows and give up. Usually, many people just gradually veer their own way but don't try to get to the root to repair and rebuild. You always hear about couple therapy or get advice from your friends or closest family. That's all great but at the end of the day, it really comes down to the two people in the relationship.

I'm not married but have heard so many stories from married couples that have been on both sides of the blissfully happy and what seems like eternally miserable. For the latter, I really wish I had come across these two books for them when they were going through the trials and tribulations. What I found so endearing and refreshing was unlike many books that give advice from the theoretical, these books come from a married couple who have experienced the good and bad, not to mention, married almost thirty years. Both List To Love By for Busy Husbands and Lists To Love By for Buys Wives really embrace and speak to both husband and wife separately encouraging the goal to get the marriage you want regardless of where your relationship is.

Ironically I read the book for men first. For me personally, I was interested in reading the male perspective and to see what advice and lessons that the guys could take. It really opened my perspective for when I read the book for women which helped me see things differently. You don't realize what you do or how it affects other people until sometimes you can place yourself on the other foot. What's great about these two book are they are catered to both genders specifically, even though at times the information may be similar. The books are broken down to 30 lists that if are communicated with each other as suggested in the book, it can really make a tremendous difference in opening the doors to communication and progressing forward to a better relationship. At the end of each chapter there are questions that encourage you to answer questions and or evaluate certain circumstances. 

You can either read it beginning to end or you can skip around by subject area. It's really on your own pace and in your own time. Either way I believe you will get the same experience. Having a book written by a married couple who can relate with you makes a big difference who understands the imperfections and the inflections of moments that make up the journey of being married.

It's short, comprehensive and pleasantly insightful. Both Mark and Susan really complement each other with both books giving you a dual perspective that speaks to both men and women compassionately and sympathetically. Whether you have a great relationship or one that has it challenges, this is definitely two books that are worth experiencing together. It really guides you on embracing and learning to love each other on a deeper level. They really did a great job with writing “simple steps to the marriage you want.” Take a chance on enhancing your love with two people who are just like you with some years under their belt who want nothing more to share their experience and help you make your heart grow fonder.