Now in My Bookbag: In This Life, by Christine Brae

What a beautifully written, emotional rollercoaster! The story is wonderfully imagined. The feelings expressed, and drawn from me, are beyond compelling. It has been a very long time since a book has affected me to my core. The story is poignant, touching, and tear-jerking. I could not put this down.

The characters are perfectly imperfect. There is a lot of love, a lot of hurt, and a lot of grief. I never thought it possible to be happy for a character, while also being disgusted with them. Getting inside the heads of both Anna and Jude is very enlightening, though adding the point of view of Dante would add to the depth of the story.

I consider myself very lucky to have found this magnificent book. I am enamored of this story, and its author, Christine Brae. I look forward to finding more of her books, and I recommend this story to readers of contemporary books. 6 stars… (5 stars)

https://www.amazon.com/This-Life-Christine-Brae-ebook/dp/B019HXWKVC/https://www.amazon.com/This-Life-Christine-Brae-ebook/dp/B019HXWKVC/

Now in My Bookbag: Derailed (Book 1 of the Clayton Falls Series), by Alyssa Rose Ivy

This is an excellent New Adult Contemporary novel. I love the characters, the plot, and the writing style.

Molly is such a beautiful, tortured soul. The unbelievable guilt she carries is breaking her, crushing her self esteem. Ben is also tortured, still in love with Molly. Her return to Clayton Falls may be his last chance to break through her walls.

The story is well developed and refreshing. I find this read enjoyable and entertaining. This is a well-written, cohesive, and expressive book. I recommend it for readers 17+, with a 5 star rating.

Now in My Bookbag: Unbelievable by Sherry Gammon (Port Fare Series Book #2)

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Although Lilah’s story in Unbelievable is much different than that of Maggie, from Unlovable, there is a thread that connects them together. It is not the fact that their stories include the same cast of characters. It lies in the fact that they share a need to be set free from the lives they have lived.

Gammon does a wonderful job balancing desperation, guilt, fear, resignation and longing as she tells Lilah’s story. Though I feel a bit less sympathy for this character, I am full of emotion from the book. The plot devices used by Gammon are very effective.

This is a book that is impossible to put down, so plan to read straight through. It is a moving story.

4 1/2 stars

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