Now in My Bookbag: Holding On by Rachael Brownell

Holding On is a contemporary fiction suitable for Young Adult readers; I recommend high school age and up.

Becca is smart, funny, and an amazing tennis player. She is also being uprooted and moved 2000 miles away from her best friend, and secret crush, Brad. He loves Becca, but doesn’t tell her until she is leaving. Ethan is a nice guy at Becca’s new school who brings her whole being to life whenever he is around her. What is a girl to do?

This is a book that I like very much. It has an easy flow even though it transitions along a rocky and unexpected path. It is emotional but without all that dramatic angst that is hard for me to stomach. It is a love triangle, but not in the traditional sense. Author Rachael Brownell has written an excellent work that is smart and entertaining. There is the tiniest hint of a cliffhanger within the last lines. What happens next? You will have to read Unglued.

Now in My Bookbag: A Matter of Fate by Heather Lyons (A Fate Novel)

“Everything is dictated by the nebulous yet all-important Fate.” (Chloe Lillywhite, A Matter of Fate)

Author Heather Lyons has created an awesome world hidden within the world I know. Her imaginative story, (about Magicals, Fate and the importance they play in all the worlds), provides a fascinating escape.

After drawing me in, Lyons provides me with lovable characters, an enchanting story and the most interesting love triangle I have ever read. I am drawn to Chloe from the very beginning… her designated title of Creator, her feelings of being smothered, the unexpected situations in her life, and the angst she experiences combine to make her a character ruled by Fate. Her journey is complex and engaging… from cover to cover.

Jonah and Kellan are also very interesting and complex characters, and their importance to Chloe’s journey can not be overstated. So many other characters, of varying importance, help Chloe along the way.

“Fate may suck sometimes, but in other instances, it can be so wonderful that I would get down on my knees and offer thanks if I could.” (Chloe Lillywhite, A Matter of Fate)

Lyon definitely showcases her masterful storytelling abilities in A Matter of Fate. Well done… 4 1/2 stars

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