Around the Book Blogosphere #17 — Repairing a Mechanical Heart, ‘Tis the Season, and More Rag Time!

• Xpresso Reads
• Once Upon a Twilight
• Lost in Literature
• Snuggly Oranges
• Book Rock Betty
• The Reader’s Den

• Fiction Fare
• The Starry-Eyed Revue
• Great Imaginations
• Two Chicks on Books
• Anna Reads
• Paradise of Pages
• Mostly YA Book Obsessed

HOW TO REPAIR A MECHANICAL HEART by J.C. Lillis — 10/10 Stars
Reviewed by Judith from I Love YA Fiction

“Wonderfully written with a funny inner monologue and no flaws! Gasp! Haven’t seen that in a long time, especially from a self-published book. This is beautifully nuanced and a gorgeous example of how good good YA can be.”

THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu
Reviewed by Chapter by Chatper

“With an ending that left me dying for more, I would recommend The Young Elites to any readers who want a novel that they will finish in one sitting. Any readers who want a novel that is action and fantasy and romance should also give this a read.”

COMPULSION by Martina Boone — 3 stars
Reviewed by Kayla from My Book Muse

“Compulsion is a hard book for me to rate. While I found myself enjoying the writing, the concept, and the connections between the characters, I think this is just one of those books that I was trying to convince myself I liked it more than I actually did.”

THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay — 5 stars
Reviewed by Hildy from The Book Bosses

“Some people may think that it’s slow-moving in places and I can certainly see why they might think that, but for me, it didn’t matter. Millay took time to tell her story. It wasn’t rushed. It evolved in a way that made it believable. She didn’t add drama for the sake of drama. She didn’t slam you with contrived plot twists to shock and awe. Every seemingly simple moment further wove these people into my heart.”

SAVING POUGHKEEPSIE (The Poughkeepsie Brotherhood #3) by Debra Anastasia — 3 stars
Reviewed by Marta from Reading is My Breathing

“Sometimes, not all loose ends need to be tied. Sometimes it’s okay to leave a character sad or unhappy. The thing is that at one point you just run out of drama. And what Debra did was create a conflict in the story that was so far-fetched, that I really couldn’t get down with it. Saving Poughkeepsie started to resemble one of those Telemundo soap operas.”

LIVVY (Choisie #4) Lori L. Otto — 5 stars
Reviewed by A Literary Perusal

“As I sit here days after finishing Livvy, my heart is full and yet I am sad for the journey to end. This book is the perfect conclusion to Livvy and Jon’s love story and the chance to experience first love again has been full of memorable moments and extraordinary characters.”

AMY & ROGER’S EPIC DETOUR by Morgan Matson — Top Shelf
Reviewed by Book Rock Betty

“I loved Roger. He was just a typical guy you could meet anywhere. Of course he was really cute and had a nice body, but nothing extreme. He’s really sensitive, sweet, compassionate, and best of all… adventurous! He also listens to some pretty sweet tunes. I would go on a road trip with him in a heartbeat!”

MAYBE NOT (A Maybe Someday Novella) by Colleen Hoover — 5 stars
Reviewed by Vilma from Vilma’s Book Blog

“Colleen Hoover once agains shatters the notion that novellas can’t pack a punch. In her sexiest book to date, she delivers non-stop humor tumbled together with a whole lot of heart. This wonderful novella is all about falling in love, moment by moment, minute by minute.”

THE YEAR WE FELL DOWN (The Ivy Years #1) by Sarina Bowen — 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Ana from The Book Hook Up

“This was a really great friends-to-more story. A story about two people who meet each other unexpectedly and under difficult conditions and find solace, friendship and safety in each other. Lucky for us, they also find love!!”

LOST VOICES (Lost Voices #1) by Sarah Porter — 2 stars
Reviewed by Tricia from Cristina’s Book Reviews

“There were several other things that I either just didn’t get or just didn’t like, but I’ll just list a few. I thought the mermaids themselves were annoying – it’s a bunch of teenage girls, so there’s LOTS of jealous issues. I kept thinking that the main character Luce would be better off on her own. However, even Luce would get on my nerves because she was very wishy-washy about her mentor, the queen of the mermaids.”

CLIPPED WINGS & INKED ARMOUR by Helena Hunting — 5 stars
Reviewed by Erin from The Autumn Review

“But they were both so utterly broken, yet so desperate to have someone reach into their soul and bring them back to life, and that’s what made them equally perfect yet dangerous for each other. It all started with a tattoo; an intricate work of art designed to give Tenley the release from emotional pain that she needed. But it evolved into so much more as the intimacy of Hayden’s work on her scarred skin and the shared burden of their pasts wound and bonded them together.”

CAPTIVATED BY YOU (Crossfire #4) by Sylvia Day — 2.5 stars
Reviewed by Steph from No BS Book Reviews

“This is a prime example of a storyline that has run its course. In my opinion, I think that continuing the Eva and Gideon story beyond the third book just didn’t make sense. It almost feels like some of the sexy stuff was used as filler to make complete the book, which is why the actual heart of the story didn’t flow as smoothly as it did in the first or even second book.”

THE LAW OF MOSES by Amy Harmon — 5 stars
Reviewed by Kristi from Lit Slave

“There is SO MUCH to this story. Layer upon layer of story all interconnected to create this one journey between two souls. I’ve left a lot of the story out of my review and have been purposefully vague because…you have to go in blind. HAVE TO!”

TRASHED by Jasinda Wilder — 4 stars
Reviewed by Three Little Birds Book Blog

“Even during the raunchiest, must X-rated scenes, the emotions these two experience are evident. They become a part of each other, and it’s heart-warming to experience. That being said, there is a lot of sexiness in this book, and sometimes I would’ve rather just read about them hanging out and doing things together as a couple, and interacting more outside of the bedroom.”

FRENCHED by Melanie Harlow — 4 stars
Reviewed by Maryse’s Book Blog

“Pure cuteness. And LOTS of steam. Holy moly was there steam. Considering the very sweet touches, and the light and airy feel of the writing and the characters, I was *blink blinking* at the hotness. And her… ummmm… penchant for the F-word. Hey I’m fine with it. You know me ‘n dirty mouths.”