Cynically Sweet (Booklikes)

High Interest is the first book in The Paragon Series by Leigh James. It's a story that looks into corporate espionage. First, we meet the creator of Paragon, Lauren Taylor. Paragon is biomedical company, that works on producing and testing important devices, many of which Lauren hopes to bring to the world. She doesn't care for the fame or wealth, as long as she has enough to fund her experiments. Gabriel Betts is also a CEO; he runs the successful Dynamica and hopes that they can partner with Paragon.

Lauren is kind of boring and I also feel like she's a hyped up character with little background substance. She has a very stereotypical existence; brilliantly smart with little to bring her down, having created her own biomedical company. Yes, she's meant to be smart, but there's something about the way she's written that makes her seem less so. For example, when Clive Warren is known to be visiting the company, she can't think why he's been doing it. He even said himself that he's considering partnering with the company and wants information about their work, so why can't she or anyone else work out why he might be visiting...? Is it not obvious? Why do she and Gabriel, two supposedly smart people, need to spend so long determining what Clive's doing...? Gabriel Betts, as mentioned just now, is meant to be smart as well. Yet the majority of his existence in the novel is showing off. He doesn't really add anything really intelligent to it, simply showing off his money at every point. My other consideration is that, after only meeting each other twice, Lauren is unnecessarily laughing at Gabriel's comments as if she's trying to impress him. When I say comments, I mean things that aren't even meant to be jokes. It's weird and seems very forced. Not to mention, on their second date, Gabriel is talking about bashing Clive's head in, just for having a date with Lauren. The relationship between Lauren and Gabriel is very forced and neither of them seems likeable. I thought it unfortunate for her that she would want to continue dating him in the first place; threatening violence at such a non-issue is definitely a reason to steer clear of Gabriel. His constant threats to Clive are completely unnecessary.

Other characters also seem lack lustre. Hannah, for example, is Lauren's sister. She's very encouraging and seems to press Lauren into doing things that Lauren doesn't want to do. I wouldn't want to know her if she tries to make people do things that they don't want to do. It also seems like she's riding on her sister's coat tails; in the book, we don't see her do much save for trying to convince her sister to date rich men. Clive Warren is another potential love interest for Lauren, made to look utterly annoying. At first, Clive isn't as bad a person as the author makes him out to be. Yet, for some reason, Lauren makes him out to be a creep. He, like Gabriel, took Lauren out to a meal and made an offer to partner with the company. Yet, the author writes it as if Lauren automatically hates him, even though Clive has done nothing very different than Gabriel has. Until the next day, he didn't really do much wrong in my eyes. It's a double standard, really; we're obviously meant to prefer one male over the other, which (in my opinion) is a poor quality to the story. Yes, Clive did turn out to do something wrong, but those portions weren't written very well. It happens far too quickly and we don't get a lot of the back story of the situation, which is important to creating the scene. For example, we have little knowledge of their prior contact. They were meant to have known each other and then he went to China (he made a joke about taking her back there with him). So, he can't have been that bad of a person if she agreed to a date with him now. So, why is he such a bad person now...? I don't understand what the author is trying to do. Was it because he didn't ask her whether she ate meat or not? Lots of people don't do that...

The book itself has an interesting premise. I appreciate that the author has tried to write people to be intelligent, but that point doesn't really get properly put across. Especially considering that neither Lauren nor Gabriel seems to make very smart decisions. A few examples: spending an entire dinner on trying to figure out something that was completely obvious, Gabriel's constant threats of violence which would simply get him put in prison and accomplish nothing, and Lauren's ignorance to dating and how weirdly she was acting... Like I said, I appreciate the attempt to make smart characters, but these ones are just lacking. The book and basic plot seems kind of reminiscent of other things I've read and lacks a distinct uniqueness. It's a fairly typical dating portion as well; main character dates #1 and it goes well, then dates #2 and (for no reason) it goes badly. #1 (for no reason) wants to harm #2. It's not very original, especially given that there was no reason for either Lauren or Gabriel to initially hate Clive. For improvements, I think it could have all been explained a lot better and to have the work spread across a realistic timeline. There's obviously a lot of information that we're missing and a lot of things that the author didn't make available to the reader. It feels like there's a lot left on the editing room floor, if you catch my drift.

Overall, it's a book that I wanted to like; a book about corporate espionage in a biomedical company...? It sounds great! Yet, neither the characters nor events are very original. Plus, like I've said, there's a lot that just doesn't make sense. I don't think I'll be reading the second book.

I received a free eCopy of this book via Instafreebie and these are my honest thoughts of it.

Ideas And Disclosures is the first book in a trilogy of ideas by Thiruman Archunan. It presents a series of thoughts the author has had. Many of the points are presented in reasonably short comments, with a number correlating to each and sometimes a short description. Other comments are somewhat long and can extend further than a paragraph. Many of these points are philosophical in nature. The author doesn't expect an answer of these comments, only presenting them to us for our consideration and for us to think about further. There are varying topics, mostly to do with humanity and nature. A lot of points consider the differences between men and women, whilst others consider the way humans relate to nature. I think that it was a good idea to present it in numbered form; as there are 751 things presented and, if someone wants to look back on one, they can simply note down the number and return later.

It was very complex and the author has put a lot of thought into the work. Of course, much of the complexity also comes from what you think of each point and how you try to understand it. The author has some good points and has left me with several things to think about. I appreciate that it was organised in point form; it made it easier to see where some of the longer points ended. However, the points of some felt kind of repetitive.

Overall, I think it was a fairly interesting book and some of the points were very thought-provoking.

I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. For those who avoid such things, there are references and discussion on God and religion.

The Observances is a book of poetry by Kate Miller. The author presents many different types of poems, a varying range of emotions and incredible scenes. Each work is like a little, unique story.

My first thought is that I've never read anything quite like this. I appreciate that the work is very complex. There are differing layers to many of the poems, some the obvious descriptions and those which we must consider further to understand the poetry better. The author seems to have an incredible respect of nature, giving notice to many things that others might overlook. One of my favourite works within the book is "The Hoopoes Have Come Home", a dedication to the personality and behaviour of the bird. In addition to nature, the author also discusses the various characters of poems. Another poem that I like quite a bit is "Minding The Antiquarian Bookseller's House"; I enjoy the personalisation of the characters. Though we are left with little detail, it is up to the reader to consider the reasons for the scene and events within the work.


Overall, I liked the book very much. The work has great depth and many layers, with interesting scenes and observations. Admittedly, there are words and references to things that I do not understand at the moment. However, I hope to re-read the book again in future, at which point I might understand and enjoy it better. Otherwise, I enjoyed the work and will keep an eye out for more work by the same author.

I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it.

Betty Bee's Attitude is a series of children’s books by Jacquelyn S. Arnold. This one in particular features her meeting with Duncan, a dragonfly that she notices drifting in the wind one day. He looks sad and Betty does her best to cheer him up.

Betty is a very happy bee and I appreciate her dedication to help others, sharing her Bee Attitude and doing her best to cheer up Duncan. The book has a few different morals to teach. First, the book teaches that you shouldn't mourn the loss of a friend. Rather, you should feel blessed for the friends and things you still do have- or that you might seek out new friends in this troubled time. Another thing the book teaches is that we should take notice when friends are sad about something, and then do our best to help them. I think the book teaches these themes well. One of my favourite parts of the book is the bee-autiful illustrations. Any child will love them! Each scene has a matching, full page illustration to go with it. They feature both main characters, but often have some of the other wildlife such as the other insects, animals and plants that one might find surrounding Betty Bee's home. It's a truly beautiful setting that will, no doubt, inspire any youngster.

Overall, it's a brilliant book! Betty's Bee Attitude is very inspiring and I think the work will be uplifting to any child who reads it!

I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. Just a note to people trying to avoid religion: this book includes religious references.

Fallen by Valerie Twombly is a short story, later becoming part of a novel, Fall Into Darkness by the same author (which I have not read as of the current moment). Eli, a bounty hunter, is under judgement for something bad he's done. Sent away without even so much as a shirt on his back, Eli is tasked with finding his humanity. He finds a woman being attacked and does his best to help. It turns out that Ashley can see someone's death, by looking them in the eye. The book has angels, hellhounds and a tough main character.

Eli is a fairly interesting character, though we get little information of his history and his personality takes over the book. Ashley is interesting as well, though her decisions bother me; at first she's shy about her lack of clothing but then decides to take a shower with him...? Regardless of injury, any modest person I know would never put themselves in that position. Their little relationship is a bit bothersome on other levels as well; he doesn't even try to keep his archangel status a secret (which is a big deal, but she just takes it as if he's told her that he's a banker or something), and upon the news that he thinks the Seven want him to have sex with her, she gives in far too easily. If anyone had told me something like that, I would think it an obvious scam. Sure, he's good looking and has a few scars where wings might have been, but I wouldn't take that as solid evidence. Also, I think it's weird that she let him stay at all.

The plot seems a little on the cliché side and seems reminiscent of several other books I've read or movies I've seen. However, I think that the author turns it into something fairly unique. The story is fairly well written and there are aspects of humour, a good use of words and the characters seem somewhat likeable (regardless of stupid decisions they make). For a short story, it goes very quickly. I understand that the author is trying to keep a low word count, but it just seems like the events are rushed through too quickly. Many serious and sombre moments seem ruined because there isn't enough time spent on them. For example, a few pages in, when Eli's wings are taken. They are literally being ripped from his back, yet it's kind of glazed over and the scene doesn't hold the seriousness or weight that it ought to. I think the weirdest point in the book for me is the phrase, "No woman refused an angel..." I know that the author means it in a light sense, but I can't help but think of it being incredibly dark. It just seems like she doesn't have the option to say 'no' and that upsets me on a personal level; that she has no choice in the matter. No matter what, I think a woman always has a right to say no, regardless of the alternate being an archangel. But that's just my take on it.

Overall, I think that it's well written and the author has a good grasp of how to convey things to a reader. However, the characters just seem absurd and do things that I- as a reader- would not do, had I been given the same circumstances. I don't think anyone I know would do the same, either; the range of feelings and personality of each character don't mesh into something that seems natural. I like both main characters, but I feel like they could have been developed better, even within the confines of a short story. I think the same of the plot. Though I liked the book, I feel like the entire story could have been developed better, a lot of things could have been explained better and set within a reasonable time limit- rather than just a few days. Fallen was a decent read, but I think that the flaws don't really excite me for "Fall Into Darkness", the next book, but I will consider reading it.

I obtained a free copy of this via an InstaFreebie giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on the work. Just a warning for some people: there are curse words. Many of which seem kind of gratuitous to me. There are also adult scenes.

Winter's Homecoming and Other Poems is a book showcasing eight works by Robert Zimmermann. The author has a great grasp of language, manipulating ordinary scenes into wondrous and poetry. The author's work is effective and adds a lot of character to scenery. For example, the titular work "Winter’s Homecoming" conveys ordinary feelings one might endure at winter. However, the author uses these occurrences to reminisce of those feelings. Overall, these works are well done. It is a short, perfect read for those looking to get a little bit of enjoyment.

With a coupon code, I managed to buy this free from Smashwords. My comments here are honest.

Night of the Bonfire is the first novel in the Michael Quinn series by Kevin Scott Olson. Prior to this, I have also read one short story entitled "Breakout" by the same author, which also features Michael Quinn. I'll begin by explaining Michael a bit. He's an American special operative, formerly Navy SEAL and now doing various tasks for the CIA. In regards to his work, he's very smart; he doesn't take unnecessary risks and does his best to keep any operation professional. Night of the Bonfire, we begin in the middle of an exciting operation in Mexico that he's been working on. From one assignment to another, we soon find ourselves following him to a new mission to find an old painting, thought to be destroyed by the artist. In present time, Marco Leone and Victor Orlov are two art collectors. They're both willing to do anything in order to get this piece. It's Michael's job to secure the artwork.

The main thing I like about Michael, the same in my experience with Breakout, is that he does his best to make the smart decisions in any given situation. Nor does he do things for any needless violence or adrenaline fix. In the beginning of the book, we can see this best; he has his part to play in the plan and then he takes a step back for others to do their own bit. It's something that's quite obviously missing in many movies and television shows; that in those cases, the characters just don't know when to take a break. Michael, however, doesn't do it for glory or attention. He does his part and knows better than to put himself in a dangerous situation unnecessarily. The other characters each have their part to play as well. Marco Leone and Victor Orlov were fitting foes for our main character. Both seemed intelligent and took reasonable risks to ensure that their operations remained functioning. Marco in particular; his security is fairly tight he tries to keep himself, his belongings and his party, safe at all times. Sienna is a great character as well. I appreciated that she's something more than just a brainless arm attachment to Marco. She has genuine intelligence; she was very cautious, she speaks well, she's multilingual and a former art student. I also like her history and felt that her past seemed somewhat interesting.

The plot is very well developed and the author has created a very structured book, with a mix of varying things for many audiences to enjoy. There are aspects of espionage, action scenes with explosions, a car chase and a few fights, a priceless painting thought to be lost for many years, plus a little bit of romance to bind it all together. The CIA operations are very functional. Though we only meet a few of the people involved in these plans, it's obvious that there must be heaps of other people involved. The same with the actual set up; there's obviously a lot of work and research gone in to the operation. I think that works well because we know that it's a huge operation, but the author doesn't clutter the story with needless scenes, research or people that we might simply forget in five minutes. I don't actually have any complaints that I can think of in regards to plot or writing. The only thing I'm really confused about is that Michael uses his own name during the operation. It just seems silly to me because, in theory, one might simply trace his name back to some aspect of his past. For example, pretty much anyone can discuss you at any given time. All it takes is for one, newly unemployed henchman to go to a new job, only to find Mr Quinn in a new operation which involves some sort of new cover identity. Of course, I'm sure any henchman would likely be swept up into custody of whatever agency is fitting, but it could be other people connected to the first operation that could be a problem; cleaners, lovers, anyone who met him at a restaurant or party. Having made that point, however, I can see why the author chose to keep Michael's name as is and simply edit his past. I'm sure it's difficult for a character to take on a new identity and that might only serve to confuse the book. Another thing that bothers me is that Sienna gives Michael a tour of Marco's home during a visit. Personally, if I were Marco, I wouldn't allow that to happen as anybody could use that information to do violate his privacy. Even if it weren't Michael to use the information, he might have still shared it with someone else who might use it.

Overall, I'm thoroughly impressed with the book, the characters most of all. They're smart and feel natural; many with past lives that we get to learn little bits about. The plot is thrilling and takes the idea of an art theft, mixed with a little espionage and action. The author writes well and develops both plot and characters without clutter. All of these aspects create a novel that is both original and exciting. I definitely would love to read more of Michael Quinn's life and eagerly await his next adventure.

I received a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This colouring book is a part of the Andee the Aquanaut series by Simon James House, with illustrations by Zoran Zlaticanin. Andee is a great kid who does his best to help out the marine life. This book features a multitude of illustrations from the trilogy, action packed scenes which kids (or adults!) can colour in. Though it's just snippets of the trilogy, there is still text to describe what's going on in each scene. It's actually pretty interesting; it's like miniature stories, which I think is good because then kids can make up their own stories based on those scenes and prompts.

Overall, it's pretty awesome! It's a great little book with mini adventures and creative scenes! Any kid would love to colour it in!

I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it.

At My Door by Deb Fitzpatrick tells the story of an unusual package delivered to the Campbell household. Poppy, our main character, comes downstairs to find that the late night delivery is young child. She's a toddler, found clutching a green blanket. The only piece of information about her is a note stating that her name is Mei, with no other clues as to who she is or where she might have come from.

Poppy is a very sweet girl. Her curiousity and confusion at the incident is quite obvious, but at the same time, he's obviously very selfless and does her best to try and take care of little Mei as best she can. I think it was sweet that she was trying to help her parents and taking an interest in the toddler's life. The other characters are quite interesting as well; the parents are very generous to take in the child and even Harry, Poppy's older brother, does various things.

The plot takes the idea of an abandoned child- something that people might not see very often these days (depending on where you live)- and gives a childlike twist. Poppy obviously doesn't really understand why a mother would do that to a child, and nor do we. There isn't a proper explanation to it, save for that the mother might just be experiencing a little bit of financial hardship. I think the overall intention of the book is primarily to introduce children to the idea of babies and what you might do to take care of them. I also think that it introduces a child to the idea that not every family is the same. The Campbell family is in a reasonable state, with happy children and food on the table. However, Mei's family is clearly different; so much so that the mother obviously thought that the Campbell home was better for her child one night. I think it might be interesting for a child, to consider how their own life differs from that of their friends' and how they might take on change if something were to happen.

Overall, the book is fairly upbeat, considering the circumstances, and Poppy tries to keep hopeful about the situation. Though the events could be considered somewhat sad, I liked that each of the characters were generous and did their best to help someone in need. They're obviously good people and I hope that any child reading this might be inspired by such selflessness. Though the book is short and we don't get the whole idea of what's going on, I did like the book and felt that it does its best to teach children a little bit more about life.
I would definitely like to read more of the author's work and anymore books about Poppy and her family. I think it would make a great series for kids!

I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it.

At My Door by Deb Fitzpatrick tells the story of an unusual package delivered to the Campbell household. Poppy, our main character, comes downstairs to find that the late night delivery is young child. She's a toddler, found clutching a green blanket. The only piece of information about her is a note stating that her name is Mei, with no other clues as to who she is or where she might have come from.

Poppy is a very sweet girl. Her curiousity and confusion at the incident is quite obvious, but at the same time, he's obviously very selfless and does her best to try and take care of little Mei as best she can. I think it was sweet that she was trying to help her parents and taking an interest in the toddler's life. The other characters are quite interesting as well; the parents are very generous to take in the child and even Harry, Poppy's older brother, does various things.

The plot takes the idea of an abandoned child- something that people might not see very often these days (depending on where you live)- and gives a childlike twist. Poppy obviously doesn't really understand why a mother would do that to a child, and nor do we. There isn't a proper explanation to it, save for that the mother might just be experiencing a little bit of financial hardship. I think the overall intention of the book is primarily to introduce children to the idea of babies and what you might do to take care of them. I also think that it introduces a child to the idea that not every family is the same. The Campbell family is in a reasonable state, with happy children and food on the table. However, Mei's family is clearly different; so much so that the mother obviously thought that the Campbell home was better for her child one night. I think it might be interesting for a child, to consider how their own life differs from that of their friends' and how they might take on change if something were to happen.

Overall, the book is fairly upbeat, considering the circumstances, and Poppy tries to keep hopeful about the situation. Though the events could be considered somewhat sad, I liked that each of the characters were generous and did their best to help someone in need. They're obviously good people and I hope that any child reading this might be inspired by such selflessness. Though the book is short and we don't get the whole idea of what's going on, I did like the book and felt that it does its best to teach children a little bit more about life.
I would definitely like to read more of the author's work and anymore books about Poppy and her family. I think it would make a great series for kids!

I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it.

A Small Madness by Dianne Touchell begins with a fresh beginning for Rose, a teenager in her last year of high school. A new sexual experience has her feeling like a woman and she looks over herself to see how much she's changed because of it. She and her boyfriend Michael have each made plans for their own future. Her intentions are to become an actress and he is looking to become a doctor. So, when she's pregnant, she doesn't want her life to change and she refuses to believe any of the evidence. However, people around her start noticing the changes. They notice that she's not looking well, that her personality and behaviour has changed. The same can be said of Michael. Though he doesn't experience the physical changes, he becomes worried for her and finds that he has a new outlook towards his whole life. For Rose, she realises that she needs to make some choices about this pregnancy. Just a warning for some of you: it's not a happy book and a lot of people might find the content to be kind of disturbing. There is bad language and sexual references as well, just to let you know.

Though I didn't necessarily like all the characters, I felt that they were all somewhat understandable. The way the book is written, you can see the motives of all the people, their feelings about each situation and many of the choices they make. I think I liked Liv the most. Though she was treated somewhat poorly in the book, I think that her motives were the most clear and natural. I think the most interesting perspective was to read about how the parents were dealing with the situation. Though they didn't know the particulars of what was wrong with their children, it was certainly good to read about the way they tried to deal with each problem- what they thought might be wrong.

As for the plot, I think it was fairly interesting. The topic of teen pregnancy has so many aspects to it and the author could have gone in any direction. But, I think the way they went seemed suitable. The book had a strong structure and many of the peaks happen at important points of the pregnancy; the first missed period, the first biological changes, and other such things. Obviously it's not going to be an action packed novel, but there is still a lot of drama. Most of that revolves around the emotionality of the characters, arguments and the like. I felt like the book could have been longer, with more portions explained further; in some points it just seemed like bits were rushed through. For example, we didn't see much of how the pregnancy changed her school and drama work in a lot of portions. The same for Michael; though he experiences a lot of emotional trauma, there are a lot of bits in his life that we miss out on. There are background characters, who ought to be important, that kind of get lost. For example, Rose's father. It's understandable that he's not around much, but I kind of wish that he had more of a part to play.

Overall, I think it was a fairly good book. It explored a lot of interesting points about teenage pregnancy and how it changed people. The characters are interesting and the author got through many months of the book in an interesting manner, with little back stories and things that made each character quite unique. However, the long time span in a short amount of words didn't necessarily work the whole time; many portions could have been explained more. It was a pretty good read and, though it was somewhat sad, I think it's the type of book that really makes you think.

I was asked to do a review of the book for a family friend and was loaned a copy.

Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset; Soon a New Day Will Dawn is a book of poetry by Cleo Patra. It includes poems which speak of many varying situations, a lot of which a reader might be able to relate to. My favourite poem within the pages is "Still looking for a substitute-mist." This book being the author's debut work, I think they did a fair job. Many of the poems have a good flow and work well. However, there are cases within the book that just don't seem as well thought out.
For example, the very first poem, "Cupcake flakes". I think that the language usage just seems weird and it doesn't flow as well as some of the others. I think that's primarily due to the rhyming nature of it; the author uses pretty much any rhyme, but not all of them work well for the poem. The same can be said for the book's other poems as well. Another issue is references to varying people, things and companies. Some of the references to popular culture felt out of place. The reason that I mention this is that not everyone might know who these people or organisations are. Sure, most people will know who the popular ones are, examples being Casanova or James Bond. However, some poems make reference to things I don't understand. For example, the line, "Held captive by Seth." Originally, I knew of the Egyptian Seth, but I did an online search to be sure. Not only is there the Egyptian Seth, but there is a bible Seth, and multiple other Seths that the author could mean. Another example is "Ronan Keating". From the passage, I assume that they are a musician or singer of some sort, but I don't think that I've ever heard their work.

Overall, I liked a substantial amount of the work presented. However, I think that some of the author's chosen words are a little weird in some cases; choosing things that will rhyme rather than things that will make sense within the context. But, many of the poems did give me food for thought and I appreciate the opportunity to have read them. I think that the author could do really well, with some improvement. For a first try, I think it was well done.

I received a free copy of this story as a prize from the FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review. This is the link presented from the giveaway email for this book, however my copy has a different cover. I assume that they're still the same, though.

I got One Hundred Crazy Crazy Jokes, book #13 in a series of joke books, by Ebenezer Jackson-Firefly from Smashwords with the intention of a quick, entertaining read. With heaps of jokes, I found the majority of them to be a little bit lackluster. I had a few occassional chuckles, but I didn't find the majority of the jokes to be funny or clever. Many of them were also jokes that I've heard before. Though I didn't need it, I did like how the author thought to include an explanation portion at the end of the book to describe the humour to those who mightn't understand. Overall, I had a few laughs and it kept me company for a little while, but I just didn't find it as funny as I was hoping.

The Changeling Detective by Phillip Berrie is about the unwanted case of a private detective. Whilst involved in another investigation our changeling- John Adams, part of AAA Detective Agency- finds himself having bothered a crime boss.

The main character is a changeling who works as a private detective, as I'm sure you'll have worked out from the title. He was orphaned at a young age and, until now; he's never really had much of an idea as to how he's obtained these special powers. Within this novel, he primarily uses the name John Adams. However, he rotates through a variety of others names, depending on who he meets and talks to. I think that the author has thought that portion through well, in connection with the changeling aspect; the character has taken some very intelligent precautions to set up multiple identities and back up possibilities for his business- not just for his safety, but for any potential outcomes or failings. We meet Ruth Williams, an assistant manager who serves him a drink. It turns out that she's fairly important to the plot later and has an unwanted connection to one of the police officers involved. I think that she's a pretty good character. She does her best to help John. I appreciate that she's fairly calm and understanding when he reveals his secret to her. I find her to be very likeable and her motives within the book are fairly straightforward. Stephen Newman, plus his goon Bruno, are both great characters! Newman has made some understandable decisions for his criminal empire and, later on, I enjoy the portions of his identity and past that are revealed to us. I thoroughly enjoyed Bruno's loyalty and the effort he was willing to put in for his boss. For the characters, I think that there were plenty of good interactions between them. Though, there was also some information left out, which leaves us with a bit of curiosity about what happens next.

For those who don't know, Canberra is the capital of Australia, and a great location for The Changeling Detective. Much of the events occur within the inner city areas and I appreciate the nods towards local hotspots that tourists might want to visit. Another part that I really like is that it takes reference from old private investigator media such as the character of Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart. That, and some pretty stylised writing, gives it the touches of a classic PI novel. The main plot had a lot of strong points and had a good structure about the main events. Right from the beginning, with Newman's misunderstanding, up until the end was all fairly understandable and everyone has their part to play. In some portions, it felt kind of weird. For example, after John got shot, I felt it to be kind of strange that he healed so easily, but that was later explained and I think most of the weird portions only seemed that way because I didn't have all the information yet. I kind of wish that there were more portions surrounding the investigation of the death of Ruth's father, though I can understand why much of that was left out; I assume that it's being left for a future book, assuming there's going to be another in the series.

Though, I still think that there was more to tell in this book; there are unanswered questions I have about it. The same with much of the changeling aspects. We got some fairly good information regarding his abilities and I think that the author has got a good basis so far, but I am definitely curious to know more about the condition. Though, having said that, a lot of the questions I had whilst reading the book were answered later on in other portions. I felt that the supernatural and fantastical aspects of the plot were fairly well dealt with, especially considering that it wasn't just one person with a set of magical abilities. I like that Ruth also has some unexplained powers to deal with. I like to think that there are reasonable amounts of other people in the city (and world) that have some sort of supernatural abilities. I think the changeling portions are done well. The author has obviously put time and thought into what the character needs in order to change (reasonably large space, mirrors, etc). Not to mention how these changes affect the character's life. Cleverly, the character uses things such as reversible clothing. I appreciate that the changing isn't exactly easy for him and that it takes time and a bit of effort to do. It's nice to know that it's not as simple as it could be in the magical world of fiction writing.

Overall, I think the thing that helps the story most is that the story is set up in an intelligent manner; the characters make some very smart decisions. The characters are fairly likeable and I'm left curious as to what happens to all of them in the future. I liked the supernatural parts and felt that they were completely intertwined with the story, an important aspect to the book. After reading it, I'm very happy with the way it turned out and I'm hoping that the author ends up writing another. It's definitely worth a read.

I was lucky enough to win a hard copy of this book from a First Reads giveaway, here on Goodreads. I began reading it the very same day though unfortunately, due to health problems, I was unable to finish it until now.

Breakout by Kevin Scott Olson is a short story, part of the Michael Quinn series. We begin the story with an American prisoner in a Mexican prison. Thought to be a tourist with a bad sense of direction, it is critical that he escapes prison before the authorities find out who he truly is. That's where Michael Quinn comes in. He's a special operative with the task of saving the guy.

Though it's a short story, I think that we get a good look into the operation. We don't get a full view obviously, but we get little bits of information, the planning, political aspects and waiting that go into such a rescue mission. I actually think that's one of the most valuable aspects of the book; that the characters are smart, patient and are not taking unnecessary risks. For that bit, I think it speaks highly towards Michael Quinn as a character; he's willing to go into a dangerous situation, but makes intelligent decisions to ensure that the plan is fulfilled. In the end, the plan went well and gave me a good impression of Michael Quinn.

There are a reasonable range of characters that are provided. Michael is the primary character, an intelligent and cautious person. Gabriella is the beautiful waitress and dancer he meets at a bar. Jenkins takes the political approach to the situation. I do like that, even though we don't have a complete background on all of the characters, I think it was nice that the author gave little bits of information on them. Like Gabriella's potential dancing career, for example.

Overall, the book was well written and I think that the book has been well planned; everyone has a part to play and they do it as well as possible. The book is predominantly in English, but with a few Spanish comments and phrases. I did three and a half years of Spanish in high school, so I understood those terms and the phrases/ words used are fairly common so I imagine that most people with a basic knowledge might understand. Otherwise, I look forward to the rest of the series, Michael Quinn and the rest of his exploits.

I was lucky enough to receive a free hard copy in return for an honest review.

Momma Days, Mommy Days by Isabella Moreno is a wonderful little book about a child experiencing divorce. It's told from her perspective and, through her eyes, we get a guided tour of what's she's feeling. It begins with how happy she is with her two mothers and that they're a family. Soon, she finds out that they don't want to be together anymore and she takes notice of the changes this decision makes. She begins new experiences with each mother and finds that there are good things to be experienced with divorce, even though part of her family is missing.

The most fantastic bit of this book is, of course, the imagery. The full page pictures are semi realistic and each scene has a beautiful image attached. I like that both Momma and Mommy have different roles to play in the book, like any parent would have in any family across the world. The little girl's confusion at divorce is understandable within these pages; the author has made the decision to keep very little details on the actual reasons, that it's simply an "adult" decision. I think that makes a little bit more relatable because there are so many reasons for a marriage to break up and simply not explaining a reason leaves it very open for interpretation. I also like that the little girl is making new friends because of this experience; it gives the divorce a happier note. Though she doesn't get to be with both mothers, at least she'll meet new people and get to go new places. The only problem I have with characters is with the grandparents, they don't really hold much relevance in the book as I don't believe that we actually meet them. We are simply told that, one morning, the girl looks for one mother and finds her to be in the grandparents' room. I felt that it could have been a little more open, especially considering we don't meet the pair; that she (the mother in question) might just be sleeping in a different room of the house, rather than making specifics (as many children don't have grandparents living with them).

The plot is great. It takes the complex issue of divorce and makes it a lot more understandable for children, while offering many examples of what a child in a similar situation might experience. It's sad, but I believe that it has a very hopeful outlook. The little girl makes friends and we get to look at her experiences as a new adventure, where she'll go to new places and meet new people. In the same respect that it could be for many children, I think that this book can also be helpful to children who don't have divorced/divorcing parents. It can be helpful if they don't understand why a friend(s)' parents are breaking up, for a child moving to a new home, or even in the situation that one parent might need to go away for a while (work, taking an important trip, etc).

Overall, I think it is a fantastic representation of what might happen in a child's life. Whether it is a girl, a boy or the parents are LGTB or not, I think that it gives very good examples of things a child might go through in such a difficult time. The author has kept the book simple with very open events. The images are beautiful and perfectly convey each passage. I think it will be a valuable aid to any parent trying to help their child understand a divorce.

I received a free copy of this story as a prize from the FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review.