tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post9196321456954870670..comments2024-03-28T14:39:26.897-04:00Comments on We Live and Breathe Books: In a Nutshell Reviews: The Dark Side EditionKiersten Kozbialhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00538943081866009856noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-84326962956999647272018-01-31T19:51:24.945-05:002018-01-31T19:51:24.945-05:00I need to get my hands on Smith's last book, b...I need to get my hands on Smith's last book, because I think she did a great job with conveying the emotion and crafting the characters. I will definitely read more from her. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-83757158786450148072018-01-31T09:38:14.617-05:002018-01-31T09:38:14.617-05:00Love your review of The Last to Let Go, Sam. I thi...Love your review of The Last to Let Go, Sam. I think I’ve mentioned before how moved I was by Smith’s previous novel, The Way I Used to Be, and between that and seeing your review, I definitely want to pick this one up.Tanya @ Girl Plus Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18357204133826428572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-2941712298745870172018-01-29T06:12:10.151-05:002018-01-29T06:12:10.151-05:00I agree about the mindset. When I am feeling a lit...I agree about the mindset. When I am feeling a little "moody", I will often set aside a book that hits too close to home. And yes, darkness in a fantasy world versus darkness in our world is definitely easier to keep a healthy distance from. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-66239419195447302562018-01-28T21:26:01.670-05:002018-01-28T21:26:01.670-05:00These all sound quite good, and I usually like my ...These all sound quite good, and I usually like my contemporary with a darker twist. Though I will also say, I don't see myself reading any of these, which is weird, right? I think maybe I am not in the right mindset for darkness that is actually real, you know? This stuff happens in our world, not in a fantasy or apocalypse or whatever. Maybe makes it a bit harder to read, and I need to be mentally prepared. And currently, I am not. Great reviews, glad these were all pretty good! Shannon @ It Starts at Midnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10043593641190645773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-76169292752750062662018-01-28T14:16:26.811-05:002018-01-28T14:16:26.811-05:00You're not crazy. There are quite a few blogge...You're not crazy. There are quite a few bloggers who like darker reads and even books without romance (gasp!). Different books, different readers. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-73884044377940125282018-01-28T11:36:26.271-05:002018-01-28T11:36:26.271-05:00All of these are new to me, and I'm always ope...All of these are new to me, and I'm always open to dark reads. Call me crazy! Thanks for sharing your review of these, gives me something to think about. I definitely want to try at least one of these!Jazmenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14218708787382167027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-44539061209687075192018-01-28T05:54:03.276-05:002018-01-28T05:54:03.276-05:00I am a lover of definitive endings. I get frustrat...I am a lover of definitive endings. I get frustrated when the author just leaves the ending too open. The mother in Blending In was CRAZY! My heart definitely ached for Evan. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-34959615830631008792018-01-28T05:52:29.076-05:002018-01-28T05:52:29.076-05:00These were rather angsty for me, but sometimes I n...These were rather angsty for me, but sometimes I need to change it up. I absolutely had to read something fun after I finished these though. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-65129955279397477292018-01-27T22:02:55.304-05:002018-01-27T22:02:55.304-05:00These all sound good. Too bad that a couple of th...These all sound good. Too bad that a couple of them left you wanting a bit more out of the ending. The Dangerous Art of Blending In sounds like one that I would like.Carole's Random Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06737905249530702688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-79807436078996374812018-01-27T20:47:19.734-05:002018-01-27T20:47:19.734-05:00I am so happy to read that The Last to Let go Live...I am so happy to read that The Last to Let go Lived up to its goodness. I love love that blurb. And two new ones I didn't know about! Your choice of angst hits the spot, Sam lolVerushkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08640500646511533020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-18762173485312678592018-01-27T05:17:02.851-05:002018-01-27T05:17:02.851-05:00If I actually finish a book, than it was a decent ...If I actually finish a book, than it was a decent read for me. I did enjoy all three of these, but since the warm-and-fuzzy are my niche, they won't win all the stars from me. This is why stars and reviews belong together. There were a lot of great things in each of these books, and I think there are readers, who would adore some of these. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-38179638637416503082018-01-27T05:11:46.336-05:002018-01-27T05:11:46.336-05:00These were darker reads for me, but lots of food f...These were darker reads for me, but lots of food for thought, especially Devore's book. I think many female readers will ponder a lot of what is presented in that story. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-10505170780898664332018-01-27T05:10:44.650-05:002018-01-27T05:10:44.650-05:00Devore really did embrace the setting. Nell's ...Devore really did embrace the setting. Nell's love for the river was obvious, and there were many scenes that took place near or on the river. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-86462096933857830962018-01-27T05:08:55.482-05:002018-01-27T05:08:55.482-05:00The Dangerous Art of Blending In was really heartb...The Dangerous Art of Blending In was really heartbreaking. You hear the stories of abuse all the time, and you always wonder about how the other parent lets it happen. It's such a complicated dynamic, but Surmelis wrote Evan as a survivor, who kept pushing towards his goal of escaping his mother. The whole situation is really sad, but I was super happy with the ending. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-21735526678632789462018-01-27T05:06:36.386-05:002018-01-27T05:06:36.386-05:00All three were pretty emotional in different ways,...All three were pretty emotional in different ways, but I was happy with the way Smith told the story. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-67946313518793585922018-01-27T05:05:22.763-05:002018-01-27T05:05:22.763-05:00That is one thing that I appreciated a lot. There ...That is one thing that I appreciated a lot. There were some flashbacks, but the focus was in the present, with the father dead, the mother in jail, and the kids trying to recover. It was dark before her breakthrough, but there were bright spots scattered within. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-63803908900304197212018-01-26T23:21:04.567-05:002018-01-26T23:21:04.567-05:00Going to read Winner Take All soon and Last to Go ...Going to read Winner Take All soon and Last to Go before too long. Glad you liked them overall!<br /><a href="https://www.jenryland.com" rel="nofollow"> Jen Ryland Reviews</a><br />Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756695137600895936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-26226052828281728792018-01-26T15:33:09.961-05:002018-01-26T15:33:09.961-05:00I really like the sound of Winner Take All! Southe...I really like the sound of Winner Take All! Southern settings are so much fun, and I like stories that explore what it's like for the other half (or the 1% as the case may be). Maybe I'll pick it up the next time I'm in the mood for a contemporary!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03345874849864173182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-25548807542325866082018-01-26T14:18:18.262-05:002018-01-26T14:18:18.262-05:00I have to prep myself to read books like these. Th...I have to prep myself to read books like these. They are always so hard. The last one is the one that speaks to me the most. Thanks for sharing, Sam.Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984216720423826256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-39386925252402326912018-01-26T11:54:01.933-05:002018-01-26T11:54:01.933-05:00The Last to Let Go looks great. I love that the ab...The Last to Let Go looks great. I love that the abuse is more in the past and only getting flashbacks. I can only imagine how emotional this read is. Great review! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18321290309133560893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-13266963456770374772018-01-26T09:04:21.967-05:002018-01-26T09:04:21.967-05:00I've been seeing The Last to Let Go around a l...I've been seeing The Last to Let Go around a lot lately. I'm glad that although the story is about abuse, it's more focused on recovery. That hopeful nature makes me want to read it.Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-3573634868612720352018-01-26T07:01:51.137-05:002018-01-26T07:01:51.137-05:00I haven't actually heard of any of these books...I haven't actually heard of any of these books before, so it was interesting to learn about all of these new reads. Although most of them fall into the midway mark, it sounds like there were a lot of elements of them you could enjoy too. Brilliant reviews x<br /><br />My recent post: http://oliviascatastrophe.com/2018/01/lets-talk-about-love-book-review-giveaway/Olivia's Catastrophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12706765857201768908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-44300367717405534502018-01-26T04:33:59.472-05:002018-01-26T04:33:59.472-05:00Winner Take All took me on quite a ride, there was...Winner Take All took me on quite a ride, there was just something about that ending. I found the direction it was going interesting, but I would have liked a little more, and I am super harsh about endings. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-65091440312666248912018-01-26T02:20:21.708-05:002018-01-26T02:20:21.708-05:00The Last to Let Go sounds heartbreaking and intens...The Last to Let Go sounds heartbreaking and intense! I'm glad you liked it! I added Winner Take All to my TBR a few weeks ago, so I'm sad to see you thought the ending was unsatisfactory. I hate feeling like there are too many loose ends and unresolved issues. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/" rel="nofollow">Do You Dog-ear?</a>Lindsi https://www.blogger.com/profile/13480991226741687503noreply@blogger.com