Review: The Match

The Match by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wilde has no real family.  He has people who have been role models to him, but since he was found as a small boy living in the woods alone, he doesn’t know where he came from.  He was ok with that or so he thought.  Wilde has just gotten a close match on a DNA website for his father.  He decides to meet his father and learns that he didn’t know anything about Wilde.  Wilde chooses to extend his DNA research and uncovers truths no one is expecting.  There is also a community of online doxxers whose main goal is to expose anonymous trolls and it seems that they are being targeted by a serial killer.   What is the connection between these doxxers and Wilde?

The Match is the second book in the Wilde series.  This sequel’s timeline follows closely behind the events from the first book, but the mystery here can be enjoyed without that first storyline.  Coben does mention some of the earlier events, but they are more to fill in gaps that will help readers.  The overarching mystery is weaved into the mystery of Wilde’s childhood and readers will enjoy trying to decide where the story will go next.  The Match is a good mystery with a satisfying ending. 

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Review: Star Father

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aija knows that things are changing.  It has been four days since the Sun left the sky and the Earth was plunged into constant darkness.  This is when she finds a man by the river.  He doesn’t look like anyone she has ever seen and the heat coming off his skin is not normal either.  Aija might be a farmhand, but she also is an artist.  She longs to draw and sculpt him; then he wakes up.  His name is Saiyon and he has enemies; strange enemies that must be godlings.  Where will the attraction between Aija and the earthbound Sun God go?  What risks are they willing to take to be together?

Star Father is the second book in the Star Mother Fantasy duology.  Although it is a second book, readers do not need to have read the first book to fully enjoy this story.  Holmberg has expanded this fantastical world and added new characters while also giving us a glimpse into the deeper aspects of old friends and foes.  I thoroughly enjoyed all the adventures and quickly turned the pages to see if love would win out or not.  A great read, even if Fantasies aren’t your usual genre. 

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Review: Run Rose Run

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

AnnieLee is on the run.  She wants to leave her past behind and forge ahead in the music industry.  She learns quickly that there are a lot of obstacles in getting a chance to sing, let alone to be discovered. AnnieLee’s big break comes when a retired country music star decides to take her under her wing.  She doesn’t want the help at first, but when her past keeps stopping by for a visit; AnnieLee must trust someone with her present, even if she doesn’t want to tell them about her past.

Run Rose Run is a realistic fiction story firmly placed in the country music scene.  I am used to most of Patterson’s books being a mystery, yet this story has the mystery component playing second or third fiddle.  Parton has a story that not only entertains the masses, but it also teaches us about the struggles to be discovered as a music star.  Whether readers enjoy country music or not, everyone can still enjoy this story of an underdog fighting for what she wants.

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Review: Angelfire

Angelfire by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lincoln and Myla are recently married and are experiencing their quickly accelerating pregnancy when they discover that Lincoln has an older brother!  If it isn’t hard enough to come to terms with not being an only child, Lincoln also learns that Truman is evil and wants to take over Lincoln and Myla’s kingdom.  Will their shared angelic blood be enough to convince Truman to stand down?  Is this the final tragedy that will cause the after-realms to fall apart?

Angelfire is the fifth book in the Angelbound Lincoln series.  With that being said, this story takes place at the end of the events of Thrax.  It isn’t necessary to read these books in chronological order; I find it easier to just read them in publication order.  This book is told in alternating voices of Lincoln and Myla, but since it is only two voices, it isn’t hard to follow along.  I love these characters and am glad that Bauer has written another story in this world.  I can’t wait for more fantastical adventures with a touch of romance.

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Review: Wrath

Wrath by Marcus Sedgwick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cassie has always been different, but during the pandemic shut down she admitted that she hears things.  She believes that it is the Earth calling out because of all the bad things being done to it.  Shortly after school lets out, Cassie disappears.  Fitz wants to help find her, but he isn’t sure what to do first.  He gives information to the police, but they don’t seem to act on his information.  Will Fitz find out the truth about Cassie’s disappearance?

Wrath is a very short stand-alone mystery that was almost too short.  This novel would be perfect for reluctant readers that don’t want to commit too much time and energy into a story, but if a bibliophile picks it up, they should be ready to just sit down for 90 minutes and get it finished.  The clues lead the characters around Scotland and the ending is complete, but not quite satisfying.  Wrath was a good quick escape read but isn’t a first choice to recommend for everyone.

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