TITLE: Pure
SERIES #: Pure Trilogy #1
CHARACTERS: Pressia, Partridge, Bradwell, Lyda & El Capitan
AUTHOR: Julianna Baggott
PUBLICATION DATE: 2/8/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.
When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

REVIEW: I loved this book! I happen to come across this author and the synopsis intrigued me. I’ve read many post apocalypse books, and many YA novels. I have to say, this author did it right. I was so pleasantly relieved that even though this is YA the characters all had common sense and were not frustratingly juvenile. Having multiple character viewpoints can be dangerous in books. Things can get confusing and the back and forth frustrating. I did not have that problem with this book. I loved being able to experience each characters viewpoint: Pressia, Partridge and Lyda. They each added so much to the story. Though curiously we didn’t get a viewpoint from Bradwell… Every character in this book has a history and is a necessity to the overall story, even El Capitan and Helmet! I was able to see some of the story twists coming early on, but others took me completely by surprise! I love being surprised! This book has everything: action, emotional turmoil, government plots, love and loss. It was a great start to this series and I already have book two downloaded. I’m very excited to get started!

Disclaimer:
I purchased a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

TITLE: Beyond Love
CHARACTERS: Michael McCall & Richard Hampton
AUTHOR: Barbara J. Duell
PUBLICATION DATE: Spring 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He’d only planned to run away from home, but after eight-year-old David Hampton is almost run over by a car in downtown Sausalito and rescued by a beautiful lady with a man’s name, his plans change. All he’s ever wanted was a Mom and decides Michael McCall is the Mom he wants. All he has to do is convince his dad, and maybe Ms. McCall.
It should be easy, but unlike stories with happy endings, this is not a fairytale; this is real. When Professor Michael McCall and Dr. Richard Hampton meet, the sparks from their first encounter ignite into an instant desire so powerful it rivals the intensity of the fire that nearly destroyed the city across the bay. Their path to happy-ever-after will demand that they travel beyond their lust and the heat of their passion — a journey steeped with pain, a constant reminder of love given and lost — a journey where the past must be put away, freeing them to find the courage to reach BEYOND LOVE.

REVIEW:
This book was a little difficult for me to get into at first. I like the idea behind the story; it’s a very sweet love story. However, I found it difficult to connect with either of the main characters – especially Michael. She is definitely an aggressive, confrontational, strong personality. I was hoping I’d get to see her reign in her temper a little more throughout the book and learn to adapt to others around her. I also wish we’d gotten a little more depth of her character. She has such an amazing story to tell and I really wanted to dig deeper into her and create that connection. Richard was a good character. He had so many flaws, but all you can do is laugh sometimes at how oblivious he is to the people and things surrounding him. He was just as flawed as Michael so they were definitely perfect for each other in that regard. He was also vey sweet. I’m happy that this book allowed us to read from each character’s perspective – I really enjoy knowing what is going on inside each character’s head rather than first person accounts. Unfortunately sometimes the transitions between character perspectives was not always clear and I found myself confused at times trying to decipher which character I was reading at the moment. Overall, the book was enjoyable and I’m happy I read it. I’m very excited to see what other stories we can look forward to from Barbara!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Shadow Wind Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.