SPIES, LIES, AND ALLIES

Title: Spies, Lies, and Allies

By Lisa Brown Roberts

Genre: Y/A Contemporary Romance.

Year: 2018

Rate: 💥💥💥💥

Cute and funny. A lovely story about friendship and romance.

The book is about Laurel, a teenager working in her dad’s company, a place nothing like she expected but, where she would discover the true meaning of teamwork.

I enjoyed the reading. The narrative is good, and I can overlook some telling and repetitions because of the mention of wonderful movies that I love.

I liked the concept and definitely, the author has a wide acknowledge of teenager’s world. The pace, dialogues, and descriptions are great in most parts of the book. However, If I’m being honest, I had a hard time going through the first 20%. It wasn’t about the pace or the narrative, it was about the main character’s motivations and the settling of the story, I don’t think it was as strong as the rest of the book.

My other problem is the protagonist. She is so insecure and the weakest character in the story.  The secondary characters are fantastic, they aren’t what the reader would expect and that was what I liked the most, and of course, there is Carlos, the love interest, he’s everything that a teenager girl could ask in a friend and in a boyfriend.

This is my third book by the author and I found the same issue with the protagonist in her other books. However, I’ll keep reading Lisa Brown’s stories, I believe she can write a strong female lead as she writes her stories.

 This book deserves four solid stars and I 100% recommended.

I received an ARC from Entangled Publishing, LLC. Through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the author:

Award-winning romance author Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn’t recovered from the teenage catastrophes of tweezing off both eyebrows, or that time she crashed her car into a tree while trying to impress a guy. It’s no wonder she loves to write romantic comedies. 

Lisa’s books have earned praise from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and the School Library Journal. She lives in Colorado with her family, in which pets outnumber people. Connect with Lisa at www.lisabrownroberts.com.

Author Links: 

Author Website: WWW.LISABROWNROBERTS.COM

Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LBROWNROBERTS

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorLisaBrownRoberts/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabrownroberts/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8287979.Lisa_Brown_Roberts

Excerpt from Spies, Lies, and Allies:

“Let’s see where helping me on my project falls on this list.” Carlos picks up a pen and clicks it, eyeing me from underneath ridiculously long lashes.

Cautiously, I take a tiny step toward his desk so I can read the list.

“Number three.” I point to the napkin. “Teamwork.”

He nods and underlines the word. I notice he’s added numbers six through ten. Nothing is written next to those numbers, except for ten, next to which he’s drawn a smiley face.

“What’s that for?” I point to the smiley face. He leans back in his desk chair and grins up at me.

“Not sure yet.”

My heart throbs in my chest and my imagination is off and running, fantasizing about number ten.

Carlos points to number five: nicknames. “I think this is where we left off at lunch.” He clicks his pen repeatedly and I resist the urge to snatch it out of his hand. “I’d prefer not to be nicknamed for a pasta, but I gave you a cereal nickname, so…” He shrugs but keeps his eyes on mine.

“I…pasta…what?” He’s not making sense.

He bites his bottom lip, and I have no trouble picturing what will make me “smiley face” if we ever make it to number ten. Also, I’m pretty sure he’s a mind reader because his gaze drifts down to my lips, then back up to my eyes.

“The Manicotti. Who is it?” He glances across the room. “Elijah? He can be sort of cheesy.”

My mind analyzes his words, sliding them around like one of those puzzles where you have to move a string through twisted metal. And then it clicks.

“You read my notebook! You’re the one who—” Panic zings through me as I remember what I wrote about him, Carlos is trouble, and his editorial comment, True. Is Carlos adorable?

Apparently, I’m not the only spy around here.

“Why’d you pick this desk?” I’m desperate to change the subject.

“I like the view.”

“But it’s better by the windows.”

“Depends on which view we’re talking about.” He gives me a cryptic smile, one that makes my stomach dip. “Anyway, I saved your notebook. You’re lucky no one else read your notes.”

Mortified and defiant, I cross my arms over my chest. “You didn’t have to read it. You could’ve just returned it.”

“I was just checking to make sure you’d listed all of Mr.

Mantoni’s rules.”

“Uh huh.”

Across the room, Elijah stands up and stretches. He glances at us, an amused smirk twisting his lips like he knows something I don’t.

Carlos writes on the napkin again. Number six: healthy disagreement.

“You’re kidding, right?”

His responding grin packs more heat than it should.

“I think we’ve gone off track.” I’m proud of how calm I sound, even though my nerve endings are exploding like firecrackers.

Buy links: https://entangledpublishing.com/spies-lies-and-allies-a-love-story.html

Note: Information and Pictures provided by Entangled Publishing.

Y is for...You're my friend, you're my king

“Is there something wrong?” I asked surprised and concerned.

“No, nothing is wrong, on the contrary everything is perfect,” Rhyon said with sparks in his eyes, “you are perfect, beautiful, smart, brave.”

Oh oh!

“My prince, we should go back, it’s late.”

“Why are you calling me ‘Prince’ you’ve never done that before?”

I had my suspicions about Rhyon feelings, I guessed I was in denial. “You’re the Prince.”

“Tell me you care about me.”

“I do,” How can I not. He wasn’t just the Prince, he was my friend, he was like a brother to me.

“I care about you too, I like you I lov,”

I put my hands on his lips, “Please don’t say it.”

“Why not?” He looked at me with so much hope that killed me.

“Rhyon, I could die for you, But…” I couldn’t find the words.  

“You love me, but not in the way I want you to love me.”

“I’m sorry.”

He gave me a sad smile. “I know you do.”

Note: Images were taken from google.com & atozchallenge website. 

X is for...XENNIALS

Why do we feel like outsiders sometimes?

The answer is because we’re special. Let’s see:  

As children we played outdoors, engaged in games we made ourselves, a long time before the advent of gaming consoles, we wrote actual letters for our friends and passed notes in class.

We weren’t able to coordinate meeting using text or WhatsApp, we had to use a receiver to call to our friends’ houses, speak to their parents and then finally we could talk to our friends, without not privacy, btw.

 We don’t always have a cell phone, but we grew up watching their development.

We don’t always have an iPod. When we were teens, we recorded cassettes from the radio. I remember the adrenaline and the excitement when a favorite song was played, and we get to press the rec button on time.

We use social media but can remember living life without it. Before social media we needed to rely on our best friend and her ability to gossip, so we can have information about the boy we liked.

The internet was not a part of our childhoods, that’s true, but also, it’s true that computers existed and there was something special about the opportunity to use one.

 Economically, Xennials have seen it all. They are old enough to remember the end of a long period of growth (following a small recession) in the 1990s, but they came of age around the time that the “dot-com bubble” burst and saw the decline and major recession of the 2000s. In other words, they were first given a sweet taste of the good life and then kicked in the face.

Xennials aren't too much of any one thing, it’s more like a unique situation of balance.

Some people say that Xennials are the lucky ones.

Like I said, we’re not lucky.  we’re special. 

Note: Images and sources were taken from www.google.com & atozchallenge web site. 

W is for...WISHES

“Star light Star bright,

 First star I see tonight,

I wish I may,

I wish I might,

I have a wish, I wish tonight. “

Pick and star, make a wish, dream about it and then work to make it real.

Never stop dreaming,

Never stop fighting,

  

Note: Images were taken from google.com & 

atozchallenge website.

U is for... UNWANTED

“What he doesn't want is to get caught.”

 “Well, I would rather get caught, than die.”

“This is your fault Jake, so, shut up, and jump!”

We were the doomed boys, the unwanted ones, Society called us orphans.  I called us survivors.

Last year, Will, Tommy and I escaped from the bullshit system. Finally, we were free and because of me, maybe until today.

Will was the oldest one, I didn’t know what we would do if he was caught.  I scared away that thought and mentally smacked the back of my head and I just did what he said. I ran.

           My leg hurt, it was a bad landing when I jumped from the fire-stair, but I needed to keep going a little longer and we would be safe. Will always has a plan B.

“You’re an idiot.” Tommy had been yelling at me for the past five minutes and I barely could catch my breath. “That’s the first rule moron! Don’t do anything stupid.”

            “Look, I didn’t want to steal it, the food was going to expire soon anyway, it was going to end in the trash, I don’t know why the asshole clerk called the cops?”

“Because it’s shoplifting, idiot.”

“You’re right,” Of course he was, I just was pissed off, sometimes life wasn’t fair, and now Will was in trouble because of me. “I’m going to the police station.”

            “Jake, you listen to me very carefully, you’ll stay here, and we’ll wait for Will. Now give me that backpack, I’ll make us something to eat. Moron.”

             It was almost eight in the morning and Will never showed up. I left all my money and a note next to Tommy’s bed. It didn’t matter he would never understand why I left.

 I was walking around the corner when a hand pulled me into the alley. Shit! I almost had a heart-attack.

“Where the hell do you think you are going?”

“Will!” I blinked twice to be sure it was him. I hugged him, knowing he was okay.

                                                                     ***

            “Next town will be better,” Will said and he smacked the back of my head, and then Tommy did it as well.

“The hell!” They were laughing, and I was laughing too. I didn’t care where we were going. I got my brothers and that was enough for me.

Note: Images were taken from google.com & atozchallenge web site.

T is for... True Love

She liked the mysterious look in Will’s eyes. It was kind of unsettled and right at the same time.

He had a tattoo inside his left wrist and another one on his shoulder. She saw it once, one day of many days she was hiding from her mother, she went to the park and sat on the bench faking to bury her face in a book. But she was watching him, waiting for him.

The guys started their basketball game and Will showed up a few minutes later. He finished his cigarettes and crushed with his running shoe.  Will took his shirt off and joined the game.

She couldn’t take her eyes away. Will was so much beauty in just one person.

Could she love him that much even if she had never spoken to him before? Because she indeed was in love.

Note> Images were taken from google.com & atozchallenge website.

S is for...SUMMER CAMP FROM HELL

My life sucks!

Why did I agree to come here?

This place is worst than hell…

There is no cell phone reception or internet for start, but there are mosquitos and nature everywhere.

I don’t know anybody and thanks God for that, because people here seem so chirped and happy and cheerful, like if they were in a constant baby shower party.

And don’t get me to talk about the creepy forest. Why does this place have to be next to the most dangerous place in the world? A forest, a forest!

I want to go home but then I would have to expend the

 rest of the summer with my stupid new stepmother without school as an escape.

I hate my mom, and I hate my dad.

“Abby, honey, you’ll love it. This is going to be an experience you’ll with remember forever. My parents said.

And I’m afraid they were right, this is going to be a nightmare for life.

Note:  Images taken from google.com & atozchallenge website.

R is for ROBERT FROST.

This is one of my favorites poems by Roberts frost and ever.

When I’m tired, when I want to escape, when I need a moment to myself,

I read the last part of the poem,

it always reminds me that the more important of life is to live.

BIRCHES

Year:1969

…So was I once myself a swinger of birches.

And so, I dream of going back to be.

It's when I'm weary of considerations,

And life is too much like a pathless wood

Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs

Broken across it, and one eye is weeping

From a twig's having lashed across it open.

I'd like to get away from earth awhile

And then come back to it and begin over.

May no fate willfully misunderstand me

And half grant what I wish and snatch me away

Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:

I don't know where it's likely to go better.

I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,

And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,

But dipped its top and set me down again.

That would be good both going and coming back.

One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

NOTE: Images were taken from www.google.com & atozchallenge

P is for...PANIC. A BOOK REVIEW

By: Lauren Oliver

Year: 2014

Genre: Y/A Thriller. Suspense.

4 STARS

Written in third person limited POV, from the perspective of both main characters, Panic is the story of Heather and Dodge competing in a legendary game played by the graduating seniors in a boring small town in the middle of nowhere. The risks are high, but the payoff is even higher. Secrets, tension, danger, and braveness filled every page of this book.

Panic was my first book by Lauren Oliver, I read it a few months ago and I read it again this week. Usually, when I don’t know the author, I search some of the reviews and comments in order to know where I’m getting into.

The reviews about this book weren’t the best. Let’s put it in this way: for some reviewers including bloggers that I follow, this book wasn’t “good enough.” 

One of the things seems to bother some readers is that in somewhere in Goodreads, Panic was labeled as a Dystopia, so they go into the book thinking they will find something similar to The Hunger Games and Divergent. Well, this book is Not a Dystopia, it is a contemporary suspense. Which is a perfect example of how dangerous labels and unfair reviews can be.

However, the synopsis called my attention and I decided to give it a shot, although I didn’t have any expectation.

“For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.”

I’m so glad that I read Panic. Wow, I loved everything about this book, from the beginning the pace is fast and with tension.

I liked the writing style, Oliver has a gift to make descriptions unique. The plot is more complex of what it seems at first, and I would say the concept is something uncommon in YA, which make the book even greater.

The author includes different subplots, which it could feel like it’s too much, but for me, it just makes the story more authentic

 The voices of the two main characters are clear, completely different at the point that they clash with each other. There is no way the reader misunderstand in which POV every chapter is told.

 The strengths of this book are the characters. Oliver’s characters are so believable that they pop out of the pages. Dodge, the male protagonist is the best. He is a powerful character, strong and with fire in him. When I was in his POV, I could feel everything he was feeling, his anger, his fearless, his determination and very deeply buried in his heart, there was love.  It was overwhelming.

 The weakness in Panic are: First, a few predictable twists. I like surprises, and when I guess what is coming in a book, it takes some of the emotion. Sometimes is good to be right and tell ‘I knew it’ but in this case, I would prefer to open the door and be amazed.

Second, the rush at the end that it felt chopped. It was like being in a rollercoaster and the ride ended before the last turn. It had a bittersweet taste.

However, one of the things I like the most about this author is how invested she is with her characters. It’s important to take the time to develop unforgettable characters. I’ve read books that I don’t like the plot or the writing or the narrative, but the characters are so great that makes me keep reading. I believe a good character could make a difference between good stories and bad ones, even it could save it.

The only thing I wanted more was at almost at the end. I’d love is the writer would spend more time developing the anticipation at the end and if she’d make it a little more difficult for the protagonist in the last quarter of the book, for a better impact of the last chapter.

100% Recommended.

Note: Images were taken from google.com & atozchallenge

O is for...OLIVER.

I’ve seen him in my mind, I know how he looks like, how he talks, 

how he walks.

The dangerous boy with broken winds seems a little too cliché. 

But he isn’t.

He will have the biggest heart of all my boys, 

he would love even beyond the pages.

Oliver wants to be born, he wants his story, 

he’d told me in a dream.

Note: Images were taken from www.google.com & www.atozchallenge.com

N is for...NOT ENOUGH

The third week in the AtoZchallenge starts we a story where love sometimes is not enough.

Jake ran through the train station, searching the sea of people, it couldn’t be late. It couldn’t.

“Sarah!”

            There she was, beautiful as always. He walked to her with a sense of relief and fear at the                    same time, praying, hoping.

“I don’t want you to go, I was wrong, I love you.”

Sarah looked into his eyes without talking.

“Please say something.”

Finally, she went to her tip-toes and kissed his cheek. “Sometimes Love is not enough.                        Goodbye, my love.”

Sarah turned around and walked away.

           

              Note: Images were taken from google.com & atozchallenge.com

M IS FOR... MERMAID

Some men saw her as a joke, others fear her, but all of them love her.

Women despised her beauty. They said she was a Mermaid’s daughter, 

with the power of hypnotizing any male at the village and beyond.

Some people thought she was the devil itself. How if not, can somebody

explain she could knock down a guy double her size.

Selene, her name was famous among sailors and their families. 

And now she was back.

Two years had passed since the last time she was home, 

just in time to celebrate her twenty spring, but she had better a plan than a party, 

and soon everyone will know.      

Note: Images was taken from atozchallenge.com

LOVE LIFE AND THE LIST. A BOOK REVIEW

Title: Love Life and The List.

By: Kasie West

Genre: Y/A Contemporary Romance.

Year: 2017

RATE: 5 STARS

I fall in love with West’s writing at the moment I read “The distance between us.” Since then, my admiration for this writer has been going up and up.

Kasie West has a gift for describing beauty hidden inside of a complex world.  Her stories are full of different challenge and Love Life and the List is not different.

This book tells Abby’s story, a 17 years old artist girl, and how she was told, her art didn’t have a heart, so she makes a list of things she needs to do to find her heart.

But what she found was much more, she found her voice, she found that changes are not something bad, as long you keep your true self-intact, but more important she found out how to fight for herself.

With a father always away, with a mother with an peculiar anxiety, I have to say that the writer worked this sensitive issued remarkable well, and being in love with a best friend that he didn’t want to acknowledge her feeling, Abby’s world is not as perfect as everybody thinks it is.

As usual West narrative is effective, very powerful and the characters have a clear distinctive voice.

I loved every part of this book and I loved the heroine, I loved her journey and especially I loved she was strong and no a whiny teenager with a broken heart.

And the best part is, this is the first standalone book in a series of three.

100% Recommended.

Note: Pictures were taken from goodreads.com and atozchallenge.com