The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood

The Reckless Oath We Made

by Bryn Greenwood

Published: G.P. Putman's Sons, 2019

Pages: 436

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Amazon, Goodreads

"I am well. This place be full of knaves and godless motherfuckers, but I fear them not."

About the book

Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her housebound mother, and her drug-dealing boss.

Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor. Two years ago the voices he hears called him to be Zee's champion. Both shy and autistic, he's barely spoken to her since, but he has kept watch, ready to come to her aid.

When an abduction tears Zee's family apart, she turns to the last person she ever imagined — Gentry — and sets in motion a chain of events that will not only change both of their lives, but bind them to one another forever. 

Review

Contemporary romances aren’t usually my jam, but there’s something I really love about stories like this: the normalization of the non-normal.

The Reckless Oath We Made follows the unlikely love story of Zee, a struggling young woman whose father died in prison for murder, and Gentry, a high-functioning autistic who speaks in only Old English and views himself as Zee’s “champion,” bound to protect her.

Zee and Gentry’s lives are brought together when Zee’s sister is kidnapped during an outbreak at the prison where she volunteers at. Zee grapples with taking care of her nephew, dealing with her disabled, hoarder mother, and trying to find out if her sister is OK. 

Since first meeting Gentry, Zee accepts Gentry for who is — I mean Gentry hears voices in his head and she still accepts him with all his flaws without trying to change him. Similarly, Zee is also messed up. She has deep trust issues, comes from a dysfunctional family, and has done a lot of shit she isn’t proud of to get by in life. 

Gentry is the unconventional hero to Zee’s distressing tale; no matter what, Gentry sticks by her and protects her, and she eventually learns to trust and hope again.

The Reckless Oath We Made is truly a beautiful story with raw characters and great writing. Strongly recommend for contemporary romance fans!

RATING (out of five puppies)

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Opposite of Always

By Justin A. Reynolds
Published: HarperCollins, 2019
Pages: 464
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Amazon, Goodreads

Don't be afraid. Take chances. And when those don't work out, take more.

About the book

Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.

He almost made valedictorian. He almost made varsity. He almost got the girl.

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he's falling - hard. Soon she's meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack's curse of almost is finally over.

But this love story is... complicated. It is almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate's death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate's there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn't sure if he's losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate's death, he'll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he's willing to do - and let go - to save the people he loves.

Review

Opposite of Always is a cute, entertaining read about a teen who falls in love, only for his girlfriend to die then him being transported back in time to the moment they first met.

Jack is charming and quirky, but I felt like his character was the only character in the book with any substance. I felt like I couldn't immerse into this world, like I couldn't really picture Jillian, Franny or Kate as my friends.

I also couldn't feel the connection between Jack and Kate. I could feel the love Jack had for her but I felt that he was just suddenly head-over-heels in love with him; the interactions they had didn't really have significance or add import to their relationship.

The Ground Hog Day concept was interested, but I ended up feeling disappointed by the ending. This book just wasn't my cup of tea.

I still give Opposite of Always three puppies because it's a fast, easy read that's a good way to pass the time. If that's the type of read you're looking for, then I'd recommend this book. If not, then you can give it a pass.

RATING (out of five puppies)

Since You've Been Gone

Since You've Been Gone

By Morgan Matson
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2014
Pages: 465
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Amazon, Goodreads

Sloane looked up at me and smiled, a flash of her bright, slightly crooked teeth. "But where's the fun in that?"

About the book

Imagine the ominous stillness of waking up one day to find that your best friend and constant companion is suddenly gone—family and all. Emily and Sloane shared every thought via text ever since Sloane moved into town, and Emily became the faithful sidekick to her fearless personality. 

Now, without Sloane as her navigator, Emily is stuck with no friends, no job, and no plans, with only her self-absorbed playwright parents and adventuresome younger brother, Beckett (one of the many literary references sprinkled throughout the narrative). Then a to-do list arrives in the mail from Sloane, and Emily begins a transformative summer that she hopes will lead her to her friend.

Review

Since You've Been Gone is a fun, coming-of-age summer read that centers around Emily, who wakes up one morning to find her best friend, Sloane, gone. An extremely shy and introverted person, Emily must learn how to conquer her fears and come out of her shell if she wants to find out what's happened to her best, and only, friend.

I admit, almost every time I've gone to the library I've seen this book on the shelf but didn't pick it up because, well, it just looks lame. I finally decided to check it out on my last trip because why not? And, surprisingly, I'm glad I did.

I enjoyed the story line, and the author's writing style is easy to read. I got through the book in two days despite it being over 400 pages long. Since You've Been Gone isn't for everyone... it's definitely a YA read. But hey, if you're looking for a quick, entertaining read, this might be the book for you. 

RATING (out of five puppies):

Verity

Verity

By Colleen Hoover
Published: Hoover, Inc., 2018
Pages: 333
Genre: Thriller
Amazon, Goodreads

"Find what you love and let it kill you" - Charles Bukowski

My only thought after reading this novel: What. The. Fuck. Verity is a disturbing, bone-chilling, steamy psychological thriller that will keep you up at night.

Lowen Ashleigh is a down-on-her-luck writer presented with a one in a life deal: to finish an immensely popular book series written by Verity Crawford, who was left as an invalid following a terrible car accident. Lowen travels to the family's home to sort through Verity's office to find documents to help her in her work. However, Lowen stumbles across an autobiography of Verity's in which the author uncovers dark, horrible truths about her life. Once Lowen starts developing feelings for Verity's husband Jeremy, she must decide whether to give the manuscript to Jeremy even if it will change his life forever.

OK, so Verity is really, really fucked up. And I really, really like that. Trigger warning: This book contains graphic scenes and has moments of child abuse.

Hoover writes gripping characters set in a dark, creepy atmosphere, and her writing is so addicting and compelling. This is actually the first novel of hers that I've read, so I'm unable to compare it to her other work, which by what I read online is vastly different from Verity.

Everything and everyone is shady in this novel. Also, am I the only one who thinks Jeremy is a little too perfect?! I don't reveal spoilers in my reviews, but I'll just let leave that last sentence there for those who have read it.

I feel like this review is lacking, but I honestly cannot even wrap my head around Verity. Like, just go read it if you like fucked up stories about fucked up characters doing fucked up things. (I know I do!)

RATING (out of five puppies):

Outlander

Outlander

By Diana Gabaldon
Published (my version): Delacorte Press, 2011
Pages: 662
Genre: Historical fiction, Romance
Check it out on Amazon

People disappear all the time...
Many of the lost will be found, eventually, dead or alive. Disappearances, after all, have explanations.
Usually.

It's 1945 and Claire Randall is reunited with her husband after being apart for several years because of a war. Claire accidentally touches an ancient boulder in the British Isles and gets thrust 200 years into the past. On just her wits and nursing knowledge along, Claire must survive in eighteen hundred Scotland long enough to get back to her home. Or will she be stuck in 1743 forever?

Outlander starts out promising and then falls flat. I tried to read Outlander a few years ago but didn't bother finishing it because I found it too unbelievable. I managed to finish it this time because I actually did enjoy reading it and wanted to know the ending.

Plot: OK, so the premise behind Outlander is really interesting. The book itself is very well-written, and Gabaldon's writing is addicting. It's also clear that she did her research - it really feels like I'm transported to that time while reading the novel. However, about two-thirds of the way in the book, I felt like the plot goes stale and I was left wondering when Outlander would end. Also, I still feel like the parts with Jamie were forced at the beginning - like I know that Claire is opposed to the marriage at first and is seen feeling guilty about her husband in 1945 but Claire and Jamie having to be forced to be married at the beginning is still unbelievable to me.

Characters: The characters in Outlander are great - especially Jamie. I love the little traits Gabaldon writes for Jamie, such as smiling in his sleep while being touch is a sign that he's happy. Ignoring the whole forced to be married thing, I really got a feel for Claire and Jamie's love. I have to admit, the ending portion when Claire talks to the priest to sort out her feelings was a great way to close that part of the storyline.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Outlander but I doubt I will be reading the other books in the series anytime soon unless I get in the mood for some Scotland historical fiction. I'd recommend the series to someone who enjoys Outlander's setting... but other than that I would not. I give Outlander three puppies instead of two because I really enjoyed the writing.

RATING (out of five puppies):