Book Review - Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban

 

Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban is about a young woman who tries to escape her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend who betrayed her. Jade is looking forward to the adventure of a lifetime. She will get to visit 11 countries in 4 months aboard a luxurious cruise ship.  She couldn’t wait to move on and experience all that the cruise has to offer, only to find out that the people she is trying to escape are also on the trip with her. 

Her obsession with the couple begins to grow as she spends every moment trying to analyze what went wrong in the relationships. She tries to analyze what went wrong with her relationships with her ex and ex-best friend. Her obsession becomes an issue when someone ends up murdered. Then more of her friends are dying and Jade has become the prime suspect. She will have to figure out who is behind these crimes before anyone else ends up in a body bag.

This young adult novel is a closed room thriller with a few twists and turns. I thought Jade was an annoying main character. She was too stubborn and stuck in her own head. When she wanted to find out the truth over her relationship, she was basically stalking the couple. To me, her character seemed stereotypical: The sweet and caring character that everyone seems to love. She always tried to see the best in people even when there were so many clues pointing to them being the bad guy. When she realized that one character could have prevented another from dying if they spoke up earlier, she still tried helping that character instead of having them face any consequences.

Some of the dialogue and characters seemed one dimensional and juvenile. They seemed to make silly mistakes that I would assume someone younger would do. I was also surprised that a scene in the book mentioned the characters doing meth. I feel like that seems out of place for college students.  The book did reel me in the beginning but then it started petering out towards the end because it seemed unbelievable and far fetched.

Book Review - How to Walk Away: A Novel by Katherine Center

Photo Credit - Amazon

Margaret Jacobsen has always been afraid of flying but when her dreamy pilot to be boyfriend promises to take her on a trip she won't ever forget; she hesitantly agrees. Margaret has the picture perfect life with a dreamy boyfriend who proposed to her during their flight and her dream job lined up. However, everything she worked so hard for is in jeopardy when an unfortunate accident occurs.

While in the hospital trying to recover, Maggie must come to terms that her life will never be the same as it once was. Her fiancé, Chip is reluctant to visit but he wants Maggie to forgive him without putting in the effort. And then her older estranged sister, Kit who disappeared from Maggie's life for three years.  When Maggie only wants to wallow in self-pity, she paired with a tough as nails physical therapist, Ian who refuses to let her give anything else than 100% during her therapy. Is Ian the thing that Maggie needs the most but refuses to acknowledge? Why did Kit and Maggie have a fallout? Can someone love when they are at their most vulnerable?

The novel was an interesting and delicious read about perseverance, happiness, and tough love. Each of the book's characters were well-developed and multi-dimensional while continuously grow. I found that Maggie was an inspiration point that she didn't help her accident define who she is along with being the bigger person and understanding that everyone had faults. There were parts of the novel, I was shaking my head and yelling that Maggie could do better but I still find this novel enjoyable. A great read for an upcoming beach day!

Book Review - The Travelers by Chris Pavone

Photo Credit: Amazon

The newest book from New York Times bestselling author, The Travelers by Chris Pavone is a fast pace international spy thriller. Will Rhodes is like most Americans -- newly married at a job where he can barely make ends meet. As each day passes, Will contemplates his life, did he marry the right woman and should he switch career paths? On one of his assignments, he becomes entrance with a fellow travel writer and finds it hard to stop thinking about her. After a series of bad decisions, Will is thrown into one dangerous situation after another. It becomes very clear that he can't trust anyone and everyone has a secret they are willing to kill for.

While, the book was a page turner; I found some parts to be boring. The characters were realistic and fully developed but I can't say I was rooting for any of them. Almost half way thorough the book, you start to realize where the book is handing and the plot becomes predictable. A good read if you are a fan of the genre/author but I wouldn't see myself rereading this book again.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book for my honest opinion**

Votivo No. 55TR Rush of Rose Candle

I got this candle as a present. I never been much of a rose scented person as it usually reminds me of my grandma. This soft powdery scent smells like 30 dozen roses are filling the room. The scent is very light and feminine. The classic Damascus Rose scented candle was perfect scent for bath time or snuggling into a blanket and reading a book. The candle has an estimate burn time of 30-40 hours but I found it to be less than that. They recommend lighting the candle for 2 hours at a time then let it cool prior to re-lighting. The metal tin does hot so I use a plate as a coaster.  A nice scent as a present, but I prefer the Votivo Icy Blue Pine Candle  instead.

Supersmile On The Go Quikee Instant Whitening Polish

With a jam packed schedule, it's hard to find time to squeeze in all of life's demands. With a life on the go, sometimes it hard to find time or the resources to brush your teeth. When chewing gum doesn't cut it,  I usually use breathe strips.  When I saw this I thought I would give it a try as it promises to whiten teeth and freshen breath without the need to brush or rinse. The tasty gel goes on smoothly and left my breath fresh. Unfortunately, I didn't notice my teeth getting whiter.  Since, it was quite pricey at $18 a tube, I think I would skip on buying it again.