Katie's Clean Book Collection

Dancing to Freedom (Dreams Edge #0.5) by Traci Hunter Abramson {Review}

2021-06-15T03:00:00.003-06:00

Dancing to Freedom (Dreams Edge #0.5) by Traci Hunter Abramson

Kindle Edition, 83 pages
First published April 30, 2021

Canada, 1960

Ballet is Katerina Petrova’s world. But when the stage lights go dim and the curtain closes, she is simply a young woman who is trapped. On tour with the Soviet Kirov Ballet in Canada, Katerina is watched day and night by her chaperones and ballet security. But no one realizes that her hotel balcony adjoins that of handsome Canadian hockey player Robert Marcell.

Robert is enchanted by Katerina, though he knows little about who she really is. In an attempt to find out more about this mysterious young woman, Robert extends his stay in the hotel. One night, when a teammate’s wife persuades him to join them at the ballet, Robert reluctantly attends. He has no interest in cultural experiences—until Katerina dances onto the stage. Soon, the two are inseparable, but despite their growing love, Katerina knows they can have no future together. They come from different worlds, and to escape her gilded cage would be nearly impossible.

My Review: 5 Stars
There's something so intriguing and heartbreaking about a forbidden love and Abramson snapped me to attention with this sweet novella.
Russian ballerina Katerina and Canadian hockey star Robert share an adjacent balcony at a hotel and forge an attracting friendship that I just devoured. Abramson portrays these characters in a lifelike and authentic way that gripped my heart. Details about how captive Katerina was stirred feelings of fear and hope deep in my soul and I desperately wanted Robert to find success.
Written in a very engaging way, this story nestled itself deep in my heart and left me anticipating more from this series.
Content: mild moments of peril/threat/fear; mild romance

Inventing Vivian by Jennifer Moore {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

2021-06-14T21:21:00.004-06:00

4.5 Stars

I love a book with a good, strong female lead and it was especially fun to watch Vivian develop her love of science. The Blue Orchid society is a wonderfully diverse and solid group of innovative young ladies in the Victorian era and it's such a joy to delve into each of their stories.

Vivian is very smart and not afraid to be true to herself. She's a sharp character that was a delight to read about and I just adored her. I loved Lord Benedict and the whole situation regarding him. Moore always introduces a thread to her stories that aren't the norm for the time periods she writes in, and this whole series is evident of that. The Chinese element was enjoyable and interesting as well.

Solid characters with a solid plot. Personally, I wanted more romance, since this is labeled as a Victorian romance, but all in all, this is a very entertaining book in a wonderful series and I'm anticipating the rest of the Society's stories.

Content: very mild romance; very mild moments of violence/peril

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

Buy your copy HERE.

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Silent Partner (A Pine Falls Novel) by Jennifer Peel {Review}

2021-06-14T03:00:00.037-06:00

Silent Partner (A Pine Falls Novel) by Jennifer Peel

324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2021
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were voluntarily given.

He thinks his silence will protect her. She needs to hear what’s in his heart.

When it comes to love and life, Kinsley Kramer knows one thing—she’s always second best. Tired of feeling like she’s never enough, she decides to give up on men and adopt a cat. What Kinsley doesn’t know is that Brant Holland wants nothing more than to tell the world how much he loves her, but he has kept his distance to protect Kinsley from the secrets he keeps and from his ex-fiancée’s family.

But when Kinsley is about to lose her restaurant, Brant can’t help but act. He steps in and becomes her silent partner. Unable to deny the passion that sizzles between them, they must open painful doors to the past, and the secrets Brant has been keeping must be unleashed. Secrets that threaten to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. Kinsley must now decide if she can bear the pain of Brant’s past choices and an uncertain future as everything in the Hollands’ world hangs in the balance.

See how it all unfolds in this heart-tugging final chapter of the Pine Falls series.

My Review: 5 Stars
The books in this series must be read in order, as the drama and intensity builds with each one and you'll definitely be lost without the backstory. That said, I've been waffling between eagerly anticipating this story and dreading it. Why the contradicting feelings? Because I've been dying to get Kinsley's story, yet this is the end of the series.
This story is full of drama--the kind that makes a reader question everything in life and spend lots of time assessing what they would do in this situation--yet I just couldn't get enough. Peel has a way of magically transporting a person right into her books.
Kinsley and Brant are multi-dimensional characters and I loved peeling their layers to discover what is underneath. They have heavy burdens, yet they are each full of grace. With stories full of love, loss, forgiveness, and tension, these characters grow and although their situations may differ from the reader's, they are built on relatable facets. My heart was tugged and stretched, but I wouldn't have it molded in any other way.
Content: PG-13 romance (kissing; talk of intimacy and some innuendo); mild+ language