Matthew Keville

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Life hasn’t exactly gone as planned for Sarah Brannigan. Divorce, loss of home, loss of her good job… Now in a cramped apartment with roommates working two crappy jobs to barely make her bills, Sarah has only one respite; her dreams. At night she escapes to Coney Island in its heyday with her dream man. But too much time in her dreams has them leaking out into the real world.

This is an interesting story about living too much in your “what if’s” can take away from your “now.” Sarah is a great character, a smart woman just in a rough patch but not willing to give up. And the ending is not what you would expect.

There are some pretty dark and sexy scenes and the connection to Coney Island is vivid and real, like you could reach out and touch it. Very enjoyable! 3.8 out of 5.

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*This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

Our main character is facing a crossroads; obey his father and go to business school or chase his dreams. An old man overhears the argument and tells his own story about facing the same choice in his youth. What follows is a cautionary tale of magic and rock and roll.

Full disclosure: This author is a friend of mine who reads my blog and asked me to check out his work. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I will give my honest opinion, friend or not. Dog shit is dog shit even if its your friend’s dog.

That being said, this is NOT dog shit. The way the supernatural elements are running in the background of real life and you get the sense you could see them if you just opened your eyes properly reminded me of some of Gaiman’s work (it also helps I’m also re-reading Neverwhere). Our two main characters may be nameless but their personalities are so well fleshed out, I didn’t feel names were fully necessary.

Compact, entertaining, and touching, this is a magical little story about the dangers of playing life too safe and taking that chance to find your bliss. I left this story feeling inspired! 4 out of 5.