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In Another Life
Chloe was three years old when she became Chloe Holden, but her adoption didn’t scar her, and she’s had a great life. Now, fourteen years later, her loving parents’ marriage has fallen apart and her mom has moved them to Joyful, Texas. Starting twelfth grade as the new kid at school, everything Chloe loved about her life is gone. And feelings of déjà vu from her early childhood start haunting her.
When Chloe meets Cash Colton she feels drawn to him, as though they're kindred spirits. Until Cash tells her the real reason he sought her out: Chloe looks exactly like the daughter his foster parents lost years ago, and he’s determined to figure out the truth.
As Chloe and Cash delve deeper into her adoption, the more things don’t add up, and the more strange things start happening. Why is Chloe’s adoption a secret that people would kill for?
When Chloe meets Cash Colton she feels drawn to him, as though they're kindred spirits. Until Cash tells her the real reason he sought her out: Chloe looks exactly like the daughter his foster parents lost years ago, and he’s determined to figure out the truth.
As Chloe and Cash delve deeper into her adoption, the more things don’t add up, and the more strange things start happening. Why is Chloe’s adoption a secret that people would kill for?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2019
115 people are currently reading
6233 people want to read
About the author
C.C. Hunter
37 books8,129 followersC. C. Hunter is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty-five books, including her wildly popular Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark series. In addition to winning numerous awards and rave reviews for her novels, C.C. is also a photojournalist, motivational speaker, and writing coach. In February 2018, Wednesday Books will publish her contemporary young adult and hardcover debut, This Heart of Mine. And the first book of her new paranormal young adult series, The Mortician's Daughter: One Foot in the Grave was released on October 31st 2017. C. C. currently resides in Texas with her husband, junkyard dog, Lady, and whatever wild creatures that meander out from woods surrounding home.
C.C. Hunter is a pseudonym. Her real name is Christie Craig and she also writes humorous romantic suspense romance novels. www.christie-craig.com
C.C. would love to hear from you. Because of deadlines, it may take her a day or so to get back with you, but she will reply. cc@cchunterbooks.com
C.C. Hunter is a pseudonym. Her real name is Christie Craig and she also writes humorous romantic suspense romance novels. www.christie-craig.com
C.C. would love to hear from you. Because of deadlines, it may take her a day or so to get back with you, but she will reply. cc@cchunterbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
April 14, 2019
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
While I don’t read a lot of young adult novels, I do read a few. “In Another Life” was one that really piqued my interest.
Chloe Holden and her mother have just moved to Joyful, Texas, and Chloe is most definitely not feeling any joy. Her father is living in their old home with his younger girlfriend. Her parents still constantly fight and Chloe wishes they could see how much their arguing affects her.
Chloe and her father stop at a gas station on their way home after a weekend visit. Chloe is upset and collides with someone as she storms inside. Although it was Chloe's fault, the guy apologizes to her, but that apology quickly turns to anger. The guy follows her. "Whatever you’re trying to pull, don’t do it.” Chloe ignores him, he MUST have her mixed up with someone else. She apologizes and leaves the store but sees him watching them as they drive away.
The next day at school Chloe and her new friend/neighbor, Lindsay come across two students fighting. One of the students is the angry guy from the gas station. Lindsay tells Chloe that his name is Cash.
Whenever Chloe sees Cash he seems to be staring at her. After school one day Chloe has a flat tire. Cash offers to help her fix it. As they talk Chloe realizes that Cash seems to know a lot about her. He admits that he's been checking her out on social media. She’s not sure whether to be creeped out or flattered. They start to spend time together and Chloe finds herself opening up to Cash about her parent's divorce and her mother's health. Cash explains why he was so upset when he first saw her at the gas station.
Chloe is shocked at what Cash tells her. Could Chloe possibly be who Cash thinks she is? If he is right then EVERYTHING will change. As they work together, looking for answers, they don't realize that some people may not want them to find out the truth. Chloe and Cash might be putting themselves in danger.
Who doesn't want them to find out the truth? And why?
“In Another Life” was a quick and easy read. The story alternates between Chloe and Cash’s point of view.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel although I did have a few issues with it. I wanted to know the truth about what had happened and see how things turned out, but it felt like there were some holes in the story with some loose ends that I wished had been tied up. I wouldn't say there is a lot of suspense but there is a mystery that Cash and Chloe are trying to solve.
I think this is a story many young adults will enjoy. The relationship between Cash and Chloe was kind of "instalovey", but I was still rooting for them. The novel also deals with issues that many teens may relate to including, adoption, divorce, relationships, sex, etc.
I'd like to thank Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
While I don’t read a lot of young adult novels, I do read a few. “In Another Life” was one that really piqued my interest.
Chloe Holden and her mother have just moved to Joyful, Texas, and Chloe is most definitely not feeling any joy. Her father is living in their old home with his younger girlfriend. Her parents still constantly fight and Chloe wishes they could see how much their arguing affects her.
Chloe and her father stop at a gas station on their way home after a weekend visit. Chloe is upset and collides with someone as she storms inside. Although it was Chloe's fault, the guy apologizes to her, but that apology quickly turns to anger. The guy follows her. "Whatever you’re trying to pull, don’t do it.” Chloe ignores him, he MUST have her mixed up with someone else. She apologizes and leaves the store but sees him watching them as they drive away.
The next day at school Chloe and her new friend/neighbor, Lindsay come across two students fighting. One of the students is the angry guy from the gas station. Lindsay tells Chloe that his name is Cash.
Whenever Chloe sees Cash he seems to be staring at her. After school one day Chloe has a flat tire. Cash offers to help her fix it. As they talk Chloe realizes that Cash seems to know a lot about her. He admits that he's been checking her out on social media. She’s not sure whether to be creeped out or flattered. They start to spend time together and Chloe finds herself opening up to Cash about her parent's divorce and her mother's health. Cash explains why he was so upset when he first saw her at the gas station.
Chloe is shocked at what Cash tells her. Could Chloe possibly be who Cash thinks she is? If he is right then EVERYTHING will change. As they work together, looking for answers, they don't realize that some people may not want them to find out the truth. Chloe and Cash might be putting themselves in danger.
Who doesn't want them to find out the truth? And why?
“In Another Life” was a quick and easy read. The story alternates between Chloe and Cash’s point of view.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel although I did have a few issues with it. I wanted to know the truth about what had happened and see how things turned out, but it felt like there were some holes in the story with some loose ends that I wished had been tied up. I wouldn't say there is a lot of suspense but there is a mystery that Cash and Chloe are trying to solve.
I think this is a story many young adults will enjoy. The relationship between Cash and Chloe was kind of "instalovey", but I was still rooting for them. The novel also deals with issues that many teens may relate to including, adoption, divorce, relationships, sex, etc.
I'd like to thank Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
March 28, 2019
DNF
I can't do it. This is awful. The writing needs serious work, the plot is unrealistic and overly melodramatic, but most of it, these characters ARE TERRIBLE. In the first 5% of the book, there were four mentions of the main character's breasts, and neither she nor the love interest seem to be capable of going more than a page without referring to how "hot" everyone thinks Chloe is. She's tall and skinny-but-curvy(!) and beautiful with her "great B cup breasts", WE GET IT. Oh my god, I don't remember the last time I cringed this much in such a short span of time.
On top of the general all-consuming obnoxiousness, Chloe is an asshole. I get that life is hard for her, but that gives her no excuse to slut-shame other women's outfit choices or to act like her dad's new girlfriend is the only one worthy of blame (when the woman is evidently barely legal, and her dad is a middle-aged man — might this not be a great time to point out how predatory this has the potential to be, instead of just blaming it all on "that whore bitch" girlfriend?). I just can't do this. This is awful and I will probably never try another book by this author because I literally wanted to throw my kindle across the room a few times over how annoyed I was.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I can't do it. This is awful. The writing needs serious work, the plot is unrealistic and overly melodramatic, but most of it, these characters ARE TERRIBLE. In the first 5% of the book, there were four mentions of the main character's breasts, and neither she nor the love interest seem to be capable of going more than a page without referring to how "hot" everyone thinks Chloe is. She's tall and skinny-but-curvy(!) and beautiful with her "great B cup breasts", WE GET IT. Oh my god, I don't remember the last time I cringed this much in such a short span of time.
On top of the general all-consuming obnoxiousness, Chloe is an asshole. I get that life is hard for her, but that gives her no excuse to slut-shame other women's outfit choices or to act like her dad's new girlfriend is the only one worthy of blame (when the woman is evidently barely legal, and her dad is a middle-aged man — might this not be a great time to point out how predatory this has the potential to be, instead of just blaming it all on "that whore bitch" girlfriend?). I just can't do this. This is awful and I will probably never try another book by this author because I literally wanted to throw my kindle across the room a few times over how annoyed I was.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 25, 2019
What if the life you knew was based on a lie? How can bumping into someone change a life?
Chloe knows that she was adopted when she was three years old. She has had a great life - loving parents, a great home, but all of that is challenged when her parents get divorced and she and her mother move to Joyful, Texas. Angry at her father one day, she storms into a convinced store and runs (literally) into Cash Colton, you instantly believes she is running a con.
Dusting that encounter off, Chloe is rattled when she sees Cash again at her new high school. It's a she notices him, he is eyeing her type of budding relationship. Cash has a story himself - he spent a portion of his life in foster care. His foster parents love and adore him and would like for him to be a permanent member of their family.
Things sound like they should be rosy and fine for this pair of teens but Chloe is dealing with having with her parents separation, her mother's health, and being a parentified child. Cash is dealing with guilt, feelings of inadequacy and shame over the life he led with his biological father. Another thing nagging Cash is that Chloe looks exactly like his foster parent's kidnapped daughter!
This book is dubbed as a teen thriller. I would say it's YA with a little bit of thrill thrown in. I liked the questions this brought up. What if you learned your whole life was a lie? What if you thought you knew a secret and if you divulged that secret, lives would be changed? How do you cope with loss? Who do you handle grief? How does loss and grief affect not only a person individually but also the family unit as a whole?
I found this book to be a fast read which sucked me into the characters lives right away. I quickly cared about the main characters (mainly the teens) and also enjoyed their romance. Their reactions, emotions and thoughts felt real for someone in that age range (heck for most age ranges). I liked that there was just enough teen angst and nothing felt too over the top. Of course there were times where I thought, would the average teen do this? But in this book, where we dealing with the average teens? hmmm
This book dealt with various issues such as infertility, self esteem issues, kidnapping, adoption, foster families, loss, grief, illness, self blame, accountability, trust, young love to name a few.
I enjoyed this YA book and believe most teens and adults will enjoy this book. Again, I found it to be more YA young love than thriller but it worked for me. Will the reader guess some things - sure, but that did not hamper my enjoyment at all. The epilogue was nice and tied things up in a very tidy fashion.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, C.C. Hunter, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Chloe knows that she was adopted when she was three years old. She has had a great life - loving parents, a great home, but all of that is challenged when her parents get divorced and she and her mother move to Joyful, Texas. Angry at her father one day, she storms into a convinced store and runs (literally) into Cash Colton, you instantly believes she is running a con.
Dusting that encounter off, Chloe is rattled when she sees Cash again at her new high school. It's a she notices him, he is eyeing her type of budding relationship. Cash has a story himself - he spent a portion of his life in foster care. His foster parents love and adore him and would like for him to be a permanent member of their family.
Things sound like they should be rosy and fine for this pair of teens but Chloe is dealing with having with her parents separation, her mother's health, and being a parentified child. Cash is dealing with guilt, feelings of inadequacy and shame over the life he led with his biological father. Another thing nagging Cash is that Chloe looks exactly like his foster parent's kidnapped daughter!
This book is dubbed as a teen thriller. I would say it's YA with a little bit of thrill thrown in. I liked the questions this brought up. What if you learned your whole life was a lie? What if you thought you knew a secret and if you divulged that secret, lives would be changed? How do you cope with loss? Who do you handle grief? How does loss and grief affect not only a person individually but also the family unit as a whole?
I found this book to be a fast read which sucked me into the characters lives right away. I quickly cared about the main characters (mainly the teens) and also enjoyed their romance. Their reactions, emotions and thoughts felt real for someone in that age range (heck for most age ranges). I liked that there was just enough teen angst and nothing felt too over the top. Of course there were times where I thought, would the average teen do this? But in this book, where we dealing with the average teens? hmmm
This book dealt with various issues such as infertility, self esteem issues, kidnapping, adoption, foster families, loss, grief, illness, self blame, accountability, trust, young love to name a few.
I enjoyed this YA book and believe most teens and adults will enjoy this book. Again, I found it to be more YA young love than thriller but it worked for me. Will the reader guess some things - sure, but that did not hamper my enjoyment at all. The epilogue was nice and tied things up in a very tidy fashion.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, C.C. Hunter, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 28, 2019
An emotional story of friendship and adoption. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Chloe was adopted at three years old. Fourteen years after her adoption, her parents are divorcing, and she and her mother move to small town Texas.
This means Chloe has to start a new school as a senior. This isn’t easy for Chloe, and after a relatively uneventful childhood (after the adoption), this shakes her up. I think it would any teen, truly.
Chloe meets Cash, and they are the best of friends almost instantly; however, Cash has a hidden motive. Chloe looks like the daughter his foster parents lost years earlier. What’s the truth? How are they connected?
It turns out Chloe’s adoption has some secrets bigger than she could have ever fathomed.
In Another Life is billed as a mystery/suspense, but to me, it felt much more like a young adult contemporary, and I liked it in that vein. There is drama, friendship, and the exploration of adoption and foster parenting. The latter was presented in a positive light with warm relationships all around, and I respected the author’s decision to examine adoption through that lens.
Overall, I found this an easy read with plenty of substance and perhaps a storyline that will resonate well with anyone who has been through the adoption or foster process.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Chloe was adopted at three years old. Fourteen years after her adoption, her parents are divorcing, and she and her mother move to small town Texas.
This means Chloe has to start a new school as a senior. This isn’t easy for Chloe, and after a relatively uneventful childhood (after the adoption), this shakes her up. I think it would any teen, truly.
Chloe meets Cash, and they are the best of friends almost instantly; however, Cash has a hidden motive. Chloe looks like the daughter his foster parents lost years earlier. What’s the truth? How are they connected?
It turns out Chloe’s adoption has some secrets bigger than she could have ever fathomed.
In Another Life is billed as a mystery/suspense, but to me, it felt much more like a young adult contemporary, and I liked it in that vein. There is drama, friendship, and the exploration of adoption and foster parenting. The latter was presented in a positive light with warm relationships all around, and I respected the author’s decision to examine adoption through that lens.
Overall, I found this an easy read with plenty of substance and perhaps a storyline that will resonate well with anyone who has been through the adoption or foster process.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
February 15, 2021
**3.5-stars**
When Chloe Holden moves with her Mom to Joyful, Texas, her life is anything but joyful.
Her parents are separated and her mother is currently in remission from cancer, but still very sick.
Her Dad, who she always considered her hero, has cheated on her mom and left them so he can start a life with a much younger woman.
Currently, they're not speaking at all and using Chloe as a go-between.
In spite of all of this, Chloe is doing her best to hold it together. Her mom is in the throes of a terrible depression and most days, Chloe functions more as the parent than a child.
With her mom's utter lack of motivation, Chloe is left to deal with a lot of stressful things on her own.
When Chloe bumps into Cash Colton at a local convenience store, he has an unexpected and far from friendly reaction to her.
Cash believes Chloe is lurking in town to scam his foster parents, the Fullers. They had a baby girl who was kidnapped when she was three years old.
What startles him is that Chloe looks exactly like an age progression photograph of their daughter that has been used to scam them before.
This would seem ludicrous except for the fact that Chloe is actually adopted. She remembers nothing of her life prior to being surrendered by her bio parents.
Nothing except for one vague memory that his been haunting her: her three year old self in a princess dress, sitting on a dirty sofa, crying and having a scary man tell her, your momma and daddy don't want you anymore.
As you can imagine, this memory frightens her so she does her best to suppress it. As her and Cash eventually strike up a friendship, then begin to grow closer, he confesses to her what he fears.
As they begin to explore the idea that she could actually be the missing girl, Emily Fuller, Chloe begins to remember more details.
In Another Life is a solid YA Contemporary story. I had moments in the beginning that gave me pause but as the story continued, I felt myself drawn in more and more. Chloe and Cash's relationship was quite enjoyable.
It was interesting to me to have two main characters who were part of the adoptive/foster care system. Both Chloe and Cash are struggling with issues stemming from that, Chloe definitely less so, and I found those topics interesting to explore.
Cash's back story was very compelling and when I would find myself getting frustrated at some of his choices and behaviors, I had to remind myself of how he perceived the world differently than myself.
I did have a slight issue with Chloe's mom. She was annoying AF and I think we had a bit too much of her.
Her constant issues sucked me out of the story by taking the focus off of Chloe and Cash. I found her distracting, to be honest.
Also, I wouldn't classify this as a Mystery/Thriller.
I have heard some people talking about it and I think if you go into this with that assumption, you will be disappointed. Especially the case if you read a lot of Thrillers. It's definitely a Hard-Hitting Contemporary.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this story and would definitely pick up more works by this author.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity.
When Chloe Holden moves with her Mom to Joyful, Texas, her life is anything but joyful.
Her parents are separated and her mother is currently in remission from cancer, but still very sick.
Her Dad, who she always considered her hero, has cheated on her mom and left them so he can start a life with a much younger woman.
Currently, they're not speaking at all and using Chloe as a go-between.
In spite of all of this, Chloe is doing her best to hold it together. Her mom is in the throes of a terrible depression and most days, Chloe functions more as the parent than a child.
With her mom's utter lack of motivation, Chloe is left to deal with a lot of stressful things on her own.
When Chloe bumps into Cash Colton at a local convenience store, he has an unexpected and far from friendly reaction to her.
Cash believes Chloe is lurking in town to scam his foster parents, the Fullers. They had a baby girl who was kidnapped when she was three years old.
What startles him is that Chloe looks exactly like an age progression photograph of their daughter that has been used to scam them before.
This would seem ludicrous except for the fact that Chloe is actually adopted. She remembers nothing of her life prior to being surrendered by her bio parents.
Nothing except for one vague memory that his been haunting her: her three year old self in a princess dress, sitting on a dirty sofa, crying and having a scary man tell her, your momma and daddy don't want you anymore.
As you can imagine, this memory frightens her so she does her best to suppress it. As her and Cash eventually strike up a friendship, then begin to grow closer, he confesses to her what he fears.
As they begin to explore the idea that she could actually be the missing girl, Emily Fuller, Chloe begins to remember more details.
In Another Life is a solid YA Contemporary story. I had moments in the beginning that gave me pause but as the story continued, I felt myself drawn in more and more. Chloe and Cash's relationship was quite enjoyable.
It was interesting to me to have two main characters who were part of the adoptive/foster care system. Both Chloe and Cash are struggling with issues stemming from that, Chloe definitely less so, and I found those topics interesting to explore.
Cash's back story was very compelling and when I would find myself getting frustrated at some of his choices and behaviors, I had to remind myself of how he perceived the world differently than myself.
I did have a slight issue with Chloe's mom. She was annoying AF and I think we had a bit too much of her.
Her constant issues sucked me out of the story by taking the focus off of Chloe and Cash. I found her distracting, to be honest.
Also, I wouldn't classify this as a Mystery/Thriller.
I have heard some people talking about it and I think if you go into this with that assumption, you will be disappointed. Especially the case if you read a lot of Thrillers. It's definitely a Hard-Hitting Contemporary.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this story and would definitely pick up more works by this author.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity.
December 5, 2022
This was sooooo good I read it in practically one sitting. If you ever read “The Face on the Milk Carton” waaaay back in the day, this will totally give you the same vibes. Chloe discovers her likeness to Emily, a kidnapped girl from years ago when Cash, a guy she meets at school shows her an age-progression photo. She gets a creepy feeling in her stomach. It can’t be true. But there are too many little coincidences, including memories she has from when she was first “adopted” at age 3.
You can pretty much anticipate what is coming with this one, but that doesn’t make the ride any less fun. The writing is strong and little details unfold along the way, and you’re itching to get to that reveal where Chloe finally tells either her parents or the Fullers (who coincidentally, are Cash’s foster parents, another GREAT story line that Hunter handles really well) who she believes she is. This was a really good one. Highly recommended!
You can pretty much anticipate what is coming with this one, but that doesn’t make the ride any less fun. The writing is strong and little details unfold along the way, and you’re itching to get to that reveal where Chloe finally tells either her parents or the Fullers (who coincidentally, are Cash’s foster parents, another GREAT story line that Hunter handles really well) who she believes she is. This was a really good one. Highly recommended!
February 5, 2019
It's been awhile since I've read an adoption themed book that flows through a suspenseful vein. While this had all the budding romance and tender intimacy I was looking for, it did feel light on the mystery/thriller aspect. If you've read a handful of books where you are trying to solve a mystery alongside the main characters, you will likely be able to see the solution well before the reveal, but in all, this was a beautiful, entertaining tale that evokes strong emotions from the reader. I do feel a younger audience would enjoy this more than the adult looking for a YA read.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley.
March 27, 2019
What if the life you knew was based on a lie?
Contemporary YA is my book comfort food, add in a dash of mystery and I am a happy girl! C. C. Hunter has written an entertaining fast-paced book that I devoured in two sittings. This book was well told but heavy on the romance, and light on the mystery. This was something that worked perfectly fine for me, but it is best you know this going in.
Chloe has lead a charmed life. Adopted at the age of three by a loving family, she’s always been confident in who she is. it is Chloe’s senior year and her life has been turned upside down. Her mom has cancer, her father has left, and chloe’s mom move them to Joyful, Texas. Now it is Chloe’s senior year she is the new kid and Hass to start over. I would have truly hated having to change schools my senior year, that really would have been the absolute worst! BUT Chloe meets a boy named Cash Who makes the transition a bit more tolerable. However Cash is convinced that Chloe looks just like his foster parents’ daughter who was kidnapped ages ago. The two of them try to figure out if there is something to this as their romance blooms.
Chloe was a very likable girl, and Cash and she together were totally adorable. Cash was a bit closed off and had a troubled past, but at his core he was a good guy. Chloe’s mother had cancer and I completely empathize with her being sick, but she really put some major pressure on Chloe. Poor Chloe was not only struggling with who she was, but she also was responsible for taking care of her sick mother (who might not even be her mother). Life is messy and it is complicated and this book really showed how you deal with the messier side of life.
A fun and engaging story, perfect for readers of all ages. Recommend!
*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***
Contemporary YA is my book comfort food, add in a dash of mystery and I am a happy girl! C. C. Hunter has written an entertaining fast-paced book that I devoured in two sittings. This book was well told but heavy on the romance, and light on the mystery. This was something that worked perfectly fine for me, but it is best you know this going in.
Chloe has lead a charmed life. Adopted at the age of three by a loving family, she’s always been confident in who she is. it is Chloe’s senior year and her life has been turned upside down. Her mom has cancer, her father has left, and chloe’s mom move them to Joyful, Texas. Now it is Chloe’s senior year she is the new kid and Hass to start over. I would have truly hated having to change schools my senior year, that really would have been the absolute worst! BUT Chloe meets a boy named Cash Who makes the transition a bit more tolerable. However Cash is convinced that Chloe looks just like his foster parents’ daughter who was kidnapped ages ago. The two of them try to figure out if there is something to this as their romance blooms.
Chloe was a very likable girl, and Cash and she together were totally adorable. Cash was a bit closed off and had a troubled past, but at his core he was a good guy. Chloe’s mother had cancer and I completely empathize with her being sick, but she really put some major pressure on Chloe. Poor Chloe was not only struggling with who she was, but she also was responsible for taking care of her sick mother (who might not even be her mother). Life is messy and it is complicated and this book really showed how you deal with the messier side of life.
A fun and engaging story, perfect for readers of all ages. Recommend!
*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***
April 3, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Despite beinga dinosaur old enough for this story to maybe induce a case of déjà vu . . . . .
I was still all over requesting it because I have been digging the YA mystery vibe this year. What I didn’t expect to find upon starting was . . . . .
“Every girl in school has tried to get his attention and failed. You get here, and he gets punched when he’s checking you out.”
Oh yes, the ol’ fallback “Bella Swan Syndrome” and yet another case where a storyline (despite not being particularly fresh) with so much potential immediately fell off the rails. And things just kept getting worse. From a “bad boy” in the foster care system who has been brainwashed into thinking everything is a con, to a potential kidnap victim who was adopted by people IN. THE. SAME. DANG. TOWN. where she would have been taken from, to said potential kidnap victim being THREE YEARS OLD when she would have been taken and somehow did NOT ever say, “yo dudes, thanks for wanting to give me a home but I already have one like one subdivision over and my name is Emily so why don’t y’all just drop me off there, huh?” to a mother with cancer (and an almost 18 year old that doesn’t realize you need to be cancer free for like YEARS before you’re really considered cancer free), to a cheating dad with a new live-in half his age, back to mom because I forgot to mention the severe state of depression she’s in. Ugh. I think Barb says it best . . . . .
This thing was so schizophrenic in themes it had no chance of succeeding. Not to mention the writing was just terrible. Really the only thing that could have made it a bit of fun for me would have been ifEdward Cullen’s Cash the dreamboy’s daddy would have been the kidnapper. Sorry to C.C. Hunter, but . . . .
Like I said before, YA mysteries have improved tremendously over the past couple of years. I highly recommend checking out Karen McManus or The Goldfish Boy or All These Beautiful Strangers or People Like Us if you want a teenie bopper whodunit.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
Despite being
I was still all over requesting it because I have been digging the YA mystery vibe this year. What I didn’t expect to find upon starting was . . . . .
“Every girl in school has tried to get his attention and failed. You get here, and he gets punched when he’s checking you out.”
Oh yes, the ol’ fallback “Bella Swan Syndrome” and yet another case where a storyline (despite not being particularly fresh) with so much potential immediately fell off the rails. And things just kept getting worse. From a “bad boy” in the foster care system who has been brainwashed into thinking everything is a con, to a potential kidnap victim who was adopted by people IN. THE. SAME. DANG. TOWN. where she would have been taken from, to said potential kidnap victim being THREE YEARS OLD when she would have been taken and somehow did NOT ever say, “yo dudes, thanks for wanting to give me a home but I already have one like one subdivision over and my name is Emily so why don’t y’all just drop me off there, huh?” to a mother with cancer (and an almost 18 year old that doesn’t realize you need to be cancer free for like YEARS before you’re really considered cancer free), to a cheating dad with a new live-in half his age, back to mom because I forgot to mention the severe state of depression she’s in. Ugh. I think Barb says it best . . . . .
This thing was so schizophrenic in themes it had no chance of succeeding. Not to mention the writing was just terrible. Really the only thing that could have made it a bit of fun for me would have been if
Like I said before, YA mysteries have improved tremendously over the past couple of years. I highly recommend checking out Karen McManus or The Goldfish Boy or All These Beautiful Strangers or People Like Us if you want a teenie bopper whodunit.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
February 23, 2019
2.5 Stars
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Thriller A Thon: Newest on your TBR
50 States Thriller Challenge: Texas
Ok, so I felt conflicted about how to rate this book. In Another Life is a 4 Star contemporary, I liked its handling of the effects of divorce on a teenager. I also liked how the book explored adoption and all the conflicted feelings adopted children can feel. As a contemporary this book its great
But....
In Another Life isn't a contemporary, its being marketed as mystery/ suspense.
So....
For that reason it gets 2.5 Stars and really 1.5 of those stars are contemporary stars. There is no mystery and no suspense in this book.
NONE!
I was so disappointed. The premise sounded so promising. A girl discovers she looks just like the age progressed photo of a child who was abducted at 3 years old. So she and a cute & mysterious boy set out to discover the truth. A truth that people would kill to keep secret.
I would have loved to have read that book but unfortunately I didn't. Im glad I didn't have to pay for this book because I would have been pissed.
No rec
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Thriller A Thon: Newest on your TBR
50 States Thriller Challenge: Texas
Ok, so I felt conflicted about how to rate this book. In Another Life is a 4 Star contemporary, I liked its handling of the effects of divorce on a teenager. I also liked how the book explored adoption and all the conflicted feelings adopted children can feel. As a contemporary this book its great
But....
In Another Life isn't a contemporary, its being marketed as mystery/ suspense.
So....
For that reason it gets 2.5 Stars and really 1.5 of those stars are contemporary stars. There is no mystery and no suspense in this book.
NONE!
I was so disappointed. The premise sounded so promising. A girl discovers she looks just like the age progressed photo of a child who was abducted at 3 years old. So she and a cute & mysterious boy set out to discover the truth. A truth that people would kill to keep secret.
I would have loved to have read that book but unfortunately I didn't. Im glad I didn't have to pay for this book because I would have been pissed.
No rec
March 9, 2019
4,5 stars
I read this book literally in one sitting. I got it on Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon it was all read. I swear each time CC Hunter publishes a book she has me all wrapped around her pinky!
This is no secret that CC Hunter is one of my favorite YA authors.
She has the knack to write stories flowing effortlessly, a perfect blend between mystery, character development, fun and insightful. She uses every trick and trope you can find in YA stories and does it with intelligence.
In Another Life wears her custom signature but the tone was heavier.
Chloe, our main character, is going through a painful time in her life as her parents just got divorced. She had to move from town, leaving all her friends and boyfriend behind.
The divorce is painful and her mother is angry, bitter and resentful.
To make things worse her mother is just recovering from breast cancer.
Chloe has become her mother’s caretaker. The adult in the relationship.
It leads to festering angry feelings. Towards her father who left them to fend for themselves. Who broke her picture perfect father. Towards her mom who’s acting all childish but this feeling comes with guilt as she’s been so sick. Yet children should not arbitrate fights between their parents suddenly behaving like broody teenagers.
“Her faded blue bandanna has slipped off her head. All I see is baldness. And—bam!—I’m mad at Dad again.”
This role reversal was perfectly executed. Nothing was overdone or brushed under the rug. I could really feel Chloe’s feelings and empathize with her. She was not a drama queen. She was the sensible one in that shattered family and she had a right to feel that anger because yes, parents betrayed her!
Chloe’s breathe of fresh air was Cash the Über cute new guy at school. Even if their relationship began with lots of bumps and animosity in the beginning for reasons I won’t explain in the review as I don’t want to spoil your fun.
“I force myself to look up, seeing first his wide chest, then his eyes and the jet-black hair scattered across his brow. Great! Why couldn’t he be some old fart? I return to his bright green eyes and watch as they shift from apologetic to shocked, then to angry. I should say something—like, add my own apology—but the lump in my throat returns with a vengeance.”
When Cash drops his news Chloe’s world soon becomes even more uncertain, stressful and complicated.
She does not want to believe it yet there is this small voice nagging at her mind…. She has also torn loyalties and complicated feelings. What does she want? What should she want? Talk about emotional whiplash!
From that moment on the story becomes a thriller and a mystery.
Chloe and Cash will try to find the truth gathering clues about Chloe’s past and unknowingly awakening threats buried for years.
Cash was not only a pretty face but he also was a complex character. Shaped by a traumatic past he is a guarded boy if I ever saw one. Here again CC Hunter brushed a very realistic and intricate portrait of what would become later of a kid if he went through all that had hit Cash as a young boy.
I really appreciate the sensitivity of the writing. Many contemporary and “every-day life” topics are brushed in a realistic and intelligent way from the aftermath of a divorce going bad to growing up too fast to take care of a loved one; making peace with what you’ve done in the past, finding your true identity, making new friends after you’ve been uprooted and I could go on and on.
I think what I love above all else with CC’s stories is that she makes you believe that all could happen to you and be real. Even when she creates vampires and werewolves. Because she weaves realistic tales thanks to mundane worries her characters have to face every day.
This is exactly what she’s done in this story of secret and death.
My only complaint if you could call it a complaint is that her usual snark and laugh out loud moments was toned down in this novel. Yet it fits the dark mood of the story.
Recommend it? Definitely!
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley courtesy of St Martin’s Press but it had no influence whatsoever on my willing and honest review.
Have you read it or any other of CC's stories?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
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February 3, 2019
I was super intrigued with this story due to being a social worker and working in foster care/adoption.
In Another Life is about Chloe who discovers that there is a hidden story behind her childhood and being adopted. The story was quick to take on a romance turn.... which I wasn't expecting at all.
Cash and Chloe soon bond with one another about both being violently separated from their birth parents. The relationship takes on a powerful and strong connection based on both being vulnerable about their childhoods.
This story explores love, friendship, family, and what it means to make sacrifices in finding love in a family.
I was hoping for a little bit more with the ending of this book and I feel that it fell a little bit flat for me. I was a tad disappointed in all honesty. I was hoping to see more of the aftermath when Chloe found out the truth about her family/adoption etc.
But, overall it was an enjoyable read!
3.5 stars for In Another Life
Huge thank you to Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 3/26/19
Published to Goodreads: 2/1/19
In Another Life is about Chloe who discovers that there is a hidden story behind her childhood and being adopted. The story was quick to take on a romance turn.... which I wasn't expecting at all.
Cash and Chloe soon bond with one another about both being violently separated from their birth parents. The relationship takes on a powerful and strong connection based on both being vulnerable about their childhoods.
This story explores love, friendship, family, and what it means to make sacrifices in finding love in a family.
I was hoping for a little bit more with the ending of this book and I feel that it fell a little bit flat for me. I was a tad disappointed in all honesty. I was hoping to see more of the aftermath when Chloe found out the truth about her family/adoption etc.
But, overall it was an enjoyable read!
3.5 stars for In Another Life
Huge thank you to Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 3/26/19
Published to Goodreads: 2/1/19
March 4, 2019
In Another Life by C.C. Hunter is a young adult thriller in which a teenager questions her adoption. Chloe was adopted as a toddler and has very few memories before her parents adopted her. She’s had a wonderful childhood ever since but always felt a bit of a loss in her life anyway.
Cash has been in and out of foster homes for years but has found a good home with a loving couple that honestly care for him. That couple had suffered a loss when their biological daughter was kidnapped. With a composite sketch of what the girl would now look like Cash is sure its Chloe.
In Another Life was a fairly quick moving tale. The author apparently has written a few romance books previously and it’s noticeable in the fact this seemed a little light on the mystery side and more about the relationship with Cash and Chloe. I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily bad but I did expect more suspense than just being led to the conclusion. Overall I rated this one at 3 1/2 stars and enjoyed the fast paced read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Cash has been in and out of foster homes for years but has found a good home with a loving couple that honestly care for him. That couple had suffered a loss when their biological daughter was kidnapped. With a composite sketch of what the girl would now look like Cash is sure its Chloe.
In Another Life was a fairly quick moving tale. The author apparently has written a few romance books previously and it’s noticeable in the fact this seemed a little light on the mystery side and more about the relationship with Cash and Chloe. I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily bad but I did expect more suspense than just being led to the conclusion. Overall I rated this one at 3 1/2 stars and enjoyed the fast paced read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
March 25, 2019
Hunter is known for writing fun, interesting stories that know how to hold your attention. In Another Life is no different.
I was looking forward to a good mystery, a little intrigue and a nice sweet romance. And while I did get all of these things, I didn't quite get as much of the mystery/thriller aspect I was hoping I would but that is okay because this story still managed to hold my attention and keep me turning the pages.
The romance was sweet and the mystery, while predictable was still a fun element to the story that added depth and entertainment.
While maybe not my favorite story of the author's, still a fun one to read on a long weekend to just get away for a bit.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
I was looking forward to a good mystery, a little intrigue and a nice sweet romance. And while I did get all of these things, I didn't quite get as much of the mystery/thriller aspect I was hoping I would but that is okay because this story still managed to hold my attention and keep me turning the pages.
The romance was sweet and the mystery, while predictable was still a fun element to the story that added depth and entertainment.
While maybe not my favorite story of the author's, still a fun one to read on a long weekend to just get away for a bit.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
March 19, 2019
In Another Life is written specifically for younger readers, I’m not the target audience. However, that did not quell my enjoyment of the book by any means, it only suggests that I had to read it from a different viewpoint. Chloe’s life going into her final year of high school (senior year for those outside of the US) is already depressing. Her loving. adoptive parents have gone through a horrible, ugly divorce due to her father’s cheating. Her mother is depressed and barely coping leaving Chloe to pick up the pieces. She doesn’t really have high hopes for a great year until she meets Cash. Naturally there is a romance between the two and it is sweet. He also has ulterior motives which I won’t go into and spoil the book for you.
There isn’t a huge amount of mystery here, it is more a coming of age story and, truly, I think that is how I would have branded the book but I never agree with the genres that are slapped on books so this could just be me. It is a very well written contemporary, coming of age, discovery, teen romance book and if you like those and/or know of a teen who might, then I highly recommend In Another Life. The story, from beginning to end, is captivity and the characters are one with whom I identified and empathized. It is definitely a book I would have chosen to read when I was 14 or 15 years old, perhaps a bit younger or older depending on the maturity of the reader.
In Another Life will be available at WEDNESDAY BOOKS on its publication day, March 26, 2018. Thank you to @Wednesdaybooks and Meghan Harrington for my advance copy.
There isn’t a huge amount of mystery here, it is more a coming of age story and, truly, I think that is how I would have branded the book but I never agree with the genres that are slapped on books so this could just be me. It is a very well written contemporary, coming of age, discovery, teen romance book and if you like those and/or know of a teen who might, then I highly recommend In Another Life. The story, from beginning to end, is captivity and the characters are one with whom I identified and empathized. It is definitely a book I would have chosen to read when I was 14 or 15 years old, perhaps a bit younger or older depending on the maturity of the reader.
In Another Life will be available at WEDNESDAY BOOKS on its publication day, March 26, 2018. Thank you to @Wednesdaybooks and Meghan Harrington for my advance copy.
February 21, 2019
We all know that I adore C.C. Hunter, so me giving this three stars feels heartbreaking. I was so hyped for this book after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately, some of the characters made parts of this book unenjoyable.
Let’s first start off with how I love the fact that C.C. Hunter always talks about hard subjects. Heart of Mine had to deal with heart transplants, this one has to deal with adoptions and possible kidnappings. She always mixes a contemporary with some topics that are not easy to read about.
The romance here was very cute and sweet. Chloe and Cash both had been through some things that made them who they were today. They were making each other realize that your past doesn’t define you and you can make your future whatever you want it to be. I loved them together!
What really dragged this book down for me was Chloe’s parents, especially her mom. Their storyline was almost overpowering Chloe’s. Her mother worked my nerves like no other. I get that she had just beat cancer and might not be in a good headspace, but some of her actions were uncalled for. I’m not saying that the dad’s innocent because trust me, he’s still a dog for what he did but her mother was really a piece of work. My biggest issue was that her mother’s mental state was never really addressed. Chloe was the parent to her mother it seems, she grew up to take care of her. She reminded her to feed herself and listen to her go on about her father.
For the most part, this reads like a contemporary, but we also had some mystery involved. While I’m not a big mystery reader but this one really kept me on my toes! I was hooked on every clue that we were given until the big finale.
While I did have some issues with it, I still enjoyed the romance and the mystery aspect of the book. C.C. will always be a favorite author of mine so I can’t wait to see what she releases next!
I received an ARC via the publisher for an honest review.
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Let’s first start off with how I love the fact that C.C. Hunter always talks about hard subjects. Heart of Mine had to deal with heart transplants, this one has to deal with adoptions and possible kidnappings. She always mixes a contemporary with some topics that are not easy to read about.
The romance here was very cute and sweet. Chloe and Cash both had been through some things that made them who they were today. They were making each other realize that your past doesn’t define you and you can make your future whatever you want it to be. I loved them together!
What really dragged this book down for me was Chloe’s parents, especially her mom. Their storyline was almost overpowering Chloe’s. Her mother worked my nerves like no other. I get that she had just beat cancer and might not be in a good headspace, but some of her actions were uncalled for. I’m not saying that the dad’s innocent because trust me, he’s still a dog for what he did but her mother was really a piece of work. My biggest issue was that her mother’s mental state was never really addressed. Chloe was the parent to her mother it seems, she grew up to take care of her. She reminded her to feed herself and listen to her go on about her father.
For the most part, this reads like a contemporary, but we also had some mystery involved. While I’m not a big mystery reader but this one really kept me on my toes! I was hooked on every clue that we were given until the big finale.
While I did have some issues with it, I still enjoyed the romance and the mystery aspect of the book. C.C. will always be a favorite author of mine so I can’t wait to see what she releases next!
I received an ARC via the publisher for an honest review.
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March 19, 2019
I could definitely see this story translate well as a Netflix film. You hear that Netflix? Please and thank you.
Chloe’s senior year is the pits: on top of her parents divorcing, she is starting at a new school. Ripped away from her old life and friends she must start over while taking care of her mother and resenting her father. Oh and the real kicker…someone suspects that she was in fact kidnapped as a child and her real parents live nearby. As if high school isn’t hard enough?!
It’s fast paced and holds your attention. You can whip through this book in a few days. As a young adult book, I felt it was relatable to high school life and teenage emotions. Being adopted, or a foster child, added another complex layer of emotions; and, author C.C. Hunter explored a wide range of internal battles with love and accepting love.
Thank you to the publishers for providing me the arc of In Another Life in exchange for my honest review.
To read my reviews visit: www.saturdaynitereader.com
Chloe’s senior year is the pits: on top of her parents divorcing, she is starting at a new school. Ripped away from her old life and friends she must start over while taking care of her mother and resenting her father. Oh and the real kicker…someone suspects that she was in fact kidnapped as a child and her real parents live nearby. As if high school isn’t hard enough?!
It’s fast paced and holds your attention. You can whip through this book in a few days. As a young adult book, I felt it was relatable to high school life and teenage emotions. Being adopted, or a foster child, added another complex layer of emotions; and, author C.C. Hunter explored a wide range of internal battles with love and accepting love.
Thank you to the publishers for providing me the arc of In Another Life in exchange for my honest review.
To read my reviews visit: www.saturdaynitereader.com
April 23, 2019
ARC provided by Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first time reading a book by C.C. Hunter and I am definitely intrigued and would love to read more! I am always drawn to mysteries, but sometimes YA mysteries can be a hit or miss for me. However, I really did enjoy this book so much, and although I had a few issues with some of the characters, I really think fans of young romance mixed with a hard-hitting mystery would enjoy this book.
This book follows two POVs: Chloe and Cash. Chloe has a strained relationship with both of her adoptive parents. Her father had an affair and is dating someone new, while her mother is a cancer survivor struggling with depression.
Then there’s Cash, a “mysterious” and “tough” character who enters Chloe’s life when he suspects she might be someone else. Cash is also a foster child living with a married couple, the Fullers. Chloe and Cash’s worlds come together when Cash recognizes Chloe in a missing person’s age progression photo. He thinks she may be the Fuller’s missing child.
This story had a lot going on from the get-go: Chloe and Cash have an insta-love budding romance, Chloe is her mom’s caretaker, Chloe is constantly fighting with her father, Cash has a strained relationship with his foster parents, and then there’s the big mystery of who exactly is Chloe Holden?
While this book starts off feeling more like a contemporary, it quickly turned into a mystery as pieces of the adoption and kidnapping came into play. I also really appreciated how such hard-hitting topics were woven into this story. Cash has an extremely tragic past, and even though he’s with a wonderful foster family, he feels immense guilt for being there.
I think what made me lower my rating a bit on this book was how much Chloe had to act like the adult and caretaker for everyone. Not only was she still struggling with her parent’s divorce and her father’s infidelity, but she also became the sole caretaker for her mother during her cancer treatments. And while I completely understand depression is horrible, I was so mad at her mother for how she treated Chloe. Her mother clearly needed professional help but kept piling her anger toward her ex-husband on to her child. I just… felt really, really uncomfortable reading those scenes.
But I really did love Cash so much. He was trying so hard to do the right thing, and I really liked how his and Chloe’s relationship bloomed. And I really felt for Chloe. I couldn’t even imagine being in her position, let alone finding out I might possibly be a kidnapped child? Like, how would I even begin to process that information?
I really enjoyed how the mystery played out and I was second-guessing a lot of things until the very end. And I found the ending soooo satisfying!
Trigger/content warnings: Cancer, divorce, infidelity, kidnapping, child abuse, depression.
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This was my first time reading a book by C.C. Hunter and I am definitely intrigued and would love to read more! I am always drawn to mysteries, but sometimes YA mysteries can be a hit or miss for me. However, I really did enjoy this book so much, and although I had a few issues with some of the characters, I really think fans of young romance mixed with a hard-hitting mystery would enjoy this book.
This book follows two POVs: Chloe and Cash. Chloe has a strained relationship with both of her adoptive parents. Her father had an affair and is dating someone new, while her mother is a cancer survivor struggling with depression.
Then there’s Cash, a “mysterious” and “tough” character who enters Chloe’s life when he suspects she might be someone else. Cash is also a foster child living with a married couple, the Fullers. Chloe and Cash’s worlds come together when Cash recognizes Chloe in a missing person’s age progression photo. He thinks she may be the Fuller’s missing child.
This story had a lot going on from the get-go: Chloe and Cash have an insta-love budding romance, Chloe is her mom’s caretaker, Chloe is constantly fighting with her father, Cash has a strained relationship with his foster parents, and then there’s the big mystery of who exactly is Chloe Holden?
While this book starts off feeling more like a contemporary, it quickly turned into a mystery as pieces of the adoption and kidnapping came into play. I also really appreciated how such hard-hitting topics were woven into this story. Cash has an extremely tragic past, and even though he’s with a wonderful foster family, he feels immense guilt for being there.
I think what made me lower my rating a bit on this book was how much Chloe had to act like the adult and caretaker for everyone. Not only was she still struggling with her parent’s divorce and her father’s infidelity, but she also became the sole caretaker for her mother during her cancer treatments. And while I completely understand depression is horrible, I was so mad at her mother for how she treated Chloe. Her mother clearly needed professional help but kept piling her anger toward her ex-husband on to her child. I just… felt really, really uncomfortable reading those scenes.
But I really did love Cash so much. He was trying so hard to do the right thing, and I really liked how his and Chloe’s relationship bloomed. And I really felt for Chloe. I couldn’t even imagine being in her position, let alone finding out I might possibly be a kidnapped child? Like, how would I even begin to process that information?
I really enjoyed how the mystery played out and I was second-guessing a lot of things until the very end. And I found the ending soooo satisfying!
Trigger/content warnings: Cancer, divorce, infidelity, kidnapping, child abuse, depression.
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March 30, 2019
"If you're not a little bit afraid, you're not doing something right."
I can't recall ever reading an adoption story with a suspenseful twist, and it was such a nice change of pace from the normal contemporary/fantasy books I've been reading lately! This is going to be another one of those reviews that I'm going to keep on the shorter side because I don't want to spoil anything and it's definitely one of those books where the less you know the better it is.
In Another Life follows Chloe Holden, starting her senior year at a brand new school after a recent and nasty divorce between her parents. Her mother just recently beat cancer but is battling heavily with depression as her father starts a new life with another woman. Chloe is hurt, angry, and quite honestly the head of the household as she cares for her mother. For this alone, I loved Chloe, flaws and all. From the second we are introduced to her I was able to sympathize so heavily for her over what a nasty divorce (especially when your a teen and understand what is happening) can do to you. And as if Chloe didn't have enough on her plate already, Chloe finds out from the mysterious (and really good looking) boy in school that she may have been kipnapped. Talk about A LOT going on for the poor girl.
This story is definitely one that will evoke a lot of emotions from you as you dive into Chloe's past knowing it will alter her future forever. I found that this had just the right amount of romance, coming of age, mystery, and thriller elements to it. It's pretty easy to become invested in the story and continuously be on the edge of your seat all the way until the very end. Even once Chloe's past was dug up I still found myself flying through the story for a glimpse at what Chloe's future would look like.
Favorite Quotes
All in all, I'm definitely glad I gave this book a try. There's not many mysterious adoption stories I've read so this was definitely interesting to me. I do believe that this will be more of a hit with teens in the YA community rather than adults reading YA, but either way I still found it to be a nice change up from the books I normally read!
Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review and inviting me to be part of this blog tour!
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I can't recall ever reading an adoption story with a suspenseful twist, and it was such a nice change of pace from the normal contemporary/fantasy books I've been reading lately! This is going to be another one of those reviews that I'm going to keep on the shorter side because I don't want to spoil anything and it's definitely one of those books where the less you know the better it is.
In Another Life follows Chloe Holden, starting her senior year at a brand new school after a recent and nasty divorce between her parents. Her mother just recently beat cancer but is battling heavily with depression as her father starts a new life with another woman. Chloe is hurt, angry, and quite honestly the head of the household as she cares for her mother. For this alone, I loved Chloe, flaws and all. From the second we are introduced to her I was able to sympathize so heavily for her over what a nasty divorce (especially when your a teen and understand what is happening) can do to you. And as if Chloe didn't have enough on her plate already, Chloe finds out from the mysterious (and really good looking) boy in school that she may have been kipnapped. Talk about A LOT going on for the poor girl.
This story is definitely one that will evoke a lot of emotions from you as you dive into Chloe's past knowing it will alter her future forever. I found that this had just the right amount of romance, coming of age, mystery, and thriller elements to it. It's pretty easy to become invested in the story and continuously be on the edge of your seat all the way until the very end. Even once Chloe's past was dug up I still found myself flying through the story for a glimpse at what Chloe's future would look like.
Favorite Quotes
Funny how fast your own past starts feeling like it belongs to someone else.
I always used to think if I could figure out who my real parents were that I might...be able to figure out who I am. Now, it kind of feels like...that by discovering who I would've been in another, I'll lose part of the person I am.
All in all, I'm definitely glad I gave this book a try. There's not many mysterious adoption stories I've read so this was definitely interesting to me. I do believe that this will be more of a hit with teens in the YA community rather than adults reading YA, but either way I still found it to be a nice change up from the books I normally read!
Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review and inviting me to be part of this blog tour!
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March 16, 2019
In Another Life pulled me into Chloe and Cash's lives from the first sentence. I devoured their story in one night and didn't even mind being exhausted the next day after staying up WAY past my bed time. Cash and Chloe are so sweet and GOOD, I couldn't help but love them. They both have such big hearts when it comes to fighting for those they care about. I really enjoyed the added touch of mystery and suspense in their story. It weaved seamlessly into their romance in a way that seemed realistic and not extreme.
It seems like no matter if CC Hunter is writing romance, mystery, or paranormal, her stories are wonderful adventures I enjoy losing myself in.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It seems like no matter if CC Hunter is writing romance, mystery, or paranormal, her stories are wonderful adventures I enjoy losing myself in.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2019
Hunter's This Heart of Mine mentioned organ donation. This time around, there's - once again - another theme I love seeing in books: adoption. It's a representation I rarely come across in books and I love reading about. Definite plus right there!
Then the characters. Chloe was already struggling with finding herself, being herself after she had to move due to the divorce of her adoptive parents. On top of that, there's her mother's depression. Then she literally bumps into Cash who ends up telling her something that throws her life upside-down even more. So yup, there are a whole lot of themes incorporated in this one story. It never felt like an overload though - something I truly admired while reading.
I really loved seeing Chloe's relationship with her parents. Living with her mom and having to cope with her depression definitely had a lot of influence on Chloe and the choices she had to make. On top of that, the relationship between her parents wasn't optimal at all.
Then there's Cash, dark and brooding. Need I say more? Although he's the one turning Chloe's life into an even bigger mess, he's also the one who helps her cope with things. I didn't always connect with him - more on that later! - but I did understand where he was coming from and why he was doing things in a certain way.
C.C Hunter's writing is still as to the point as I remember it being. I literally read In Another Life in barely 24 hours. Definitely helped how we get both Chloe's and Cash' POV's - which are written in first and third person so I easily noticed who's character I was reading at what time and it kept me entirely invested.
There are also some events that dragged me into the story hard and fast. The thrills, the tension and the curiosity to see what was going to happen next kept me on the edge of my seat. There's a reason I read this in such a small amount of time after all!
Last, but definitely not least, is a small conversation that takes place - and I absolutely adored the freak out of it since it pretty much states how you have to ask about having sex because "it should be a choice, not... an afterthought. I swooned, okay. I love it when this is shown so literally and beautifully in novels.
BUT.
I couldn't always connect with Cash the way I wanted to? He's had a hard life, definitely a hard past, which he hasn't worked through yet at all. I mainly believe me feeling disconnected was caused due to his drive to protect, but not care. Apart from that, it might've also been caused by the way we were thrown into his POV. Maybe if we got to know him a bit before Chloe and he met, it would've been different?
Another thing I didn't really like was how Chloe's neighbor - Lindsey - seemed to.. just be thrown in there to add another character to the story. She should've been more involved in everything that was going on. There's even a double date that's mentioned but never described and that was such a pity too! Keeping my fingers crossed that's changed in the finished copy.
I have to say I still enjoyed In Another Life so, so much! I couldn't stop reading and wanted to know how they were going to figure things out, what was going to happen and how things were going to be resolved or left unfinished.
4 / 5
Then the characters. Chloe was already struggling with finding herself, being herself after she had to move due to the divorce of her adoptive parents. On top of that, there's her mother's depression. Then she literally bumps into Cash who ends up telling her something that throws her life upside-down even more. So yup, there are a whole lot of themes incorporated in this one story. It never felt like an overload though - something I truly admired while reading.
I really loved seeing Chloe's relationship with her parents. Living with her mom and having to cope with her depression definitely had a lot of influence on Chloe and the choices she had to make. On top of that, the relationship between her parents wasn't optimal at all.
Then there's Cash, dark and brooding. Need I say more? Although he's the one turning Chloe's life into an even bigger mess, he's also the one who helps her cope with things. I didn't always connect with him - more on that later! - but I did understand where he was coming from and why he was doing things in a certain way.
C.C Hunter's writing is still as to the point as I remember it being. I literally read In Another Life in barely 24 hours. Definitely helped how we get both Chloe's and Cash' POV's - which are written in first and third person so I easily noticed who's character I was reading at what time and it kept me entirely invested.
There are also some events that dragged me into the story hard and fast. The thrills, the tension and the curiosity to see what was going to happen next kept me on the edge of my seat. There's a reason I read this in such a small amount of time after all!
Last, but definitely not least, is a small conversation that takes place - and I absolutely adored the freak out of it since it pretty much states how you have to ask about having sex because "it should be a choice, not... an afterthought. I swooned, okay. I love it when this is shown so literally and beautifully in novels.
BUT.
I couldn't always connect with Cash the way I wanted to? He's had a hard life, definitely a hard past, which he hasn't worked through yet at all. I mainly believe me feeling disconnected was caused due to his drive to protect, but not care. Apart from that, it might've also been caused by the way we were thrown into his POV. Maybe if we got to know him a bit before Chloe and he met, it would've been different?
Another thing I didn't really like was how Chloe's neighbor - Lindsey - seemed to.. just be thrown in there to add another character to the story. She should've been more involved in everything that was going on. There's even a double date that's mentioned but never described and that was such a pity too! Keeping my fingers crossed that's changed in the finished copy.
I have to say I still enjoyed In Another Life so, so much! I couldn't stop reading and wanted to know how they were going to figure things out, what was going to happen and how things were going to be resolved or left unfinished.
4 / 5
June 21, 2019
In Another Life
C.C. Hunter
IN ANOTHER LIFE is the first book I've ever read by C.C. Hunter and it definitely won't be the last. The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Ms. Hunter threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I'm kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner. I knew I was going to love this story just by the description. Don't forget your tissues!! Plan on not getting much sleep until you finish this suspenseful story!
IN ANOTHER LIFE is a quick read and unputdownable! Chloe was adopted when she was just three years old. Chloe meets Cash Colton at school and she instantly feels something for him. At first, Cash believes Chloe is running a con, but as he gets to know her he starts to trust her. When he tells her the real reason why he sought her out, her world changes in ways you can't even imagine. If you are looking for a great story with lots of mystery to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with IN ANOTHER LIFE. I’m so excited to read more by C.C. Hunter.
The twists and turns in IN ANOTHER LIFE are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure it out. One minute you believe you know what happened to Chloe when she was adopted and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just happened. My heart was breaking for Chloe as well as Cash, who didn't have an easy childhood either. When Chloe starts remembering things from when she was three it will blow your mind. Once you start reading, trust me, you aren't going to be able to stop! On top of all that, someone is trying to kill both Chloe and Cash! Hang on tight as you are reading! It's a crazy and thrilling ride. When everything is finally revealed, well, you won't believe it!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading IN ANOTHER LIFE. As Cash begins explaining things to Chloe, things seem to make more sense to her and have her questioning what really happened. There is so much going on in this story, but Ms. Hunter does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad, then happy, and then yelling on the same page. More than once I wanted to be in Joyful, Texas with my new found friends! Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this emotional and heartbreaking story!
C.C. Hunter
IN ANOTHER LIFE is the first book I've ever read by C.C. Hunter and it definitely won't be the last. The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Ms. Hunter threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I'm kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner. I knew I was going to love this story just by the description. Don't forget your tissues!! Plan on not getting much sleep until you finish this suspenseful story!
IN ANOTHER LIFE is a quick read and unputdownable! Chloe was adopted when she was just three years old. Chloe meets Cash Colton at school and she instantly feels something for him. At first, Cash believes Chloe is running a con, but as he gets to know her he starts to trust her. When he tells her the real reason why he sought her out, her world changes in ways you can't even imagine. If you are looking for a great story with lots of mystery to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with IN ANOTHER LIFE. I’m so excited to read more by C.C. Hunter.
The twists and turns in IN ANOTHER LIFE are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure it out. One minute you believe you know what happened to Chloe when she was adopted and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just happened. My heart was breaking for Chloe as well as Cash, who didn't have an easy childhood either. When Chloe starts remembering things from when she was three it will blow your mind. Once you start reading, trust me, you aren't going to be able to stop! On top of all that, someone is trying to kill both Chloe and Cash! Hang on tight as you are reading! It's a crazy and thrilling ride. When everything is finally revealed, well, you won't believe it!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading IN ANOTHER LIFE. As Cash begins explaining things to Chloe, things seem to make more sense to her and have her questioning what really happened. There is so much going on in this story, but Ms. Hunter does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad, then happy, and then yelling on the same page. More than once I wanted to be in Joyful, Texas with my new found friends! Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this emotional and heartbreaking story!
October 24, 2025
I've read some of C.C. Hunter's books years ago and reading this one made me realize that all her characters are the same, just described differently per book. The main character is a drop dead gorgeous girl that has all the boys drooling over her. In this novel, Chloe relocates to Joyful, TX after her parents' divorce and upon stopping at a gas station with her father, she runs into the store and proceeds to bump into a guy. Except it was described like, "I removed my B-cup breasts from this stranger's chest". Why do we need to know how big Chloe's breasts are?
Of course Chloe runs into the hottest guy in town and her future boyfriend, Cash, at the gas station. The second they lay eyes on each other they fall madly in love. The following three hundred pages are filled with unnecessary dialogue that has nothing to do with the meager plot of foster care and adoption. Cash is the town's hot bad boy and has been turning down all the girls in love with him for years. Suddenly Chloe is the new person in town and capture's his attention, as well as all the other guys at her school. The quarterback, random strangers, her best friend's crush, and ex-boyfriend all ask Chloe out because she's beautiful and has a rocking body, which is described multiple times from Cash's perspective.
The secondary characters provided no depth to the story line. Lindsey was dull. She only talked about her cheating ex-boyfriend Jonathon and her new crush David. Chloe whines to her about liking and not liking Cash and wondering why he doesn't text her back right away. She and Cash skip school a lot and no one seems to care. Her mom is in remission from breast cancer and her dad cheated on her mom pre-cancer and now lives with his young girlfriend. Although Chloe boasts yet complains about how she took care of her mom during her chemo and radiation and went to the oncologist with her, she is clueless on the whole breast cancer treatment plan.
I regret not putting this one aside after reading the first chapter. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC.
Of course Chloe runs into the hottest guy in town and her future boyfriend, Cash, at the gas station. The second they lay eyes on each other they fall madly in love. The following three hundred pages are filled with unnecessary dialogue that has nothing to do with the meager plot of foster care and adoption. Cash is the town's hot bad boy and has been turning down all the girls in love with him for years. Suddenly Chloe is the new person in town and capture's his attention, as well as all the other guys at her school. The quarterback, random strangers, her best friend's crush, and ex-boyfriend all ask Chloe out because she's beautiful and has a rocking body, which is described multiple times from Cash's perspective.
The secondary characters provided no depth to the story line. Lindsey was dull. She only talked about her cheating ex-boyfriend Jonathon and her new crush David. Chloe whines to her about liking and not liking Cash and wondering why he doesn't text her back right away. She and Cash skip school a lot and no one seems to care. Her mom is in remission from breast cancer and her dad cheated on her mom pre-cancer and now lives with his young girlfriend. Although Chloe boasts yet complains about how she took care of her mom during her chemo and radiation and went to the oncologist with her, she is clueless on the whole breast cancer treatment plan.
I regret not putting this one aside after reading the first chapter. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC.
February 24, 2019
This was definitely different than Hunter's Shadow Falls series.
I enjoyed it as it was fast paced and unpredictable. I really didn't know what was going to happen next and I wanted to keep reading. I felt sympathy for the characters which means they were developed well. I'm glad I read In Another Life.
Thank you to #netgalley for an advanced copy. #inanotherlife #cchunter
I enjoyed it as it was fast paced and unpredictable. I really didn't know what was going to happen next and I wanted to keep reading. I felt sympathy for the characters which means they were developed well. I'm glad I read In Another Life.
Thank you to #netgalley for an advanced copy. #inanotherlife #cchunter
April 4, 2019
wow, this book is so bad! i hate to rate things i haven’t finished but the characters are stupid, the writing is terrible, and i’ve been reading this for FOUR days and i’m only at 20%.
in the first 20% of the book, the main character’s boobs were mentioned six times. that’s definitely the type of content i’m here for!
there was one page where chloe, the main character, yelled at her dad about how much of a thot his girlfriend is. then on the same page she thinks about how annoying it is sometimes to be the “only one who acts like an adult.” WELL YOU’RE NOT MATURE EITHER. TF??
the author also writes this book as if it’s a movie from 2006 about high school where kids are bullied by being stuffed in lockers and all the cheerleaders are presented as these dumb whores.
the following is some terrible content from the bullying/fight scene:
There’s a big guy with light brown hair laughing at a younger sophomore-looking guy. The bully is holding a backpack up and making some wisecracks to the kid about being short.
“I asked you a question!” Paul yells. “Who do you think you are, Foster Boy?” Cash’s shoulders snap back.
“I’m the one who doesn’t have to pick on someone smaller than myself to feel important.”
it’s 2019. people don’t bully like that anymore. sorry.
the writing is straight up horrible. it’s wattpad-level writing to be honest. the author also switches between first person present-tense and third person past-tense which is extremely annoying. it was fine with the wicked deep which is a fantasy, but why have the POVs switch like that when they going on at the same exact time??
what really made me stop reading this was something that came from cash’s (also, what a dumb name???) POV:
She wasn’t one of the bitches.
then later
She seemed somehow . . . different from other girls. When she’d run into people in the hall, she said excuse me. Most didn’t. She smiled at other students—not just the popular people, like some girls did.
i’m not even gonna waste my time explaining why that’s problematic.
i’ll continue reading this in the summer for when i’m bored and need something to laugh at. and i’m sad that this is the first arc i’m reading and there’s the fact that i haven’t even finished it. what a great first impression for me to make 🤪
but uhhh,,.,., thanks to netgalley and wednesday books for the free copy
in the first 20% of the book, the main character’s boobs were mentioned six times. that’s definitely the type of content i’m here for!
there was one page where chloe, the main character, yelled at her dad about how much of a thot his girlfriend is. then on the same page she thinks about how annoying it is sometimes to be the “only one who acts like an adult.” WELL YOU’RE NOT MATURE EITHER. TF??
the author also writes this book as if it’s a movie from 2006 about high school where kids are bullied by being stuffed in lockers and all the cheerleaders are presented as these dumb whores.
the following is some terrible content from the bullying/fight scene:
There’s a big guy with light brown hair laughing at a younger sophomore-looking guy. The bully is holding a backpack up and making some wisecracks to the kid about being short.
“I asked you a question!” Paul yells. “Who do you think you are, Foster Boy?” Cash’s shoulders snap back.
“I’m the one who doesn’t have to pick on someone smaller than myself to feel important.”
it’s 2019. people don’t bully like that anymore. sorry.
the writing is straight up horrible. it’s wattpad-level writing to be honest. the author also switches between first person present-tense and third person past-tense which is extremely annoying. it was fine with the wicked deep which is a fantasy, but why have the POVs switch like that when they going on at the same exact time??
what really made me stop reading this was something that came from cash’s (also, what a dumb name???) POV:
She wasn’t one of the bitches.
then later
She seemed somehow . . . different from other girls. When she’d run into people in the hall, she said excuse me. Most didn’t. She smiled at other students—not just the popular people, like some girls did.
i’m not even gonna waste my time explaining why that’s problematic.
i’ll continue reading this in the summer for when i’m bored and need something to laugh at. and i’m sad that this is the first arc i’m reading and there’s the fact that i haven’t even finished it. what a great first impression for me to make 🤪
but uhhh,,.,., thanks to netgalley and wednesday books for the free copy
March 31, 2019
. : ☾⋆ — 3 ★
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2TLIRKn
ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (thank you St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books!!)
I wish you could all see my notes on this book—it’s just me constantly writing any given variation of “this is such a mess/this is so messed up” over and over again, and it really is such a big mess. I truly still don’t know what my honest feelings about In Another Life are? I equitably liked and disliked it for so many reasons.
it was easy to dive into this book. the characters and the plot sweep you off your feet right away—I mean, what would you do if you learned your whole life is potentially a lie, and your parents might actually turn out to be your kidnappers? that’s a GREAT concept, if you ask me, and this book definitely sets off with a bang. I really, really, really found myself enjoying the first few chapters, but then this book just wafts. it stays above the surface, sure, and the buoyancy it created for itself with the plot and characters definitely help it out along the way, but I don’t think that’s enough. it fluctuates a lot. the writing style, for me, unfortunately, kept me disconnected from the story most of the time. the POV constantly switches between Chloe’s first person and Cash’s third person, which gave In Another Life a little bit of a bewildering pace as it kept shifting back and forth between tenses and pronouns.
I really liked Chloe and Cash individually, but I don’t think they worked well together as a couple. and I don’t know if that’s just me, but their relationship was borderline, lowkey, incestuous? I’m not about to dive into the spoilers, but if you read this book, you’ll know what I mean. I was also very worried about the legal aspects of this whole ordeal. lawyers weren’t mentioned until the VERY end of the book, when things go a little haywire, but there’s definitely other legal stuff involved in this case aside from the kidnapping?? what about custody?? fraud?? forged papers?? identity theft basically?? I’m probably missing a lot more stuff but I just find it so unrealistic that none of this was dealt with legally speaking, the characters just……. move on. and never speak to their lawyers again, like, I REALLY REALLY REALLY DON’T think it’s that easy.
I feel like this review sounds overall like a very negative one but PLEASE don’t get me wrong, because I DID enjoy In Another Life!!! the concept and premise behind it are fascinating and it definitely had me hooked most of the way through, it’s just that some stuff in here really sticks out like a sore thumb to me, but that’s fine!! it’s still an enjoyable reading experience and I really feel like looking more into the rest C.C. Hunter’s books?? even though her writing style was hard for me to connect with, her books always sound so interesting and engaging and that’s honestly all I want from a story. thanks again to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book!!
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2TLIRKn
ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (thank you St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books!!)
I wish you could all see my notes on this book—it’s just me constantly writing any given variation of “this is such a mess/this is so messed up” over and over again, and it really is such a big mess. I truly still don’t know what my honest feelings about In Another Life are? I equitably liked and disliked it for so many reasons.
it was easy to dive into this book. the characters and the plot sweep you off your feet right away—I mean, what would you do if you learned your whole life is potentially a lie, and your parents might actually turn out to be your kidnappers? that’s a GREAT concept, if you ask me, and this book definitely sets off with a bang. I really, really, really found myself enjoying the first few chapters, but then this book just wafts. it stays above the surface, sure, and the buoyancy it created for itself with the plot and characters definitely help it out along the way, but I don’t think that’s enough. it fluctuates a lot. the writing style, for me, unfortunately, kept me disconnected from the story most of the time. the POV constantly switches between Chloe’s first person and Cash’s third person, which gave In Another Life a little bit of a bewildering pace as it kept shifting back and forth between tenses and pronouns.
I really liked Chloe and Cash individually, but I don’t think they worked well together as a couple. and I don’t know if that’s just me, but their relationship was borderline, lowkey, incestuous? I’m not about to dive into the spoilers, but if you read this book, you’ll know what I mean. I was also very worried about the legal aspects of this whole ordeal. lawyers weren’t mentioned until the VERY end of the book, when things go a little haywire, but there’s definitely other legal stuff involved in this case aside from the kidnapping?? what about custody?? fraud?? forged papers?? identity theft basically?? I’m probably missing a lot more stuff but I just find it so unrealistic that none of this was dealt with legally speaking, the characters just……. move on. and never speak to their lawyers again, like, I REALLY REALLY REALLY DON’T think it’s that easy.
I feel like this review sounds overall like a very negative one but PLEASE don’t get me wrong, because I DID enjoy In Another Life!!! the concept and premise behind it are fascinating and it definitely had me hooked most of the way through, it’s just that some stuff in here really sticks out like a sore thumb to me, but that’s fine!! it’s still an enjoyable reading experience and I really feel like looking more into the rest C.C. Hunter’s books?? even though her writing style was hard for me to connect with, her books always sound so interesting and engaging and that’s honestly all I want from a story. thanks again to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book!!
March 19, 2019
Reviewed on: Ashes Books & Bobs.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this novel!
This was one of the most entertaining YA books I’ve read in a long time. It made me long for my younger self! It would have been precisely the type of book I would have loved in my early high school days with bits of mystery, suspense, and romance all added in to make an interesting story.
Overall, this was a well-paced novel that kept my interest from beginning to end. I haven’t read many mysterious adoption stories and this was a nice change of genre and topic. I liked the contemporary coming-of-age feeling at the beginning of the story and slow morph to more of a thriller by the end. The suspenseful feel was there throughout, yet there was a sense of being bottle fed each detail. I hoped for less predictability and more surprise from such a novel. Unfortunately, the ending felt a bit rushed in my opinion as well. I hoped to see more of the events we came to expect in the story being fleshed out in further detail.
I also found Chloe to be a bit harsh or pushy in dealing with her mother’s depression resulting from her failed marriage. I would have liked to see more empathy from her. It was a great opportunity for character growth that wasn’t used to its full potential. Her mom’s life had drastically changed, in a horrible way I can’t possibly imagine trying to survive through, and her daughter just seemed to add to the drama she was facing. As you can see from my perspective, I was too old to read this book since I was able to better identify with the mother than the daughter’s point of view.
I think this would be a great read for it’s intended audience, but less so for adult lovers of YA. I wish I could have read this one as a teen myself! Pick up your own copy on March 26th or pre-order today.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this novel!
This was one of the most entertaining YA books I’ve read in a long time. It made me long for my younger self! It would have been precisely the type of book I would have loved in my early high school days with bits of mystery, suspense, and romance all added in to make an interesting story.
Overall, this was a well-paced novel that kept my interest from beginning to end. I haven’t read many mysterious adoption stories and this was a nice change of genre and topic. I liked the contemporary coming-of-age feeling at the beginning of the story and slow morph to more of a thriller by the end. The suspenseful feel was there throughout, yet there was a sense of being bottle fed each detail. I hoped for less predictability and more surprise from such a novel. Unfortunately, the ending felt a bit rushed in my opinion as well. I hoped to see more of the events we came to expect in the story being fleshed out in further detail.
I also found Chloe to be a bit harsh or pushy in dealing with her mother’s depression resulting from her failed marriage. I would have liked to see more empathy from her. It was a great opportunity for character growth that wasn’t used to its full potential. Her mom’s life had drastically changed, in a horrible way I can’t possibly imagine trying to survive through, and her daughter just seemed to add to the drama she was facing. As you can see from my perspective, I was too old to read this book since I was able to better identify with the mother than the daughter’s point of view.
I think this would be a great read for it’s intended audience, but less so for adult lovers of YA. I wish I could have read this one as a teen myself! Pick up your own copy on March 26th or pre-order today.
June 6, 2019
2.5-3 stars
Overall, this is an ok book, maybe just not for me. The idea was okay enough and intriguing but the writing is really not for me. My main problem is the wording, the descriptions are a little too much and unrealistic. Like how Chloe and her friend calls her dad's new gf as a whore and live-in toy. Or the way Chloe was described physically. The whole story is too melodramatic. And I found it hard to like Chloe. She's plain horrible and maybe it's because she's a teen but sometimes, I don't think she uses her mind before she speaks. It's also apparent in her inner monologue. I don't like her at all. Lastly, I think the author tried hard to make this a YA by putting characters and plot points that are often found in YA's but really, they're not that important in the main storyline.
And it has cheating aspect thrown at me right from the start. It's my main pet peeve.
But kindly, take this review with a grain of salt, coz, I think this book is just Not For Me. It can be a good experience for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers and author through Netgalley. This does not affect my opinions about the book.
Overall, this is an ok book, maybe just not for me. The idea was okay enough and intriguing but the writing is really not for me. My main problem is the wording, the descriptions are a little too much and unrealistic. Like how Chloe and her friend calls her dad's new gf as a whore and live-in toy. Or the way Chloe was described physically. The whole story is too melodramatic. And I found it hard to like Chloe. She's plain horrible and maybe it's because she's a teen but sometimes, I don't think she uses her mind before she speaks. It's also apparent in her inner monologue. I don't like her at all. Lastly, I think the author tried hard to make this a YA by putting characters and plot points that are often found in YA's but really, they're not that important in the main storyline.
And it has cheating aspect thrown at me right from the start. It's my main pet peeve.
But kindly, take this review with a grain of salt, coz, I think this book is just Not For Me. It can be a good experience for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers and author through Netgalley. This does not affect my opinions about the book.
March 22, 2019
Actual Rating 3.75
I received a copy of this book from St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the blog tour.
It is my first book by C.C. Hunter…Synopsis intrigued me and fortunately, I got the chance to read it. I am recently in the phase where I am loving Mystery YA books and series(Yes I am watching PLL RN).
Chloe Holden’s life is in chaos her parents got divorced, the mother is suffering from cancer and moved along Chloe to another city…Chloe left everything her friends, her bf, her father, her past, her good days behind. Until she met Cash, a weird foster kid in the new school. Did I mention Chloe is adopted? After a short good time, things are again going in more chaos than before. There are certain secrets which can lead to dangerous paths.
I like the story it is different than what I read before, I won’t say it was completely mysterious, It was at certain points which I enjoyed…The writing was average for me, Chloe part is in First Person POV while Cash was and the other was in 3rd person. There wasn’t space while changing the POV so it was confusing and took time to realize oh now I am reading Cash’s or Chloe’s.
The struggle of Mr. and Mrs. Fuller is defined beautifully as well as Cash’s. Lindsay feels like filler…I was expecting more chemistry between Chloe and Cash.
Overall I enjoyed the book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the blog tour.
It is my first book by C.C. Hunter…Synopsis intrigued me and fortunately, I got the chance to read it. I am recently in the phase where I am loving Mystery YA books and series(Yes I am watching PLL RN).
Chloe Holden’s life is in chaos her parents got divorced, the mother is suffering from cancer and moved along Chloe to another city…Chloe left everything her friends, her bf, her father, her past, her good days behind. Until she met Cash, a weird foster kid in the new school. Did I mention Chloe is adopted? After a short good time, things are again going in more chaos than before. There are certain secrets which can lead to dangerous paths.
I like the story it is different than what I read before, I won’t say it was completely mysterious, It was at certain points which I enjoyed…The writing was average for me, Chloe part is in First Person POV while Cash was and the other was in 3rd person. There wasn’t space while changing the POV so it was confusing and took time to realize oh now I am reading Cash’s or Chloe’s.
The struggle of Mr. and Mrs. Fuller is defined beautifully as well as Cash’s. Lindsay feels like filler…I was expecting more chemistry between Chloe and Cash.
Overall I enjoyed the book.
January 20, 2020
RATING: 2 STARS
2019; St. Martin's Press
As I started this young adult novel, I was intrigued right away. Chloe was like any teen that was trying to deal with her parents divorced, and a new town. Slowly I started to lose interest in the story and felt less invested in what happened with Chloe. felt like the overall plot with Chloe's new life with her mother, and her adoption were well written. I was really hooked with the book at first. However, the attraction between Chloe and Cash was the downer, for me at least. I went into this book expecting it to be more of a suspenseful story unraveling the truth. I felt like the "romance" slowed down the plot. It had that Twilight sort of vibe. I did finish the novel, but really had to push myself for the blog tour. I didn't make it in time, and then having not liked the novel, I put off reviewing it. This year my book goal is writing reviews - keeping up with the books I have recently read, and then trying to complete some older ones. I cannot remember the ending of the book but I do remember feeling a bit disappointed.
Young adult books can be hard to review. Some young adult books (The Outsiders) can be read by any age and stands up to the test of time. Other teen books seem to be written for a certain age and almost younger (Twilight). As a teen I would have been fanning over Twilight, so maybe the teen version of me would have loved this book. Yet, many women in their 40s and plus loved Twilight, so I don't know, maybe this book just wasn't for me. Haha, see why it took me almost a year to write this review?
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2019; St. Martin's Press
As I started this young adult novel, I was intrigued right away. Chloe was like any teen that was trying to deal with her parents divorced, and a new town. Slowly I started to lose interest in the story and felt less invested in what happened with Chloe. felt like the overall plot with Chloe's new life with her mother, and her adoption were well written. I was really hooked with the book at first. However, the attraction between Chloe and Cash was the downer, for me at least. I went into this book expecting it to be more of a suspenseful story unraveling the truth. I felt like the "romance" slowed down the plot. It had that Twilight sort of vibe. I did finish the novel, but really had to push myself for the blog tour. I didn't make it in time, and then having not liked the novel, I put off reviewing it. This year my book goal is writing reviews - keeping up with the books I have recently read, and then trying to complete some older ones. I cannot remember the ending of the book but I do remember feeling a bit disappointed.
Young adult books can be hard to review. Some young adult books (The Outsiders) can be read by any age and stands up to the test of time. Other teen books seem to be written for a certain age and almost younger (Twilight). As a teen I would have been fanning over Twilight, so maybe the teen version of me would have loved this book. Yet, many women in their 40s and plus loved Twilight, so I don't know, maybe this book just wasn't for me. Haha, see why it took me almost a year to write this review?
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
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