Juniper Unraveling

I strongly recommend going into this story blind. I did and it made the experience way better than I could have expected!

I’ve never watched an episode of The Walking Dead, because…

I’m scared of all things ZOMBIE or WALKER or UNDEAD.

However, Juniper Unraveling read like what I imagine a romantized version of the show would be. The world was destroyed. There were survivors and there were the infected. It was scary and it was thrilling and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

This story was about a girl who had to do everything she could to survive. Women and children were the first to go. They had no value, but she made herself invaluable. She made allies, she learned secrets, and she found love.

Six was my hero and I couldn’t get enough of him. Seriously, this man was such a wonder to read about. The author did an incredible job bringing him to life without giving him a voice. I would have loved getting his perspective, but I was still able to feel so much without it.

I know there are more books to this series, developing other characters, but I’m so happy where things ended up here that I’m not sure if I’ll go any further. I probably will though just to see some sort of final resolution for these people. Will they find a cure? Will they find somewhere to call home? So many questions, I guess I have to keep going.

Unputdownable, unforgettable, and utterly brilliant, this book is a must-read for all romance enthusiasts. It’s emotional, action-packed, and simmering with filthy sensuality. Gawd, I love a tortured hero, and Six doesn’t disappoint. He’s guarded and vicious, broken and strong, delicious and captivatingly complex. Put aside any bias you might have for the sub-genre, and read this book. I can’t recommend it enough.

Kick@$$

Juniper Unraveling is truly an original work of art.

I’ve been informed, by someone in the know, that I’ve survived the apocalypse, I remain unconvinced. Especially with all the uncertainty in our world, this tale doesn’t really seem that far fetched…sad, but true.

I’ve long believed that humans are inherently good but, Juniper Unraveling will make you think, it will test the limits of your humanity and it will deliver you to the other side feeling reflective.

There is more than one hero in this story, and while it is a love story for our MCs, it’s about so much more than that….”When the world is at its darkest, somehow love still carries the light.”

Trust me when I say this one is going to be with me for a while.

I love Six and Wren

I have only read a handful of dystopia stories, but this one has DEFINITELY topped that short list. I was blown away by how all-consuming it was. I did NOT want to stop reading!

I’ve come to the conclusion that Keri Lake is the master at creating a book world. The way in which she starts from nothing and builds it up into something that is truly unforgettable, is awe inspiring. Told from dual female POVs, the reader has no idea what details to pay close attention to and whom to make their focal point while reading. And in the end, the reader comes to realize that you must pay attention to E V E R Y T H I N G and E V E R Y O N E because Keri makes it so that every detail, down to the tiny mention of this person or that place, is important and WILL come back up in the story at some point and will ultimately render you speechless. This is most definitely not a story you want to read half asleep because you won’t want to miss anything. There was literally a point in the story when I dropped my phone and stopped reading because I was THAT shocked by my revelation.

Keri meticulously creates this dark and chilling story page by page. She pieces everything flawlessly and in between all the despair, violence and death, lives a growing love story that is beautiful in spite of all the destruction around them.
When the world is at its darkest, somehow love still carries the light. Love is the strength and weakness. A crutch and a sword. It can leave a person hollow and heal their wounds. It’s a friend to the stars, with pain as its shadow. A dichotomy whose time is uncertain. But above all things, love it necessary.

If you’re looking for something to pull you out of a book funk, or you’re looking for something different than the traditional romance novels, try this one! Don’t let the sub-genre deter you from giving it a try. You don’t want to miss out on this hidden gem. Trust me!

5 stars

What an absolutely incredible book, set in a dark, depraved (depending which side of the wall you’re on) dystopian world, where it’s sometimes hard to see who are the biggest monsters….the infected or the humans who have taken charge.

Its a cruel and brutal world for most, corruption is rife and it’s a struggle to survive if you’re classed as a savage, healthy or not, but amongst the soul destroying darkness is a chink of goodness, a light, a hope……love.

Told from the female pov, I was enthralled with this dark zombie like post apocalyptic world, where infected humans become violent “ragers” as their disease progresses. There is no cure. Dani and Wren live very different lives but were both so strong dealing with what they had to. I guessed they were going to connect at some point, but the how I never expected. What a fabulous twist!
My heart broke for Six, another incredible character. His journey is shocking, his treatment barbaric. He’s a broken, tortured soul and violence is bubbling away under the surface, but I loved the way he grew and developed. His connection with Wren made my heart sing.

The authors words grabbed me from the start, I think it’s the best I’ve read of this genre. Her world building and descriptions pulled me in and made me believe this could really be. Its a very scary thought, especially in the light of things happening in the world this year.

I absolutely loved this book, it pushed my emotions, it was violent, dark and horrific at times but it was all in context. However there was absolute beauty and goodness too even in the darkest places. I can’t wait to read more, if I could give more than 5 stars I would!

5 STARS

MY TOP READ OF 2019!

Where to start, where to start? I think I’d like to begin by thanking Keri Lake for creating a story this vivid, this fucking amazing. I’m still looking for words strong enough to convey what I felt while reading Juniper Unraveling and even though I’m going to try my best, I feel like I’m still falling short.

This is a dystopian romance, a cross between The Walking Dead, The Boy In The Stripes Pyjamas and one of the best love stories I have read to date. Maybe even the best. I am not kidding you guys when I say that this book is a masterpiece. I’m baffled at how grossly underrated and overlooked it is, and even though a selfish part of me wants to tuck this story inside of me and keep it safe there like my most valued possession, I won’t. Because this book deserves all the love it can and should be given.

I’m not going to SPOIL ANYTHING, simply because this is a book best read blind. I do want to give you a picture of these characters and this genius as fuck plot, though. Little insight.

Wren, the heroine… my goodness. What can I say about a character who shows us that strength isn’t measured in snappy comebacks and a bratty attitude, but instead in resilience and kindness? What can I say about a girl who suffered through the very pits of HELL, only to come out of it stronger, with a heart of gold? What can I say about a character that saved the life of a mute boy on the other side of the wall and loved him with ferocity I rarely ever see in romance books nowadays? What can I say about the character who, despite everything that happened to her, showed me over and over again that people can take everything from you, except your strength? What can I say that won’t feel tacky and like a cliche?
Nothing. That’s the answer.

A mute boy, named Six, is tormented and subjected to daily, horrific abuse by the hands of scientists who see him as nothing more than a savage. My heart literally bled, BLED, for my beautiful boy and the way he referred to Wren as his personal angel freaking gutted me. I love him beyond any reason and I wanted to reach out into the pages more than once, to give him a kiss, a hug, a little love. Darling Wren took care of this for me though, and everytime I read about these two, I wanted to cry. Which I, FYI, did. More than once.

This book is filled with twists and turns you won’t see coming, I promise. It’s masterfully written and it left me breathless more than once. So, thank you Keri. Thank you thank you. Thank you for creating this magnificent world without censoring the ugliness in it and thank you for stepping outside the box and writing a romance this unique. Thank you for showing me why, even in times when nothing good comes of it, love is still the thing that prevails and beats hate.
Thank you.

Dark Sci Fi Romance, Dystopian, Futuristic, Post-Apocalyptic

First Person, female-POV, dual-time (past and present)

This is a standalone that becomes the prequel of a series in the same world built.

WHAT HAS REALLY WORKED FOR ME

Addictiveness: 5/5 This was a thriller. From the first page until the end I couldn’t put my kindle down. A very long book, that I couldn’t let go. As addictive as chocolate!!!

Character: hero 5/5, heroine 5/5, secondary characters 5/5, growth 5/5, real 5/5 Complex characters with several layers and depth. They were all easy to love and connect, even though sometimes hard to understand. (I will try to avoid all spoilers)

Dani was 14 years old when her family was killed and she went to Calico disguised as a boy, because they didn’t take girls/women.

“Women are hunted from all angles-killed by Legion, sold by marauders, or dragged by Ragers to their nests, where they attempt to mate them.”
by Wren

At Calico, she got Dr. Falkenrath’s protection and became his personal assistant. He kept her secret but others found out she was a girl and used that. She learned how to survive in that unfair world of pain, segregation and death. Dani was a warrior, a fighter, a kickass heroine.

“Indifference to death isn’t going to help you hear. Learn to be indifferent to pain, and you’ll become invincible. Defiant.”
“Inhuman. No one is invincible.”
by Dr. Falkenrath and Dani

Wren was the daughter of a doctor and lived inside the walls in what considered a luxurious life for this dystopian world.

“Inside the walls, where I live, water is merely a perk of living in Szolen Farms. That’s what we call our little community, made up of about two thousand, give or take. It’s named after the founder, ironically, the son of what was once a billionaire oil tycoon before The Dredge hit. His father, apparently, disowned him for investing in the self-sustaining project.
Now it’s an oasis to the hellish world beyond the wall.”
by Wren

Wren was 18 years old when she found out what existed beyond the walls. She met Six and fell in love. But love in a world like that was almost a myth, a wishful thinking, a passing thought. Wren was a naive little girl, but life taught her a lesson. Several years later, she became a kickass heroine and after her father’s death, became a lonely woman in a savage world. She left “the safety”of the walls searching for a better place, maybe even an Utopia.

“Safety is an illusion, remember?”
“Yes, you are right. But survival is a reality.”
By Wren and her Papa

She found a harsh, cruel world, but she also found hope in the form of love.

“Because I’m sick. And so is he. We’re the perfect, twisted match, destined for pain like a sad tragedy.”
by Wren

Six was a worthy hero. A boy, mute, an experiment of Calico. He has only known pain, hate, rage, death. Not even in his dreams could he make up an angel like Wren. When she found him, she became his life. He became a loyal protector, even though he didn’t really know how to control “his monster”. Life had not been fair to him, in a world like theirs there was nothing as equality or fairness.

Rhys was a scary, crazy hero. In his insane, mad way, he was fighting power and getting revenge for the peasant.Better yet, Rhys was giving a second chance, a role for women. Yes, he was cruel, violent, really a byproduct of the time, but he had a weakness, that may have been his strength. He met Wren and found a different purpose, or a proper purpose for his fight.

“But to me, you’ve always been more than that. The air when I couldn’t breathe. My voice when I couldn’t speak. When I couldn’t feel anything anymore, I felt you. Goddamn, Wren, you were my heart, pumping life into a body that was mostly dead. You were everything to me. You are everything.”
by Rhys

This world was so rich that there were several important secondary characters. Dr Falkenrath, Papa, Rhys sister-in-law are just some examples.

Villains.. antagonists… in a world as dark, as painfully and as deadly as this, everyone could be a friend or a foe, it really depends of the moment, the necessity. The were some clear villains and a couple of good antagonists.

All characters were complex and very well written!!!

Cover: art 5/5, title 5/5, color-font 5/5, buy 5/5 I’m obsessed with book covers. I love to find snippets of the stories within the art. This one is gorgeous and perfect for the book. It is easy to see that this art was specifically made for this book. This is a very important scene of the book. Dani, under the Juniper tree. I love the title and the subtitle is awesome and gives another piece of this story. The colors and font chosen also worked really well. I would definitely buy this book by its cover without needing to read the blurb!!!

Freshness: 5/5 This book is UNIQUE! One-of-a-kind. Everything here is creative, original and it feels fresh. As fresh as cold water in the middle of the desert!!!

Plot: believable 5/5, conflict 5/5, dialogue 5/5, ending 5/5, enjoyment 5/5, opening 5/5, pace 5/5, setting 5/5, subplots 5/5, twists 5/5 Thrilling opening for an amazing ending. Believable plot, even though crazy for a dystopian world, well written dialogues and interesting subplots. Very long novel, but the pace was perfect, this is a different world and they had lot to tell to create this perfect setting. This was filled with twists and turns that exploded with the greatest conflict. Highest level of enjoyment!

I loved this story. The author gave us something dark, gritty, unimaginable, but it all worked and felt real. This was everyone’s nightmare, at the same time, where are we heading in this world that everybody easily hates, but has a hard time loving; everyone is ready to shame and throw shade, but doesn’t know how to thank and compliment.

I adored how in the midst of darkness, pain, hunger, death, we could find hope and love. I, as a reader, like a good HEA. I may enjoy the dark stories, lately they’ve been my favorites, but at the end of the day I love to believe that everything is gonna be alright, paraphrasing Bob Marley.

Romance: believable 5/5, chemistry 5/5, description 5/5, development 5/5, steam 5/5 This wasn’t beautiful or really romantic. It was filled with grunts, bruises and tough love, so not really pretty, but very poetic. To find beauty and excitement in midst of chaos and anarchy you have to be strong and powerful. This couple was. Their chemistry was undeniable and even in the center of things they found each other and ways to held on to the good. The smut was hot and dangerous, the type that I love. lol Indestructible love!!!

Writing Style: 5/5 I’m in awe!!! The author was so creative, conceiving the perfect world, inventing characters with depth and humanity in midst of a barbaric world filled with heartless people. The romance was fabricated beautifully and forged out of angst and hope. The smut was hot and sexy. The writing was cohesive, clean and without loopholes. Writing of a wordsmith!!!

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

I’ve missed the male POV. Yeah, a few years ago, most books were written in their person with only one-POV. I have definitely become spoiled, but I considered myself a character, reader, I like connecting and feeling along with characters. Seeing inside their heads only amplify these cathartic feelings.

MY THOUGHTS

I don’t really know what I was expecting, but I can easily say that this book was better than anything I had fabricated on my mind.

I’ve loved, I’ve cried, I’ve raged and I’ve found harmony while reading this. I felt despair and I’ve became hopeful. I was able to envision what ifs and why’s.

This was a thriller, in a way, a psychological thriller!

35/35 STARS – 5 STARS (between 33.5 stars and 35 stars)

Addictiveness: 5 Character: 5 Cover: 5 Freshness: 5 Plot: 5 Romance: 5 Writing Style: 5

Action 5/5 Angst 5/5 Darkness 5/5 Humor 0/5 Romance 5/5 Suspense/Mystery 4/5

Would I recommend? Definitely! But is not for everyone. You must be ready for darkness and angst.

Would I re-read this book/series? Definitely!

Would I read more from the author? I will definitely stalk her and see what other books she has!!!

You MAY read this because you follow the author; you SHOULD read this because you like dark romances; you MUST read this to become aware!!!!

This world is incredible. Incredibly dark. Painful. Maddening. But there’s also hope. And love.

The author has taken a dystopian story and packed it so full of ripe, lush detail, I just want to hug her and start reading it over again. I was not prepared to become so attached to the characters or storyline of this world – especially because it truly is stomach-churningly awful so much of the time – but here we are.

You can’t help but want to know what happens next to Dani, Wren, Six and the whole lot of characters in this story. There’s a bit of an adjustment flipping perspectives, but hang in there – it will all make sense and be totally worth it. Cannot recommend highly enough if you enjoy this kind of story!

This was an amazing read! I love a good, dark, dystopian tale, and this is the best one I’ve read in ages!! It was so dark and gritty and disturbing! Dani and Six will break your heart, it’s so sad and disturbing. And there’s something off with Wren, some secret you’re not privy to, that you have to get to the bottom of. There are many secrets, twists and turns in this story that will have you reading into the wee hours of the morning. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read Keri Lake, but I’m definitely reading more! I can’t wait for the next book!!