Kate Connelly should be careful what she wishes for.Just seventeen, she already feels like she’s suffocating. Since her mother’s death, her father’s basically checked out, so she’s stuck raising her brothers by herself out in the New Mexico scrub. All Kate wants is a little distraction from the same-ole, same-ole that is her life.When two mysterious guys show up at the diner where she works, she … where she works, she thinks her wish has come true, until they start giving her a hard time. Like her life isn’t hard enough. Something about them niggles her, but she brushes it off. She’s never going to see them again anyway . . . right?
Then they appear in an alley one night to either rescue or kidnap her (she’s still not sure which) before disappearing like figments of her imagination.
Kate decides to put the bizarre encounters out of her mind. She has bigger problems to worry about: like that elite military academy that’s been pursuing her gifted little brother. When one of their cadets shows up at Clovis High School, he creates instant pandemonium. And just happens to be one of those mysterious guys. Coincidence? Mama said there’s no such thing. And to always trust her instinct. But that might be kind of hard, because every time she’s around Cadet Peter Davenport, her gut starts flip-flopping on her. And her heart.
Can Kate keep it together long enough to stop Cadet Davenport’s mission? She’s about to find out. And—once again—how neatly life can be split into before and after.
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You know that feeling you have when you finish a book and it seems that you lived everything you read?
That’s exactly what I felt with this novel! It was so addictive and immersive that I read it all almost non-stop and even though I know it can take a while I really need the next book!
I already told my friends how good this book is and some of them did purchase it. They’ll for sure love it.
I’m currently reading this book and loving it. The picture the author paints in my head is so crystal clear. I love it. The characters are well developed. The storyline is just reeling me in, hook, line, and sinker.
There are very few books in the hundreds I read that I’d place in my top 10. Most books are a one and done, forgotten soon after. This is one of the greats. A lengthy and thorough novel with intensity and deception. It had my heart pounding all the way and I was supremely engaged. I honestly can’t wait to read more!
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Kate is too young to be a mom, but when her mother passes away, her father doesn’t leave her much choice except to take care of her brothers. When a couple strangers come to town, it is fast gossip because it’s a small town. Kate got a surprise, however when she finds they are wanting her brother Drew for a boarding school. And one of the guys, Pete seems to have his eyes set on Kate.
This is a really good story, with some Suspense and a bit of mystery. There’s a lot going on, and a lot of detail especially in the first part of the book that makes it kinda slow for a while. But gets better as the story goes on. Author C.J. Daly creates interesting and intriguing characters who develop well as the story unfolds. I really like Kate and her brothers, especially the little one, he is adorable. We learn a lot about the three over the course of the book and I really enjoyed getting to know more about them and their life. I felt bad for Kate because she has to grow up fast. But it was enjoyable as well as intriguing to know them and their purpose. A lot of research has gone into this story as well, and Daly does a fantastic job writing this story in a way that it keeps you on the edge of your seats because you want to find out what is going to happen next. It’s a pretty long book so hang with it, you don’t want to miss a thing that’s happening. If you enjoy a good suspense, you will enjoy this one. This is Four Stars for me.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The Academy Saga begins C J Daly’s The Academy Saga. I thought this was a good debut by this author. The writing is unique, different and refreshing to read. I have to admit that at almost five hundred and twenty pages, I was a little intimidated by the size. However, once I got through the first three chapters, I was hooked. I easily had it read in a few evenings. I thought it was a good way to spend just before bedtime while the kids were sleeping.
In The Academy Saga, readers will be introduced to Kate Connelly. She is a motherless teen, who has had to take over the care of her younger siblings. She is overwhelmed and dreams of a better life. She is suddenly thrown into a journey she would have never imagined. I found her story to be entertaining and intriguing. I had to find out how it would all end for her.
I am giving The Academy Saga four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading young adult fiction, as well as, romantic suspense. I will be looking forward to the next book from The Academy Saga, Cadet in Training. I have got to find out what will happen to Kate next. I have no doubt it will be as good as this one.
I received a paperback copy of The Academy Saga from C J Daly, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Since her mother’s death, she had become the mother. She had kept them home, isolated and, in her mind, protected. Why did her mother stress the importance of staying under the radar. From what? Or more importantly, who?
She isn”t paranoid…someone is watching them.
Out in the boondocks, short of funds, she does the best she can, picking up a few bucks working weekends at the diner. Her dad…had pretty much left them to their own devices. He doesn’t physically abuse them, but….
The dialogue is lively and at times I found myself cracking up, laughing out loud. Two chapters stand out, Chapter 8 and Chapter 9.
I love the kids: Kate, who is 16, Andrew, who is 8, and Mikey, who is 5. I can hear Mikey’s voice as I read along, filling me with smiles. I think it would be fun to hear a narrator try to match the voice in my head.
Kate has great instincts and is very leery of what is happening since Pete and Ranger have come into their lives. I feel her frustration and her desperate attempt to save her brother, Andrew, from something she sense is evil, something so wrong she will lose him forever.
Tension and anticipation abound as I try to figure out what is Pete’s end goal. Why do they want Andrew so badly. What makes him different? Is he good? Bad?
I love a slow burning romance.
The Academy Saga by C J Daly has fabulous characters, with Kate, Andrew , Mikey and Pete being the stars. The dialogue is wonderful, with Mikey being the standout for me. It is way past adorable.
Lock the doors and disable the phone. Once you start, I feel you won’t want to stop. So much is going on with an underlying current of evil and suspense. Set aside a lot of time. The 500 page paperback left me with sore arms and blurry eyes, because I didn’t want to stop…though I did have to…until the last word was read. The buildup to the end of Book I leaves me eager and happy to know I have Book II ready and waiting to be read.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Academy by C J Daly.
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If you like strong character development and a great story about trust, deception, family, and betrayal, this is the series to read. The family dynamic within the siblings is really sweet and I think the backbone of the main character and her story line. Book 2 is amazing as well. I can’t wait for book 3.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Looking forward to the sequel.
I could simply repeat what everyone else has already said, or I can say…
that I simply can’t wait to read how the story progresses with the characters! <3
Wow! What can I say other than if you are looking for book filled with suspense, conspiracy theories, romance and so much more then you have to read this one. However, hold on to you pages because you need to be prepared to want to read the next two books as well because that is how good it is. It all starts with Kate who thinks she is ordinary and because I don’t want to give away all the secrets I am not going to say a whole lot there. She lives in New Mexico with her very strict father and younger brothers. She is about to have her entire world change but can she survive it? Does she really know what she is getting her self into? Are things what they really seem? You will be asking all sort of questions with this one and the biggest one will be about who’s side you are on?
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is drawing me in. I don’t want to put it down. Due to the fact that it is due today for review, I’m writing a short review and will revise my review as soon as I finish reading the whole thing since it is a long book. I will say that it is worth getting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book definitely had my emotions going all over the place but had me hooked! While I felt it was hard to get started with reading it I did finally start really getting into it. It’s a unique storyline that I enjoyed. My only criticism is how horrible the main characters life is. I feel it was too much and had my cringing on her situation and making me frustrated how she never spoke up. Wished it wasn’t as extreme.
f the fact that I read over 400 pages in one night doesn’t tell you this is a great book, I don’t know what would. It was immensely entertaining, with great world & character building. I felt myself diving right into the story with Kate & her little brothers.
An elite military is in town scouting her gifted brother, but there is something not quite right about them & maybe there is more to this “gifted” idea that they are hiding. Kate grew up paranoid of outsiders and has basically dumbed herself down her entire life in order to be average, and not stand out from the crowd.
She is strong, kind, and has been raising her little brothers since her mom died. She would do anything to protect them, even putting her own safety at risk. She is an everyday hero & I loved that about her. Pete is a good compliment to her, but he is struggling with his own issues involving The Academy & his family’s association with it. He wants to shield & protect Kate, but I think she is going to surprise him.
There are so many positive things I could say that excited me about this book, but I don’t want to give anything away! I want to know more about Kate’s mom & her history. I want to know if there is more to Ranger. Is he really who pretends to be?
The cliffhanger that the book leaves you on, makes me so excited to read the next in the series.
The Academy Saga was an interesting and a roller coaster of a read. There is a lot going on and a lot of layers to this story. I think ultimately this story is about family. Their love for one another and their struggle to stay connected and relevant to one another.
Kate is the big sister and she has her hands full with high school and raising her two little brothers since her mother’s death and her father’s strict but often absent parenting. Kate is seventeen in this story and her two little brothers, Andrew-8, and Mikey-4, are just barely surviving. But Kate is determined to keep them together. However, her brother Andrew is a very smart and a gifted boy and The Academy wants him in their program.
Now the Academy is special elite military school that remains in the shadows for most of the book. We don’t really know much about them except that their cadets are exceptional.
Kate finds out her father has decided to go against her late mother’s wishes and is considering sending Andrew to this school. Kate has a bad feeling about this and Mikey the youngest just wants his family to stay together. However the Academy is most determined and sends out two cadets to bring Andrew in. To mentor him. Kate meets these two, Pete and Ranger. After two very interesting first ‘meetings’ with them, Kate has a definite like for one and hate for the other. And nothing is as it seems.
I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I haven’t read a young adult book for a long time now so I was surprised when I was immediately drawn into this story. It was a very addictive storyline. It does end on a cliffhanger, a big one.
I did not care for the profanity that was used. It is not a lot, but it is there. From what I have read about the rest of the series, it does seem to become more adult. Will I continue? I want to. It was good story telling, the story was compelling, and the characters were unique. We shall see.
I was provided a copy of this novel by the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.