Amy Matayo

I love when authors take a step of faith and try something new, and Amy Matayo hits a home run with Before Time Runs Out. This time travel romance smoothly combines three time periods and plenty of Charles Dickens lore.

While we get a lot more about Bree at the beginning of the book (there are several chapters of set up before the actual time travel), this book would not be the same without Theo. These two are from two different worlds but carry similar guilt and pain. It’s both amusing and a little heart breaking (because how are they both going to get a satisfying ending when they are half a century removed from each other in real life?) when they are together.

With some unexpected twists and turns, and the increased tension in the last third of the book, I found myself wanting more. It’s a good thing this is the first in a series because I look forward to where Matayo takes us next.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.… (mais)

Fun romance between a professional baseball player and a teacher. Will is having trouble with his game and after meeting Olivia he decides that she is his good luck charm and is just what he needs to clean up his reputation. Olivia has a love/hate relationship with baseball, a large fluffy white cat she walks on a leash, and a secret crush on Will that sneaked up on her without her even realizing it.

I loved watching the connection between these two characters grow. Their banter was humorous and fun. It was a perfect read to escape with.… (mais)

In the first half of The Last Shot, Amy Matayo plunges readers into the intense terror and uncertainty of a situation that is becoming all too common today. As Teddy and Jane hide from an unknown enemy, not knowing what is going on, I felt their desperation and helplessness.

Throughout the remainder of the book, Jane and Teddy try to move on after the horror. It’s not always easy and, at times, it feels hopeless. Yet these two characters have to choose if fear will rule them the rest of their lives or if, while they will never forget, they will allow one tragic evening to control the rest of their lives.

Matayo once again delivers a powerful and poignant story that grabbed my emotions from the start and didn’t let go. Reaching the end of a series is bittersweet, especially when it’s as compelling as the Love in Chaos series has been.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.… (mais)

Have you ever read a book that both wrings you out emotionally? From tragedy with touches of humor and the glimpses of hope amid despair, The Aftermath was that book for me.

Riley Mae is so likable from the first pages of the book. She’s friendly, good-naturedly teasing her customers, employees, and grandmother. I just wanted to be her BFF. Then, in an instant, her world comes crumbling down.

Readers met Chad Gamble in The Waves but get to delve deeper into what he hides from the world behind is adoration of Dillon. He wants to make a different choice than he has in the past. He wants to matter.

Amy Matayo wraps truths within these pages. While our devastation may not be a blatant as Riley Mae’s, kindness and generosity matter. No matter what we are going through, someone else has lost more than me, is grieving deeper than me, or has fallen on harder times. There are moments of hope and light in the darkest of times. It’s up to us to grab onto them until the hard season passes.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.… (mais)