Review: The Danger Imperative by Michael Sierra-Arévalo

About the Book

Policing is violent. And its violence is not distributed equally: stark racial disparities persist despite decades of efforts to address them. Amid public outcry and an ongoing crisis of police legitimacy, there is pressing need to understand not only how police perceive and use violence but also why.

With unprecedented access to three police departments and drawing on more than 100 interviews and 1,000 hours on patrol, The Danger Imperative provides vital insight into how police culture shapes officers’ perception and practice of violence. From the front seat of a patrol car, it shows how the institution of policing reinforces a cultural preoccupation with violence through academy training, departmental routines, powerful symbols, and officers’ street-level behavior.

This violence-centric culture makes no explicit mention of race, relying on the colorblind language of “threat” and “officer safety.” Nonetheless, existing patterns of systemic disadvantage funnel police hyperfocused on survival into poor minority neighborhoods. Without requiring individual bigotry, this combination of social structure, culture, and behavior perpetuates enduring inequalities in police violence.

A trailblazing, on-the-ground account of modern policing, this book shows that violence is the logical consequence of an institutional culture that privileges officer survival over public safety.

Review

With the country at an elevated temperature involving policing and public intolerance of their policies and procedures, this was a very thought provoking book that definitely could inspire some real conversation and promote possible change in the narrative on policing and public perception and experiences.

This book unpacks so much but most importantly captures an understanding of the social dynamics of police officers. Inspired to see what that looked like, objectively author Michael Sierra-Arévalo, captured a sociological perspective from gained access to three different police departments, 1000 hours of ride alongs and interviews to depict the realities of work as a police officer and the influences that shape their experience.

With the news and social media elevating the temperature of criticism of police, this tends to walk a very sensitive line for the officers and their interactions with the public and vice versa. With many conversations saying what should be done, one thing that stands out is the culture of doing what needs to be done with the intention of perceived threats and concern for safety. As we’ve seen in the news, many situations have had fatal consequences and others could’ve been handled differently. This book documents and gives psychological insights on how police culture, from training to on the street level policing is affected by that and how certain situations by the given circumstances were handled. Also, situations involving actions done towards police as a result of the heightened climates after high profile situations and the impact of how it affected interactions with the public. 

The commentary and analysis opens the discussion of reform and rexamines some policies that are in place. The aspect of prioritizing safety in many situations, brings unspoken issues front and center, especially police violence where racial disparity is felt. This book empathized the challenges officers encounter on a daily basis but explored areas that could be improved and lead to better outcomes. It objectively puts you in a frame of reference to understand why some choose to make the decisions that they did/do in the circumstances they were presented with.

Overall, this was a balanced, objective read that has the potential to open conversation and evaluation of current policies and training opportunities that would better impact when involved with certain situations. The various examples of the good, bad and indifferent involving these situations give you a better insight to policing and its complexity, especially dealing with violence and threats while trying to stay alive on the job. This would be a great read for law enforcement or those aspiring to become a part of, legislators and those interested in criminal justice.

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Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

Review

Love on the Brain felt like an Ali Hazelwood book in a bad way. What I mean is that most of the criticisms that I have seen regarding the author are validated within this story. The main character is a small, quirky, colorful, STEM woman who has a strong dislike for her big, dark, and moody counterpart. However, unbeknownst, he secretly likes her and is unable to voice that. And oh no, now they are forced to work together. Nothing about this story felt original. Although this story might have been written prior, the new releases are much stronger.

This one lacked depth, and unfortunately, the love story couldn’t save it. The supporting characters felt more exciting than the main characters. I didn’t care for Bee’s voice and Levi felt uninteresting. There was a real missed opportunity with withholding his POV. I think that would have given him depth.

This should not be categorized as an enemies-to-lovers. The entire tension of their romance heavily depends on several miscommunications. And neither of them are enemies.

Final Analysis

Love on the Brain might be the weakest book within Ali Hazelwood’s catalog. The main characters and their romance are quickly overshadowed by far more interesting characters. This book was plagued with awful miscommunication between the leads and the same formulaic structure that Hazelwood is often criticized for.

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Review: The Dawn of the Cursed Queen by Amber V. Nicole

About the Book

Ask her, boy. Ask her what she begged the stars for and what lives now. Ask her what she ripped from the very heavens. And then ask her if she cares. The old blood runs through her veins.

Nismera and her legions rule the realms as Samkiel's power fills the sky. With him gone, she strives to solidify her spot on the throne, no matter the cost.

Dianna struggles beneath the weight of half-truths, lies, and deceptions. After overcoming what she thought was her hardest battle, she soon learns she is at risk of losing everything.

Samkiel strives to heal, but he has more on his plate than ever before. The Hand is dismantled, the realms are in turmoil, and the one person he can trust keeps him at arm's length. Can the two work out their differences, or will they both fall to the blade of the Goddess of War?

The one true king returns, but is it the king or queen who shall rule them all?

Review

I was blown away by this installment. It by far is my favorite, and I need a release date for the fourth book as soon as possible. Truthfully, all the books have been highly rated by me. And from the looks of it—I don’t see that changing. Amber V. Nicole has crafted an entertaining and intriguing series, and I’m obsessed. This is easily my favorite fantasy series.

One issue that I had with the first two books was that at times the mechanics of the world felt confusing.  The world is huge, and with the third book, it felt much bigger. This makes sense since the stakes have significantly grown as the story progresses. I appreciated that the author took the time to write a catchy summary at the start of this book. That was helpful. However, I still struggled with how the world works. There were a few things that I didn’t quite understand. I kept waiting for that ‘ah-ha” moment that never came. That most likely could be a me issue.

Regardless, I still loved this book. Dianna and Samkiel felt fully realized in this one. And don’t even get me started on their romance. A million stars across the board. Both went through intensive character and relationship growth in this one. They truly are the stars of this series with a great supporting cast. I loved all the new additions to the story. They worked well and brought something new to the story.   

Final Thoughts

Everything got bigger with The Dawn of the Cursed Queen. The characters. The romance. The action. The drama. Everything! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time—holding my breath as I read. This is a roller-coaster and despite the emotional damage that it might cause, I can’t recommend the series enough. Dianna and Samkiel are astonishing characters who leave a huge lasting impact.

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Review: My Dearest Mackenzie by Rachel Blaufeld

My Dearest Mackenzie was not your typical second chance romance. Being that I’m obsessed with them, this had a different vibe that grew on me. With that being said, this slow burn romance hit differently considering the circumstances of the characters and what brought them into each other’s lives. The maturity and the realistic perspective of their life experiences brought an authenticity to them that made them relatable and interesting.

The heart of the book had me fascinated. An undiscovered love story destined to be told brought Frankie Burns into Mackenzie Miller’s life. Determined to figure out what happened between her grandfather and his grandmother, she bursts into life with a determined fire, an unwillingness to accept no for an answer, making this her mission to conquer and potentially unlock her happily ever after. 

While Mackenzie was not on board at first with this revelation and all that is to follow, as the story unfolds, opening up the past to his beloved grandmother unknowingly held the key to what was missing in his life. What neither of them knew was even though their grandparents were forced to live a life apart, their fate was destined as their story was yet to be told. 

Overall, the book was a nice read. The dual perspectives of the plot had my thoughts feeling more excited for one than the other. The unraveling of the story behind their grandparents really captured my interest. I found that part of the plot where I wanted to read more. Individually, Frankie and Mackenzie, I loved their characters. Their initial interactions and as they got to know each other was fun and engaging to read but then as their relationship blossomed, it was just ok for me. I wanted something more for them. I feel like they were both broken and the fire between them was just dimly lit for me. I’m not talking physically but emotionally I just need more because they were definitely meant for each other but that aspect of them didn’t grab me like I wanted to. Despite that, it wrapped up nicely giving them a well deserved HEA. 

This was my first read with this author and I look forward to reading what she has coming out in the future.

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Review: One Wrong Move (The Connovan Chronicles Book 3) by Olivia Hayle

About the Book

The woman I love has always been off-limits. She was my best friend’s fiancée… and now my new roommate.

I thought I was used to pain. Harper dated my best friend for years, and I was going to be the best man at their wedding. Until she blows up the engagement and shows up in London with a new job.

Being friends never worked for me. That’s why I moved away. But here I am, unable to resist her again. And when I see the tiny, unsafe apartment she’s renting? I insist she move into my giant Kensington townhouse. Roommates. Should be fine.

Or not. Because I find Harper’s "thirty things by thirty" list and decide to help her fulfill it. Showing her around London, taking her on trips, sleeping in the same bed… helping her explore things her ex was never interested in.

But it doesn’t matter how close we get, because Harper is newly single, unimpressed by my wealth, and doesn’t know I’m love with her. One wrong move and I might ruin this relationship forever.

Review

Olivia Hayes was a new author to me, and I decided to give her a chance in the middle of a series. I hadn’t known what to expect. It did not take long for me to want to go back and read all her books. Nate and Harper were perfect. I have no notes. I loved this book. 

It is impossible to read this book and not get obsessed with Nate and Harper. They were incredible characters. Nate had been in love with Harper for years; however, she had been in a relationship with his best friend Dean. He even moved to London because he was dealing with a lot of feelings about the situation. Nate’s feelings were unknown to Harper, and after ending things she moved to London, where she ran into Nate. Nate was so willing to help her. Yes, he was in love with her, but also because he wanted to make her happy and he understood her. 

I appreciated how Harper didn’t instantly fall in love with Nate. I loved seeing her naturally fall in love with him, and also stand her ground. The situation with Dean did impact her and although it did make things complicated at a point, I like that she didn’t change who she was. She came to London for herself. And she stayed true to that. 

Final Thoughts

One Wrong Move is a great book with complex characters and a beautiful romance. The romance developed gradually and despite Nate already being in love with Harper, he never pushed her. 

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Review: Abandoned at Birth: Searching for the Arms That Once Held Me by Janet Sherlund

To be honest, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional impact that this book would have on me. I’ve often wondered the emotional weight adoptees carry and through her poignant memoir, Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund recounts her emotional journey and life navigating the exploration of her deep rooted need for belonging, discovering her identity and finding her roots.

The book explores what led to her adoption and chronicles her life navigating the dual worlds of her adopted family and struggling with the urge to find herself by locating her biological family. Her feelings of rejection, loss and grief in pursuit of finding her identity, belonging and connecting with her biological family was courageous. Her story highlighted the pain and struggles many adoptees often feel and will resonate and give insight to others who have shared or may be on a similar path.

This book became more than what I initially thought when I first started reading. It gives a voice to an experience that often remains silent. Her vulnerability makes this heartwarming and draws the deepest empathy and compassion for adoptees as a whole. This truly captures the effects of adoption, not only for the adoptees but potentially both families. This would be a great read for those on a similar journey to encourage and give comfort knowing you aren’t alone.

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