It's back into the future with the second book in the Jolvix Episodes!

I was so excited when I got approved for the follow up to AMEN MAXINE. In this book we follow Violet trying to figure out why she was kidnapped. She has a phone that dials out to one person (Bud) and she has a week to figure out how they're connected.

This was a decent follow up to AMEN MAXINE. It did lack on the dystopian sci-if feel though. Some parts were pretty slow. Honestly I wish more would have been explored with the company Jolvix.

All that being said, I am so excited to read the third installment in The Jolvix Episodes, which @faith.gardner announced would be out in January! VIOLET IS NOWHERE can be read as a standalone but if y'all want a banger, check out AMEN MAXINE first.

Thanks to @netgalley for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Two strangers. One phone. Everything on the line."

I loved Faith Gardner's first book in this series, Amen Maxine, but this was a dud. The first half of the book I was intrigued and then I felt like it went off the rails. I think I'm not the intended audience for this book as I'm in the minority with my poor review. Great set-up for a thriller— but I don't think it was able to live up to its full potential and I found the proposed "twist" rather unsatisfying especially for the length/build up throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the ARC.

Two strangers. One phone.
Everything on the line.
Rising rock star Violet is kidnapped from her Los Angeles home in a near-future dystopia. She wakes up locked in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a mysterious note and a burner phone that only dials one unfamiliar number.
Construction worker Bud answers a call from his Bay Area apartment and a stranger’s on the line claiming to have been kidnapped and locked in a cabin.
The note says they have one week to figure out the connection between them. Otherwise someone out there—or something—will take her life.

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Violet has been kidnapped and imprisoned in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with only a phone that calls just one number. The man on the other end of the phone might prove to be her saviour, or perhaps something else.
A locked room thriller set in a near-future world.

3.5 STARS

Sci-fi twisted game.....

Well, this was very different from the first in the series, Amen Maxine.

Violet ends up in a "hell cabin" with a note and a flip phone (her lifeline). She has only one number she can dial, Bud. Cue the violins, because Violet is a dramatic one! I certainly needed a break from her, I wanted to pull her purple hair out!

Violet and Bud are complete strangers, but are challenged to find a connection or die.

I was intrigued, but became restless with the pace and the Violet/Bud conversations. The cabin fever applied to me as well!

Quite a bit of telling in the conclusion and I'm guessing a cliffhanger? Because how could it end like that?!

There are some fun, futuristic references and Bud was the star of the show for me. Perhaps his roboburger a day will keep the doctor away?

Thank you Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

Now ya'll know I am the world's biggest fan of Amen Maxine. I absolutely adore this book and it's firmly in my top 10 for 2022 list. I connected with Faith Gardner via Instagram and she is hilarious, smart, and lovely. If you don't follow her – you should.

I am sooo grateful for the shoutout at the end of this book. WOW. And thank you to everyone who notified me about it, I screamed in joy every time.

Although this book wasn't for me, I look forward to what she comes up with next.

5 stars for a DNF (40% read, 60% skim) as I cannot comment on the overall quality of this book.

Another amazing book that freaks me out about the possible future! But to tell you why would be a spoiler. Put it this way: this book is devious! It eases you in with what appears to be a simple story about a woman who has been kidnapped and the one man her phone will let her reach out to. What do they have in common? Finding that out is the key to saving her......and him. The plot on its own is a a bit frightening but add a deep look at two people who have nothing in common but must rely on each other for survival and the result is one that makes you turn each page wondering what comes next. While this is listed as the second in a series, they don't need to be read in order as the stories have little overlap. They are really just two stories that exist in the same potential alternative future. And for those who don't like science fiction, this is the series to try. Call it sci-fi lite. To say I am looking forward to more of them would be an understatement.

This was not quite what I was expecting and the tone grated me. Not my cup of tea, unfortunately, but I'm certain many readers who enjoy sci-fi thrillers with quirky humor will enjoy it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book by Faith Gardner that I have read but it definitely won't be the last. Full of interesting and well developed weirdos. A good story all round.

Having just discovered Faith Gardner, I was so excited to see another book in the Jolvix series. I stumbled upon Amen Maxine and read it in an afternoon. I've been recommending that to everyone! The second book in the series, Violet is Nowhere, was also a great book. Personally, I thought the ending was a little 'out there' but overall a great read. I hope this series continues for a long time. Loving it! Faithful librarian reader!!

3.5⭐
I apologize. I do want a Roboburger, double patty with cheese! 🍔

Set in the future, but not too distant where there are diesel trucks but also a common sight are robots in everyday life. Robot meter maid, robot lawn mower, or a burger chain- farm to table, staffed by robots. "Violet Is Nowhere" is a suspenseful sci-fi thriller that's perfect for mystery and thriller readers alike. This is sci-fi lite.

Violet was drugged and taken against her will. She wakes up in a cozy (prison) cabin in the middle of nowhere. There are bars on the windows, and the door is locked but strangely enough, there is a comfy bed, bathroom, and kitchenette. The mini fridge is stocked with Whole Foods, sparkling water, organic fruits, and veggies. What the hell is going on? There's a note and a flip phone with only one number she can dial. That number belongs to a Bay Area carpenter named Bud who is her only chance at freedom.

This is one of those books that when I reached the ending, I felt numb. Do I like the ending? Was I happy with the conclusion? Was it right or wrong? I DON'T KNOW what to feel!😩 So many mixed emotions. It was highly entertaining that's for sure and Bud...whomp whomp. I do wish the sci-fi part was introduced sooner, waiting until the second half was torture! This is episode two in the Jolvix series and can be read on its own. There are cool references to the first episode if you read them in order. Bring on episode three! 🤖

Thank you Mirror House Press and Netgalley for this DRC.
Expected publication on September 22, 2022!

I haven't read the first in this series. That being said, this was a great thriller that I really enjoyed reading.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Violet is a new up and coming pop star who wakes one morning to find herself locked down in a cabin. Her only lifeline for help is an old style flip phone with just one working number programmed in. A number she doesn’t recognize. Connected to a voice she has never heard before.

That voice on the other end answering the phone belongs to Bud. Appropriately named for the amount of beer he consumes!🤣. Anyway, Bud is a terminally single, sad carpenter with no direction or motivation in life beyond his next job and oh yes, his next brew-ski. Not exactly her number-one candidate for a knight in shining armor!

But Bud is all that Violet has who can possibly help. With only a bewildering note from the so-called kidnappers, the two must work together to gain Violet’s freedom.

This was a very light, entertaining sci-fi read. And as a novice sci-fi aficionado, (I am trying to read more in this genre) I was a bit confused as the puzzle pieces came together.🤪. Though by the finish I think my brain gradually caught up! Lol!

This is book two of the Jolvix Episodes series that can definitely be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading book one, Amen Maxine. I am definitely looking forward to more from this very talented author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press

3.5 stars rounded up for creativity

This story starts with Violet, the lead singer of an emerging band, kidnapped and held hostage in a remote cabin. Everything is provided for her. She receives a note that says she has a telephone that can only reach one number, and she has one week to figure out her connection with the person at the other end, or else. No contacting outside authorities. That person on the other end is Bud. He's a loner carpenter with a bit of a drinking problem. As the two of them talk, they desperately try to figure out the connection between them before time runs out.

I loved Amen Maxine, which I read a few months ago. This is the second of the "Jolvix Episodes" and so that's kind of a giveaway from the beginning that there has to be a connection to Jolvix, the bizarre tech corporation we found out about in the first book. That took a bit of the suspense away honestly, and was what kept the book from being stronger for me, as I thought the leadup to them figuring out what was going on was too long and drawn out.

Overall though, Gardner is a great writer and her creativity is off the charts. There is a lot of food for thought and contemplation in the end here, because it really made me think about how I'm living my life and what I would think and do if I were in this situation. I liked both Violet and Bud and the more they talked the more I liked them.

If you haven't read Amen, Maxine, get yourself a copy today. Violet is Nowhere is a worthy follow-up and I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

This was a really fun read! I’d say a mix of horror and science fiction with a really unique plot. Two POVs, but if that’s something that you normally don’t like, both are important to progression of the plot. Some parts were a little predictable, and the male POV was trying a little too hard to be a normal, old-soul country guy. However, climax of the book wasn’t what I predicted, and I loved the twisty ending.

[Will post to Amazon when open for reviews]

This book was so fun! And different! In a time when I sometimes feel like I am reading the same book over and over, this was so different and I loved it!

Violet is kidnapped from her Los Angeles home and wakes up locked in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a mysterious note and a burner phone that only dials one unfamiliar number. That phone belongs to Bud.

Construction worker Bud answers a call and a stranger’s on the line claiming to have been kidnapped and locked in a cabin..

The note says they have one week to figure out the connection between them. Otherwise she will be killed. Or will both of them?

The story was told from both Violet and Bud's point of view which really enhanced the story. I didn't really like either person to being with, but by the end I was totally rooting for them.

That ending!! WTH? I can't say anything more - but it was totally unexpected. I didn't see that coming at all! and I still havent decided how I feel about it. Two weeks later I still think about that ending - which is why I rounded this up to 5 stars. It's been a long time since a book stuck with me - and it deserves and extra star just for that.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

I really enjoyed this book. I have never heard of h to is author until now and I’ll be looking into her other books. Then ending was a little sci-fi for me but I knew it would be going into it so that doesn’t take away from my rating. Overall a really enjoyable story.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars on here)

Thank you Netgalley and Mirror House Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

2 strangers. One phone
Everything on the line

We follow Violet who is living the rock star dream. Sure she would like to be singing at more concerts, but she is happy with where her life is at right now, until she gets kidnapped. When she wakes up she finds out that she only has access to a burner phone, that can only dial one number.

Bud, who is living his life as a construction worker, starts receiving a call from an unknown number and when he finally answers the call he doesn’t know who the voice is or who it belongs to.
*
Okay wow. Where to even being with this book because it was not at all what I expected in a totally amazing way. I absolutely loved the Sci-Fi element to this book even though I don’t typically read a lot of Sci-Fi. I loved how the author used both Violet’s and Bud’s POV to tell the story because you are able to understand their thought process a little bit more and see the development their characters go through. There were some parts that seemed to be a little slow to me and I wasn’t a huge fan of the long chapters. Overall, I loved the writing style, the twists that you don’t see coming, and the characters! I cannot say enough good things about this book!
*
This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Huge thanks to Mirror House Press, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Violet is Nowhere.

The sci-fi twist in this book was totally unexpected and I LOVED IT! Of all of the things I guessed as I read of Violet's kidnapping, and the one phone number Violet was allowed to call (Bud's), I didn't come close to figuring out what was actually behind it all. I liked how the story was told in alternating chapters sharing Violet's POV and then Bud's. Violet came across as very driven, while Bud was an easygoing, beer-slurping kind of guy. I enjoyed getting to know them, as they were getting to know each other ... phone call by phone call. There were some humorous moments, which were a plus!

I'm going to be thinking about the last part of Violet is Nowhere for a long time! I highly recommend it!!!

Told from alternating points of view, Violet & Bud are so different from each other, but are so relatable that I quickly became invested in their story. Violet is abducted and wakes up alone in a cabin, able to speak with only one person in the world (Bud) via a pre-programmed cell phone. While it did get a little slow toward the middle, it was 100% worth it for that ending. I NEVER saw it coming and will be thinking about this book for a while.

This book was the second of The Jolvix Episodes series, which I wasn't familiar with, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying Violet is Nowhere. The first in the series, Amen, Maxine, has most certainly found its way onto my TBR list.