Flynn works for the Protection and Investigation Unit. That was until she’s put on medical leave,which some at the agency thought would help her and it probably would but for the dependence on alcohol along with anonmous sex, is Flynn’s way of dealing with her depression. Flynn joined the agency after being primely raised by her grandmother ‘Tubs’. And now that she’s on leave instead of turning her life around she finds life with Tub’s is exactly where she should be, seeing as her grandmother, along with her GM’s friends has decided to steal a valuable document.
Of course there are a few obstacles that impede Flynn in her quest including running into the friends that were once a part of Flynn’s life. This is where it gets really interesting.’ Ms Chandler’s book is a pretty good read if you can stick with it. I hope you can.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading other works by Ms Chandler so when I was given this book to review I thought, Great, I really like her books. But what I was expecting and what I got wasn’t what I was used to.
The blurb usually describes what, as readers, we have to look forward to but this time the blurb did not match what was written, which threw me off a bit but I preserved and managed to read the whole book. I admit there were times I just wanted to give up but something kept me coming back. I have a feeling you might feel the same way but after a few chapters I’m pretty sure you will want to continue.
Mikala Flynn works as an agent for the National Protection and Investigation Unit. That was until she’s put on medical leave,which some at the agency thought would help her and it probably would but for the dependence on alcohol along with anonymous sex, is Flynn’s way of dealing with her depression. Flynn joined the agency after being primarily raised by her grandmother ‘Tubs’. And now that she’s on leave instead of turning her life around she finds life with Tub’s is exactly where she should be, seeing as her grandmother, along with her GM’s friends has decided to steal a valuable document.
Of course there are a few obstacles that impede Flynn in her quest including running into the friends that were once a part of Flynn’s life. This is where it gets really interesting.’ Ms Chandler’s book is a pretty good read if you can stick with it. I hope you can.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

Quest for Redemption by Jessie Chandler is an interesting read, though it is also quite different from the blurb that comes with the novel. This book actually tells about the life of Mikala Flynn from her teens in the early 2000’s until 2016. A good half of this novel is what I would consider a young adult book, and a very good one I would add. Its main purpose is to give the reader the information they need to understand Flynn’s choices and what happens in the second half of the book.

The second half is where the blurb comes into play. Flynn is now home from her job as a special agent in the National Protection and Investigation Unit. She is suffering from PTSD and all its symptoms as she tries to reintegrate back into everyday life. It is not easy and causes a lot of angst for her and those around her.
This is a well-written story, though at times it is hard to read. I kept wanting to slap Flynn on the back of her head and yell at her to open her eyes and see what she is missing. This means, of course, that I became invested in her which shows how well Ms. Chandler developed that character.

I liked the overall story. It is well written with realistic characters and plot. It felt a bit like I was reading two different books sometimes, which confused me for a while, but I eventually saw the connection.
I do need to mention a couple of trigger warnings. There is a part concerning 9/11 in the first half of the novel. In the second half, there is a lot about PTSD and its symptoms. If either of these would cause problems, I suggest you try another of Ms. Chandler’s novels. Otherwise, if you like a good angsty novel about a young woman growing up and overcoming some pretty big life traumas, try this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.com/

Amazing story of love, sacrifice and misguided noble gestures.

Flynn and Kate meet as high school teenagers. They are each other's first loves.

They come from different backgrounds but have some shared interests - volunteerism, art. Jewish heritage and serving the greater good.

Together they survive the Twin Towers attack, colleges, having different life goals and careers.

Flymn's career advances and takes her to a special ops team. And therein lies their biggest challenge. Long term separation, PTSD, alcoholism.

I really enjoyed this book - the story moves quickly and. Is very descriptive. My only complaint is that Flynn and Kate's story isn't fully resolved. I hope there is a sequel in the works!

As I write this, I am reminded of what Thumper said in that classic movie, Bambi.
"If you don't have nothin' nice to say, don't say nothin' at all."

I do have some nice things to say about this book, but I wish I had more.

First - the not so positive.
The blurb and most of the book don't match up. For the entire first third, I was wondering when the events in the blurb were going to transpire. I was beginning to wonder if a mistake had been made. Nope, no mistake. Eventually, we get there. I found it frustrating how long it took, though.

Because I believe in ending on a good note, I leave you with the best parts.
The growing relationship between Flynn and Kate was so sweet to watch. It was nice to see class disparity rise above the trope. I had no trouble at all visualizing and hearing the characters. In my opinion, the characters are the best part of this. I really did feel the angst and personal torture in Flynn's heart in the latter half of this book.
There are some humdingers of lines.
"Two months flew by like an open-throttled crotch rocket on a deserted highway."
"...slower than pine sap leaking from a wound in a tree."
They certainly do leave an impression!

Overall, it's an okay book that I wanted to love...but just couldn't. I liked it, but there's no love.

Trigger Warnings: 9/11, past trauma, attempted sexual assault.

Mikala Flynn has been placed on medical leave from her job at the National Protection and Investigation Unit. Lost in a haze of alcohol and flashbacks, she spends her days aimlessly wandering New York City and staying with her quirky and whipsmart grandmother, “Tubs.” When she hears Tubs and her friends hatching a plan to steal an antique document, she gets roped into the scheme, and when she runs into her ex girlfriend, old feelings start bubbling to the surface.

Ok. So that’s the basic summary, right? Yeah. Okay. But it’s not the whole story. This book covers a lot of ground. In fact, we spend the first chunk of the book catching up on Flynn’s life. We follow her and her (now) ex, Kate, as they meet, become unlikely friends, fall in love, and break up. Though the heist is kind of the central story in the second half of the book, the first half doesn’t even mention it.

I enjoyed this book well enough. I am not sure if there will be a sequel, but it’s set up that way, and though I was a little disappointed with the resolution, most things got wrapped up okay. I loved Tubs and was rooting for Flynn to get her shit together and go after her lost love. Her best friend, Joey, was a great character, and more representation of differently abled people = more better.

This story has a little bit of everything. Love, tragedy, redemption, intrigue, a heist, so if you’re in the mood for something a little offbeat, check it out.

This story...starts a bit slow, however there is purpose to it. As each story it needs a little explanation to what happens later. Flynn is amazing person with a lot on her shoulders! I love her character and I wonder if there is book #2 in the making! I cannot imagine the guilt and PTSD she had to deal with! Not to give out much, this story picks up and takes you places!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Ok Read.

Mikala has a lot going on when she was fourteen her father was murder and she was sent to live with her grandmother who she calls Tubs.

Mikala keeps to herself but at a event she runs into Kate a popular girl and they hit it off right along with another girl Ursula they become fast friends but Mikala and Kate become more.

Now all grown up Mikala is dealing with a lot of things that have her in a bottle. As she goes through this she overhears her grandmother and friends planning a heist and decide to join on top it off her ex is back and she still have unresolved feelings that needs to be dealt with also encounters a mysterious thief and the guilt she feels toward her best friend.