Thursday, July 31, 2014

Review: Ever After By Kate SeRine

Title: Ever After
Author: Kate SeRine
Series: Book Four in the Transplanted Tales Series
Published By:  Kensington (August 21, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 Stars! 


 Book Description:
To Catch a Thief…

For centuries, Gideon Montrose has served the King of Fairies without question and, often, without mercy. So when the King orders him to apprehend a notorious thief, Gideon obeys. But when he finally gets his hands on the beautiful culprit, Gideon’s in for a shock.

Arabella Locksley is none other than the spirited, unpredictable woman he knew back in Make Believe as Robin Hood — the love of his life whose tragic death destroyed his chance at Happily Ever After.

Now, he has an impossible choice. Betray the woman he once loved, or the king he’s bound to serve?













SeRine has created a very unique take on modern day fairy tale characters and put such an unexpected, fun and even dangerous spin on stories that we all grew up hearing that you can't help but be enchanted by them. 

Her characters, while versions of the fairy tales we grew up with, are nothing like what we remember. In fact, their story is usually only bits and pieces of what we grew up hearing and loving. They almost always have a dark past and most of them are not innocent at all. 

So how could I resist a very different take on Robin Hood and Little John? Quite simply put, I couldn't.

Oh how I loved Gideon! In fact, I am going to go so far as to say that this whole book is by far my favorite yet. I just loved everything about it and once again I love that we get all the characters we have come to love from the other books in the series. I live for those glimpses!

 Not only did I love Gideon but I also loved Arabella. How could I not love a feisty heroine who started the tale of Robin Hood and her band of Merry Men?

This truly was outstanding with just the right amount of steamy romance and like always, a mystery to keep us on our toes as well as inside info on all the Tales we have come to love. I love learning more and more about them as the series progresses and I love that even though some of the characters already had their book, we are still getting little inside info and glimpses into their past as well as their present. 


I am so excited to see what SeRine comes out with next.





*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Cover Reveal: Breaker by Emma Raveling

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This is the cover reveal for Breaker by Emma Raveling, the fourth book in the Ondine Quartet, an upper Young Adult Urban Fantasy series. 

Breaker

War. Prophecy. Freedom.

She fought for herself. She fought for friendship and love. Now, Kendra Irisavie fights for the survival of her world.

War rages on, leaving no one untouched. Destruction rips through elemental communities and terror flourishes in its wake. Suspicion soars, order fractures, and loyalties crumble despite Kendra’s desperate attempts to protect everyone she holds dear.

 When an organized Aquidae army launches a series of merciless assaults, Kendra and her friends set out to end the bloodshed once and for all. With the fate of elementals hanging in balance, the Shadow and sondaleur hunt each other down in a brutal match of cunning and will.

 Kendra has trained for this her entire life. But in a ravaged world where trust is scarce and no life is sacred, she soon realizes her battle may be against an invincible enemy and that her darkest days lie ahead.

 Twists and turns shape her harrowing odyssey, leading to a stunning climax that challenges everything she believes in.

 Torn between destiny and autonomy, Kendra must finally decide whether the cost of freedom is too high.

 Heartbreaking decisions, turbulent alliances, and shattering revelations collide in Breaker, the
explosive conclusion to the Ondine Quartet.


Tell us about the covers in this series.

The main novels of the Ondine Quartet (Whirl, Billow,Crest, Breaker) have conceptual covers. Each cover’s imagery captures a particular theme or motif in the book, and the coloring conveys a sense of the story’s mood and emotional arc.

The shorter works/novellas in the series (Ondine,Chevalier, and Warrior Prince) are essentially character portraits and are told through the eyes of different characters in the series. Those covers use models.

The goal for Breaker’s cover was to visually convey high stakes, explosive energy, and a brilliant, sharp intensity.This is the epic finale to the series and everything that has happened in previous books has led to this moment.

Out of all the covers in the series, this one took the most amount of work. My designer and I went back and forth multiple times, going through several drastically different versions before finally arriving at the right
imagery and coloring.


How does it feel to end a series?

It’s bittersweet. A part of me is thrilled to share the end of Kendra’s journey with readers. I’ve had the entire series planned since the very beginning so finally releasing what’s been in my head is a relief.

But the process of writing this final book has been a highly emotional one. There’s a personal attachment to the work itself. I’ve spent countless hours thinking and living with these characters and with this world over the past four years. It’s difficult to bring not only Kendra’s story, but my journey with her story,to an end.

A few easy questions:

Top 3 books?

Only 3?? Argh! There are so many books I love for different reasons and my list of favorites is always changing, depending on what’s going on in my life. Right now, if I had to name three, they’d be:

1. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. And of course, the Harry Potter series


Top 5 movies?

1. Aviator

2. Mulholland Drive

3. The Matrix

4. The Breakfast Club

5. Okay, I couldn’t just pick five. So the last one is a tie between The Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Star Wars (ep. 4-6), and Catch Me If You Can.

Top 5 places in the world you enjoy visiting?
1.New York City
2.Tokyo
3.Paris
4.Kauai Island (Hawaii)
5.Berlin


Top 5 foods?
1.Fresh basil pesto – I’ll add this on anything
2.Sashimi (Japanese-style raw fish)
3.Dark chocolate
4.Jamón ibérico(Spanish ham)
5.And my terrible guilty pleasure: pizza



Author Bio:
Emma Raveling writes a wide variety of fiction for teens and adults. Hopelessly addicted to coffee and diet coke, she is the author of the Ondine Quartet and Chancer young adult series, and is currently working on the first book in her new Steel Magic series for adults.

 Previous Novels:

whirl_500billowcover_500Crest_500
   

Previous Novellas:

ondine_500chevalier_500WarriorPrince_500
 
This event was organized by:

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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Cover Reveal: Origins of Angels by Christie Rich


originreveal

I'm excited to share the cover for Origin of Angels by Christie Rich! This is the first book in the Elemental Legacy series and is New Adult Fantasy. It is a continuation of the Elemental Enmity series.

Origin_of_Angels_eBook5 (1)

A man searches for the woman he loves. A woman fights to survive.

As the first male Elemental, Travis is a wanted man. Women fawn all over him, both fae and Elemental alike, but he only has one female on is mind—the woman who captured his heart when he was sure he’d lost it. Travis is not only determined to find her, he’s willing to go through his meddling sister, Ralya, to do it. He doesn’t care if she’s queen of the fae, if war is brewing, or if there is a price on his head. He needs to find his mystery woman before it’s too late—before he loses her to the Order or worse, to the evil Valen, who has made a bargain of his own to win back his kingdom.

Emily will do anything it takes to save her son from the Order, no matter the cost. Her heart yearns for the man who gifted her with the only joy she has in her dreary world, yet the odds she will ever see Travis again are slim to none. Emily has a single desire: to raise her child. Love is beyond her reach, or so she thinks. As evil draws near, Emily must guard her heart or lose her soul to the fae who wants her to fulfill his wicked purposes.

Will Travis find Emily before she gives up, or will she fall into the hands of his enemy and be forever out of his reach? In this gripping sequel to Elemental Enmity, the stakes for control of Earth have been raised. Evil has taken hold of the mortal realm and won’t relinquish it easily. The forces of Elemental and fae must unite against the dark court if they have any chance at all of overcoming the gloom overtaking the human realm.


Christie Rich  About the author: I grew up daydreaming about fairytales, and my love for discovering new worlds has never died. I am not one of those writers who always knew I would write. I thought that was what other people did until one day, a few years ago, I took a challenge from a friend and typed my first words. My journey has been wonderful, and I cannot imagine a day where I would ever give up writing. My love for reading is what fueled my imagination in the first place and still does. When I am not writing or reading, I enjoy family time with my husband and two children. My family and I live in a quiet community in Northern Utah, and I am so thankful for the rich life I have been blessed with.
 Find the author: 


Giveaway:

$15 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This event was organized by:

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WoW Pick of the Week



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a chance to share those new releases were are super anxious to get our hands on and read.

Confession time, I first noticed this only because of the cover, it is gorgeous and the cover whore in me sometimes wins out more than not but, after reading the synopsis, I realized the more practical part of me wanted it as well so...here it is. My WoW pick of the week and of course one I am sure I will be adding to my TBR pile come December.

So what do you think, yay or nay on this one?





Release Date: December 9, 2014

Book Description:
Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor.

"There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor.

Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?


Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride.




*Amazon

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Review: Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

Title: Killing Sarai
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Series: Book One in the Company of Killers Series
Published: June 18, 2013
Source: Purchased
Genre: New Adult Thriller
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…










 So Christy at Christy's Love of Books and I decided since we are both horrible at adding to each other's TBR pile (like truly, we are BOTH evil) each month we would make the other read one of those books. Yes I said make, because how else are we ever going to choose and ever actually get to read them? What better way than having someone demand you read it, right? :P

It has taken me a couple of days to be able to compose this review, to be able to gather my thoughts and feelings and truly understand them.

I am not even sure, now, days later, if I will be able to convey all that I felt while reading this.

This is a read that takes you by surprise with the depth of it. The emotion inside that runs deep within the pages and within the very story itself. 

We are placed in a world that is harsh and rough. Dangerous and brutal and very much a part of the real world today. Into situations that are questionable and horrible and unthinkable. Into places that no one should ever read about, let along experience. A place Sarai grew up and was held captive in for 9 very long years.

This isn't your typical story. There are no happily ever afters and the moments that take your breath away? Those are not because of huge grand romantic gestures but instead because of the horrors that surround you. The thoughts that we try not to imagine that must have happened to her, must have occurred on a daily basis, those are the moments that take your breath away and make your heart pound, get your blood boiling and leave you breathless.

This was an extraordinary read that was both raw and beautiful. 

It won't be what you expect, instead it will be so much more. So much more feeling and depth. It will make you cringe and it will make you think. It has moments that will make you smile but those are few and far in between but come just when you need them too to give you relief and make you go on.

This has just enough hint of a romance that will leave you turning the pages wanting more and the best part is, it isn't your typical romance, not at all.

In short, just read this one, you won't be disappointed and you will get one heck of  a ride along the way.

I am so glad Christy made me pick this one up. I don't regret it at all and will definitely be continuing on with the series.







*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Monday, July 28, 2014

Review: The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Title: The Beautiful Ashes
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Book One in the Broken Destiny Series
Published By: Harlequin (August 26, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
My Rating: 3 Stars 

 Book Description:
In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate. 

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her. 

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…












I am a huge Jeaniene Frost fan so when I saw that she was branching out into another genre, I just knew it was something that I would have to try.

The whole concept behind the storyline might not have been completely original but Frost has this unmistakable talent for taking the over done and putting a whole new fresh spin on it and that is exactly what she has done in The Beautiful Ashes. 

This isn't your typical story about another dimension or even angels versus demons. Instead it is an action packed, plot driven, take on an old tale with so many new twists, turns, and excitement that you can't help but be captured in the story as the old takes on the new.

While this didn't quite live up to the wonderfulness that is her Night Huntress series it does have potential with a fiery heroine that is just as tough and ever bit as snarky as her heroine in her adult UF series and a male lead that has potential in all the right ways.


I think this will be one series to watch out for. With Frost's ability to write one heck of a kick butt heroine, a sexy hero, and her story lines that are always as action based as they are filled with romance, this is one series we are sure to want to get hooked on.






*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Cover Reveal: Darkness Watching by Emma Adams




Release Date: September 1, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills

Book Description:
Eighteen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons. She thinks she's losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and the darkness is staring back.

Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the middle of nowhere - little knowing that it isn't coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world.

All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life - but demons never give up, and their focus on Ash has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she's looking for. The demons want something from her, and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is. 

In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be...




Author Bio:



Emma Adams spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy and paranormal for young adults.

She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also wrote various novels and short stories. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).

Now a reluctant graduate, she can usually be found in front of her writing desk, creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel The Puppet Spell, published in January 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, featuring disappearing uncles, invisibility potions and chimeras.


Emma also writes dark and creepy supernatural novels for older teens and adults. Her next book, Darkness Watching, is the first in the upper-YA/New Adult Darkworld series, and was published in October 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press.


Find Emma Adams Online: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/emma.adams.775?fref=ts) | Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/@ELAdams12) | Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6563991.Emma_L_Adams) | Website (http://emmaladams.weebly.com/)

Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Sunday Post



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.


Summer really is flying by way too darn fast. Can you believe there is only about a month left before school starts back up again? I know we have already been busy here trying to soak up as much sun and fun as possible as well as sneak in some shopping for school stuff here and there. 

I still haven't even come close to reading as many books as I wanted to or even start those in my TBR pile that I was hoping I would get read this summer but that is okay. I am trying my best not to think or stress out about it. Spending time with family and friends is far more important right?

We got a much needed reprieve from the hot weather this week and it was wonderful! I am not look forward to the heat that I know will be awaiting me come tomorrow morning. As we approach August it only promises to get hotter. Maybe I can stay indoors and get some reading done after all?

I hope everyone has been staying cool and having a nice summer. I think I am finally over my reading slump that seemed to haunt me much of June and July. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am finally out of it and can move on and start enjoying all those reads that are just waiting for me to try. 

It was a quieter week again on the blog this past week and it was nice. Here is what I posted in case you missed anything.

Review: Ghost House by Alexandra Ardornetto

Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnn Thayne

My WoW Pick of the Week

Blog Tor Book Review and Giveaway: Keeper by Ingrid Seymour

Review: How To Fall by Jane Casey

Review: Feral by Holly Schindler


Review: Renegade by Cambria Herbert

Here is what I plan on posting next week:

Cover Reveal: Darkness Watching by Emma Adams

Review: Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Review: Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

WoW Pick of the Week

Review: Ever After by Kate SeRine

Review: Dark Sacrifice by Angie Sandro

Mini Review: This is Sarah by Ally Malinenko


I had a great week for review books and probably picked up way too many but that is okay, I am excited about all of them.

A huge thank you to the publishers and authors for all of them!!





And this one:



Saturday, July 26, 2014

Review: Renegade by Cambria Herbert

Title: Renegade
Author: Cambria Hebert
Series: Book Four in the Heven and Hell Series
Published: April 15, 2013
Source: Purchased
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
The conclusion to the Heven and Hell series.

I’ve been beautiful. I’ve been ugly. I’ve died. I’ve been brought back. I’ve had abilities awakened within me. My strength has been tested. My beliefs have been tested.

Yet I stand. 

What’s next when you’ve pretty much experienced it all? 

The end. 

Sam and I are picking up the pieces. We’re trying to come to terms with all we’ve lost. And as much as I would like to hide my head, ignore the reality I live every day, there is no forgetting. 

Riley is in hell—I’m still not sure of his agenda. My mother’s past haunts me. And Kimber… Kimber is being herself. Cole sneaks glances at Gemma and she returns them when she thinks I don’t see. 

But I do. 

When Beelzebub escapes he brings his war to places I never thought he would. Earth. Maine. Home. Now everyone and everything is at risk. This has become bigger than my circle of friends. This has become bigger than me. I have to finish this. I have to find a way to stop him, to finish this war. 

I just pray we will all be left standing in the end.











Oh how I have missed Sam and Heven. Truly I have come to think of them as friends. I care about them, their happiness, the outcome for them both and it is so hard saying goodbye to them after feeling like they have become a part of me, which is why, I am ashamed to admit, it has taken me so very long to pick up this last book. 

Their last book. 

How will I ever be able to say goodbye? 

I kept thinking if I put it off long enough I wouldn't have to admit that it was almost all over. But then I realized that was just silly. I was only torturing myself because I really needed to know how it all ended and I was hoping and praying that it would end well. What if they didn't end up together? What if more people died?  I didn't want to have to hate Cambria, after all I love Heven and Sam almost as much as I have come to love and appreciate Cambria. I didn't want our friendship to be ruined. Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic because, come one, I would still love Cambria no matter what, but it wouldn’t stop me from being mad at her for a little while if Sam and Heven didn't get their happily ever after. I really didn't want to be mad at Cambria, not even a little bit.

I am so sorry I even doubted you for a minute Cambria. I know how much you love Heven and Sam too and I should have known you wanted them to be happy, even if that journey was a really rough and bumpy one to get there. 

I really have enjoyed the journey with them. To see Heven grow as much as she has, to become a strong and independent person, one willing and able to stand up for herself and those she loves. She is no longer a shy and meek girl restrained by her appearance and weaknesses. I love how kick butt she became over the course of the series. 

In fact, each character, Sam, Riley, Kimber, Gemma, Cole, Heven, they have all grown in some way and I think I love that most of all about this series. It is full of growth and change. 

I really couldn't have asked for a better ending, one filled with joy and sorrow, much like the other books in the series. I have loved every minute and Sam and Heven's journey and Hebert once again proved why she is an excellent story teller. I so look forward to seeing what she comes out with next.





*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by an outside source. I was not compensated for this review.*

Friday, July 25, 2014

Review: Feral by Holly Schindler

Title: Feral
Author: Holly Schindler
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Harper Teen (August 26, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Book Description:
The Lovely Bones meets Black Swan in this haunting psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you question everything you think you know.

It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words continue to haunt Claire Cain months after she barely survived a brutal beating in Chicago. So when her father is offered a job in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out will offer her a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire feels an overwhelming sense of danger, and her fears are confirmed when she discovers the body of a popular high school student in the icy woods behind the school, surrounded by the town’s feral cats. While everyone is quick to say it was an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it, and vows to learn the truth about what happened. 

But the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to realizing a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley….

Holly Schindler’s gripping story is filled with heart-stopping twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.












I love when a book turns out to be darker and more twisted than I could have imagined.

 I love when I get so wrapped up in the story that I too want to look behind my shoulder and make sure no one is following me, or that my neighbors aren't peering at me from closed blinds, that there are no ferals running rampant behind me, lurking around the corners and lying in wait for just the right moment to pounce. 

The imagery in this is so beautifully done. So vivid and horrifying, so cringe worthy that I don't know whether to be in awe of the author's talent or slightly disgusted by it. 

We are thrust right into a dark and horrifying scene only to be thrown right into another one, similar in circumstance but with very different outcomes. Two girls destined to have their lives intertwined by a violence that was as disturbing to read about, as it was gut wrenching to imagine and even though at times I felt sick to my stomach with the vivid details, I also found myself completely fascinated by it as well. 

This book was such a crazy ride. It had so many ups and downs to it. So many “huh?” moments that you never quite got a grasp on what was reality and what may have been the ramblings and imaginations of a very disturbed and very broken young girl.

But either way, I was there, right with it holding on tight right up to that very strange, very curious ending. In fact, I would even say I was really into this until that ending. The ending was just too weird. Too  many twists and things happened that just had me questioning everything and not questioning in a kept me guessing way but a questioning in a what the heck just happened kind of way. 

It wrapped up a little too neatly with explanations for everything without really explaining anything. Ghosts, possessions, demons, imaginations, hallucinations? PTSD? What?

I still don't know how I feel about this one. Was the writing good? Yes it was. 

Was I pulled into the twisted slightly macabre storyline? Why yes, yes I was. 

Was it all just a little too weird and a little too descriptive but still irresistible? Again, yes.

But was I happy with it all? 

Honestly, still not sure. So for now, I am going to give this one a very neutral but still very well earned three stars. Why three and not four? Because that ending threw me and I think I still need to process everything that happened and how it all ended. Bit the writing, the writing I can't deny. The author has talent and that talent needs to be acknowledged and recognized. 







*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Review: How To Fall by Jane Casey

Title: How To Fall
Author: Jane Casey
Series: Book One in the Jess Tennant Series
Published By: St. Martin's Press (August 26, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Mystery
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!


Book Description:
Sixteen-year-old Jess Tennant has never met any of her relatives, until her mom suddenly drags her out of London to spend the summer in the tiny English town where her family’s from. Her mom’s decision is surprising, but even more surprising is the town’s reaction to Jess. Everywhere she goes, people look at her like they’ve seen a ghost. In a way, they have—she looks just like her cousin Freya, who died shortly before Jess came to town.

Jess immediately feels a strange connection to Freya, whom she never got to meet alive. But the more Jess learns about the secrets Freya was keeping while she was alive, the more suspicious Freya’s death starts to look. One thing is for sure: this will be anything but the safe, boring summer in the country Jess was expecting.











This book has been described as an unputdownable YA thriller and I have to say, that is probably a pretty accurate description of it.

I quickly found myself immersed in the world that Casey had created. One filled with the death of a young girl and the mystery surrounding it, all set in a small town in England. 

This really was a great read, whether or not it could be called a thriller, is debatable however but, what it was, was a really good mystery that was pretty suspenseful at times and left me turning the pages until the very end.

It was never quite clear to the reader the real reason behind Freya's accident, murder or possible suicide but instead one was left with multiple guesses and options as to not lonely what really happened but why.

Even towards the end of the story you are left knowing that it isn't over, that there is more to it. We may have gotten some answers but not all of them and I honestly couldn't tell if that bothered me or not.

I didn't go into this one knowing that this was only book one of a planned series, which explained why so much was still up in the air. 

Whether or not I could live with the ending, while still debatable, what this did leave me with was that urge we all get after finishing a story left unfinished was the urge to have to have the next book.  


There is just so much more to Will's father and Jess' mom and I want to know it all and I wanted to know it all in this book and was somewhat disappointed that I didn't get it. Which of course, leave me without a doubt that I will be picking up the next book because I truly must know it all. I need to uncover the whole town's secrets, every single last one of them.








*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*