Book of the Month: The Christmas Candle

Imagine a Victorian England village in the Cotswolds where very little out of the ordinary ever happens... except at Christmas time.

This year, Edward Haddington, a lowly candle maker, is visited by a mysterious angel. That angel silently imparts a precious gift—a gift that’s bungled and subsequently lost. The candle maker and his wife, Bea, struggle to find the gift.

And when they do, they have to make a difficult choice. Who among their community is most in need of a Christmas miracle?

My Rating: ***** 

This was a nice, short, Christmas read. Actually, it was a lot shorter than I originally thought it would be, because it turned out that a good chunk of the book contained excerpts from other books. The length isn't really a negative, as a short story can be really great, but it does make it slightly harder for me to review. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so this is probably going to be short as well.

The Haddingtons are a family of candle makers with a very special tradition. Every twenty-five years, an angel will impart a gift on one of the Christmas candles, and the family will give it to someone in their community. Whoever receives this candle will light it and pray, and they will receive a Christmas miracle. Edward and Bea believe this will be the last year of the Christmas candle, and with everyone in their community in need of a miracle, choosing someone is difficult. And when an incident occurs with the candle, well things aren't exactly going as planned.

The story primarily revolves around Edward and Bea, with a little bit of focus on the community's new minister who doesn't believe in the Christmas candle miracle. There are also a few segments with a woman and her baby who making a journey on their own. In the end, everything comes together and we have a happy Christmas tale.

If I were to have any complaints, it would be that I would have liked a few more details with some of the other people in the community. I just feel like it would have been a nice addition and it would have added more to the story.

Overall, this was a good Christmas story, and if you're looking for something to read this weekend in preparation for Christmas, I'd recommend picking this one up.

Book of the Month: Severed Veil

A dream-traveling boy haunted by a broken girl. A cursed warrior, weary of bloodshed. A princess who battles dragons in an enchanted slumber. A treacherous graveyard in the stars. From Bethany A. Jennings—author of Threadbare and Dragon Lyric—come twelve mesmerizing short works of poetry and prose that boldly pierce the shadows. Severed Veil contains a selection of fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry, including “Dreamskip,” the winner of an honorable mention from the Writers of the Future Contest in 2018. Illustrated with ethereal pencil sketches by artist Julia Busko, these tales dance on the delicate rift between life and death, waking and dreams.

My Rating: ***** 

I love a good short story. I've mentioned before in an earlier review, that I think short stories can be difficult. You have to have an entertaining, engaging story with a small word count. It doesn't sound that hard, but thinking about it, it has to be complete. This one story may be all you ever see of the story's world. You have to bring the reader in without spending a lot of time focusing on worldbuilding, because you're sort of dropping the reader off in the middle. Needless to say, I'm always impressed when this is pulled off well, and Bethany A. Jennings was able to do just that with her short stories in Severed Veil.

I'm a little bit at a loss of how to review and sum up my thoughts when it comes to a short story and poetry collection. There's so much to say, and at the same time I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything in these stories. The worlds of these stories were fascinating, and a few left me wanting to see more of them – which is both good and bad. Good, because I was pulled into these stories so easily. Bad, because I was left with questions and wanting answers. Don't get me wrong, these stories made sense on their own. I sometimes just find stories where I want to know everything that's going on in that world, especially when the story feels like one that could be expanded into something bigger. My favorite story in Bethany's collection would without a doubt be “Dreamskip”. This short story just felt so complete and left me completely satisfied with the ending.

I also really enjoyed the poetry in this collection as well. I'm typically not a big poetry person, because frankly, poetry and I are not friends. I've never had a good grasp of it, and that's something that frustrates me both as a reader and a writer. I do occasionally come across poems that I do enjoy, and I'm glad to say that the ones in Bethany's collection are in that category.

On one final note, I also want to say that the artwork by Julia Busko that accompanied the short stories in Severed Veil are wonderful. You can see an example of two of them up above in my cover image. Bethany had a giveaway for swag packs for this short story collection that contained two random artwork pieces (along with other goodies) from Severed Veil, and I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners. You'll see the artwork right before the short story starts, and I found that they were a nice little hint of what the story would be about.

So if you're looking for some sci-fi and fantasy short stories to read, I'd recommend reading Severed Veil.

Book of the Month: Darkest Fear

A surprise visit from an ex-girlfriend is unsettling enough. But Emily Downing’s news brings Myron to his knees. Her son Jeremy is dying and needs a bone marrow transplant from a donor who has vanished without a trace. Then comes the real shocker: Jeremy is Myron’s son, conceived the night before Emily’s wedding to another man. Myron is determined to help him. But finding the missing donor means cracking open a dark mystery that involves a broken family, a brutal kidnapping spree, and the FBI. And as doubts emerge about Jeremy’s true paternity, a child vanishes, igniting a chain reaction of heartbreaking truth and chilling revelation.

My Rating: ***** 

Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors, and I especially enjoy his Myron Bolitar series. One thing I will note about this series is that I've read it out of order, and there are still a few books in it that I haven't tracked down to read yet. The Myron Bolitar books actually work as standalone stories. There are progressions with the characters and their lives throughout the series, but a new reader could pick up a book that takes place in the middle of the series and understand what's going on without much trouble.

Darkest Fear is book seven in this eleven book series, so it's sort of around the end of the middle of the series (at least of how it stands today). It's a thrilling mystery, filled with twists and turns that leave you trying to guess what will happen next.

As it is part of the series, Darkest Fear also features the typical Myron Bolitar characters. Myron himself, Win, Esperanza, etc. It also brings in other characters that have had roles to play in Myron's past or that are in some way connected with the big mystery at hand. It was interesting piecing together everyone's goals and motivations as the story progressed to see what role they had in the mystery.

As I said before, the Myron books can work as standalone stories, and Darkest Fear is no exception. The overall mystery is completely wrapped up by the end of the novel. There are no hanging threads (at least none that I could see) that would require the reader to find another book to get a complete resolution. Of course this is still part of a series, and if you want to see what happens next with Myron, you will have to pick up the next book to see what's going on in his life and what mystery he discovers next time around.

Overall, if you're looking for a mystery-thriller, I highly recommend reading Darkest Fear (and some of Harlan Coben's other works as well).

Book of the Month: Hell in a Handbasket

They say the road to hell is paved in good intentions, and Rose Gardner can’t shake the notion she’s headed there in a handbasket. She feels responsible for the death of a woman she tried—and failed—to save with her visions, and though she intends to do the “right” thing and tell James Malcolm she can’t possibly accept his offer of a relationship, she hasn’t yet mustered the strength. Worst of all, her sister is terminally ill, and there isn’t a thing she can do to save her.

When a new case falls into Rose’s lap, she eagerly shifts her attention to someone else’s problems—except it’s Henryetta, and every person, and problem, is somehow connected. The case will bring her back into contact with James, whom she still hasn’t answered, and force her to confront her past in other unexpected ways.

Meanwhile, Rose and Neely Kate find themselves playing host to an unlikely house guest. Helping the stranger may require them to become more entangled with the crime world, something Rose knows she should avoid. She and Neely Kate have the very best of intentions, but are those intentions ushering them down a path they can’t easily leave?

My Rating: *****

Hell in a Handbasket is an enjoyable addition to the Rose Gardner series. The characters are entertaining and engaging, and the mystery was an interesting one that tied into the multiple plot points throughout the novel.

That being said, having read the previous Rose Gardner series, I feel like Denise Grover Swank is starting to retread ground when it comes to some of the relationships. I won't say much as to avoid spoilers for both series, but there is a character that I really liked in the last series, and I'm not a fan of how he's being portrayed now.

The character made mistakes by Rose, but it's hard for me to completely disagree with his motives. The town of Henryetta is corrupt and the criminal underground is really running things. Naturally, you would want to see that corruption stopped. That being said, I feel like the series is going to portray that as the wrong thing to do, since Rose is part of the crime world now and so is her current love interest. And it's hard for me to view it that way having seen both the bad and the “good” parts of the crime world of Henryetta in both series.

Maybe Denise Grover Swank will surprise me and not go the way it appears she's going to go with the story as of this novel. I really hope that will be the case.

Regardless, I do plan on reading the next book of the series when it comes out.

Book of the Month: As Old as Time

What if Belle's mother cursed the Beast? When Belle touches the Beast's enchanted rose, memories flood through Belle's mind-memories of a mother she thought she would never see again. And, stranger still, she sees that her beautiful mother is none other than the enchantress who cursed the castle and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast will have to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is 21 years in the making.

My Rating: ***** (close to 4 1/2)

Beauty and the Beast is one of my absolute favorite Disney movies (the animated version, not the live action). So naturally, out of the Disney Twisted Tales books I bought, this was the one I was the most interested in.

One thing I have to say is that this book is different than the Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty retellings in that this book actually goes through the entire movie with it's rewrite. It's different from the beginning since we actually get the story of how Maurice met Belle's mom. The book is split into multiple parts, and during part one we go back and forth between the past with Maurice and the Enchantress, and the present with Belle.

The characters are pretty much the same. Belle is Belle, the Beast is the Beast. We still have Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Gaston, LeFou, etc. There are some new characters as well, though these are primarily featured in Maurice's past.

The story was interesting, especially with Belle and Beast attempting to figure out what happened in the past that caused the curse and what they could do to break it. The true villain is a dark, deranged individual (and slight spoiler, it's not Gaston in this version).

I do have to say that while I did enjoy this book, the ending was a bit flat. I'm a fan of happy endings, and while this book technically did have a happy ending, it didn't feel complete. And that's primarily because of the curse. I'm trying to avoid spoilers with this, but it doesn't feel like the curse was really able to be broken and as such, it doesn't have a good emotional impact. When Belle breaks Beast's curse in the animated movie, it's such a great moment. Here it's just there, and it doesn't even feel like the curse was actually broken.

Also, can I just complain that poor Beast never actually gets a name. Can we please give the guy a name? I mean I get that he's a Beast, but he had a name once too. Also, the “I'm not the same person I was back then” isn't a good excuse for him not to use it. He was a kid! Just because he was a bit of a brat doesn't mean he loses the right to use his name ever again.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I feel like the Twisted Tales books get better as the series goes along, and I plan on reading the new one that focuses on The Little Mermaid in the future.

Book of the Month: A Whole New World

What if Aladdin had never found the lamp? This first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney's Aladdin. When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish. To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war. What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

Rating: ***** 

I love Disney. I love fairytale retellings. So finding a retelling of one of Disney's movies had me intrigued.

This story goes over a few events from the movie before it diverges into the twisted tale aspect. Revisiting parts of the movie was nice, because it does give you a chance to get into the heads of Aladdin and Jasmine before everything goes bad for them. Because things obviously go bad when Jafar has the Genie under his control.

The characters were all enjoyable. Aladdin and Jasmine aren't too far off from their original Disney version, but they still go through some changes – Jasmine more so than Aladdin. Genie is pretty similar, but slightly more subdued in my opinion. Actually we learn a little bit more about his history in this book, which I found to be pretty interesting. Genie's past isn't something I'd thought much about before. Jafar is Jafar. There's really not much else to say there expect that he teeters on the edge of losing his mind on occasion and there are a few tidbits about his past as well. Abu, Rajah, and Carpet are all around too, though with smaller roles for the most part. There are also a few new characters from Aladdin's past, and they were a nice addition.

There was a notable absence in this book however. Jafar's sidekick, Iago, is mentioned a few times, but never actually makes an appearance. His absence is explained, but I found myself actually missing him. Part of me kind of wonders if the author kept him out of the story in an attempt at being more realistic. It sounds weird considering we have Genie, Carpet, and magic in this story, but the author does seem to be keeping things more grounded to an extent. Of the animal characters in the movie, Iago was pretty different than Abu and Rajah in the fact that he can verbally communicate more than a normal parrot. It might would be easier to keep him out of the story than trying to find a way to realistically explain it, but that's just speculation on my part.

Of negatives, I really only had two complaints. The first is the lack of interactions between Aladdin and Genie. In this story, Jasmine is the one who really befriends Genie and Aladdin has one or two meetings with them, only one of which where they actually talk. Aladdin thinks that the two of them could have been friends in another life, which we all know is true. Aladdin and Genie's friendship is one of my favorite things from the movie, and I found myself really disappointed that we couldn't have it in this book. My other complaint is the fate of a few characters. I won't say more than that, because it heads into spoiler territory.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable retelling of Disney's version of Aladdin. If you've ever wondered what it would have been like if Jafar had been the one to use the lamp first instead of Aladdin, I'd recommend this book.

Book of the Month: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World

Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of . . . a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go . . . NUTS?

My Rating: ***** 

The first thing that needs to be said about this book, is that it's meant for younger teens/kids. The only other Marvel book I've currently read is Black Widow: Forever Red, which was more of an older teen novel. To make another comparison, Black Widow would be like the MCU and Squirrel Girl would be like the Marvel cartoons. This is something that I've tried to keep in mind when it comes to my rating and review.

Overall, I found The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World to be an enjoyable read. It's funny, energetic, and lighthearted – much like it's protagonist. Doreen is a sweet kid. She's very optimistic and upbeat, and she's the type of person who would be a great friend to have. She's a big fan of heroes, which is something I think a lot of us can relate to. She's also pretty naive, which kind of got old after a while for me, but I'm willing to overlook it.

The formatting/style of the book is nice. It's primarily told in 3^rd person POV, with occasional chapters being 1^st person. It also will switch between Doreen/Squirrel Girl, her friend Ana Sophia, the book's villain, and Tippy Toe (Doreen's squirrel friend). Tippy Toe's chapters are the ones told through 1^st person. There are also occasional chapters that are text messages, and these are where you can find some appearances from some of the other Marvel heroes. Also, throughout the book you can find footnotes from where Doreen is reading the story with you. These footnotes provide some entertaining insight and additional information about some of the characters – like the fact that Ana Sophia reads comic books about made up heroes who are angsty, brooding, grown men who wear tights. Hmm, that sounds kind of familiar…

While the book is entertaining and it is meant for a younger audience, there were some areas I had a few issues with.

For one thing, the book can be pretty cliché/stereotypical at times. In the high school, you have the stereotypical popular girls. They're not nice, and you can only speak to them if they acknowledge you first. They're called the Somebodies, and even though there's nothing related between the two, the fact that they're called that made me think of Kingdom Hearts.

The villain, the Micro-Manager, is also pretty much a cartoon style bad guy right down to the fact he actually goes “Mwa ha ha”. His main goal is to be recruited into Hydra, and he thinks beating Squirrel Girl is the way to do it. That's about all there is to him, minus a small bit of backstory that did make me feel a little bad for him. Even though this is a book for younger audiences, I still think that the Micro-Manager could have been fleshed out a little bit more. From how the book ended with him, I suspect that he probably appears again in the second book, so maybe they'll do more with him then.

Another part that I didn't 100% like was the treatment of some of the other Marvel characters. Some of the characters were fine, like Black Widow and Thor. Rocket (and by extension Groot) provided some of the most entertaining text messages and was ultimately the most helpful to Doreen, which was a little surprising. The main issues I had were with Winter Soldier and Iron Man. I don't even know how to describe Winter Soldier except as intense. His idea of helping is to tell you to tell him where to go kill a guy and then for you to go change your name with something that starts with a 'Y', which just seemed sort of weird to me. In Iron Man's case, Doreen doesn't think he's a real hero. She think he's the Avengers errand boy. Her reason for this is explained, and while it does make me laugh, it's a pretty weak explanation. Considering how popular all of the heroes are, to the point where paparazzi follows Thor on occasion, I have a hard time seeing how Doreen is clueless about Iron Man being a hero.

I also didn't really care for Tippy Toe's chapters, and I didn't really see what the point was for a good chunk of them. This is a more minor problem though, as her chapters were usually on the shorter side and there wasn't a whole lot of them.

Despite these few problems, I still like this book and it gave me some good laughs. There is a sequel to it, and I think I might try to read it sometime, though it's not going to be a book I'd be in a hurry to read.

If you're looking for a fun Marvel read, or you have a younger cousin, sibling, or child who enjoys Marvel, I would recommend picking this book up.

Book Review: Rose by Another Name

Today, I will be reviewing Rose by Another Name by Melanie Thurlow.

Here's the synopsis:

“Her worth decided over a game of cards, Lady Rosalyn Hayes has accepted her future. She will marry a duke she doesn’t know to protect her sisters’ reputations. But when a year of preparation for her debut vanishes in the blink of an eye, Rose flees her gilded cage in search of unrestrained adventure.

Lord Robert Phillip Clarence, Duke of Brighton, lives a life of debauchery far from his country estate, and even farther from the lady he must marry in order to restore his family’s ancestral lands. But when he is summoned home to meet his future wife, he realizes he hasn’t lived at all.

Rose and Robert do not meet when their eyes lock across a ballroom swathed in candlelight. They do not meet amid fine clothes, genteel manners, debonair charm, and chaperones. They meet, alone, upon Rose’s near death. It is this near-death experience that catapults the two nobles, disguised as servants, towards a romance that seems destined for failure.

They think they know each other. But when their true identities are revealed at a house party, will they live happily ever after or will the ton be shocked to see a lady run?”

My rating: *****

Even though I don't read them a lot, I love a good historical fiction. Rose by Another Name is the first regency historical romance that I've read, so I personally don't have a lot of books that I can compare it to in this genre.

I will say that the story had a bit of a slow start, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It's good, because it gave the story time to immerse the reader into the world of the story. It also helped the reader to learn more about Rose and Robert and see their romance unfold. The one downside to a slow start is that it took me a little longer to really get into the story.

But once I did get into the story, I kept looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

I loved the characters of Rose and Robert. They were interesting and intriguing, and had great chemistry with each other. From the moment they met, I was looking forward to when they would realize who the other was. I was rooting for them to be together and to live happily ever after. Something I felt Rose really deserved, because she does not have an easy life.

I thought I knew exactly where this story was going and how it was going to end.

Boy was I wrong.

I have to give Melanie Thurlow some major credit, because she provided a twist that I did not see coming and ended this story in a way that I wouldn't have expected from a historical romance.

This is the first book in a series and I look forward to seeing what will happen with Rose in the next book. If you're looking for a regency novel to read, I would recommend checking this book out!  

Book Review: Unsanctioned Eyes

Today, I will be reviewing Unsanctioned Eyes by Brianna Merritt.

Here’s the synopsis:

“Her death was just the beginning.

Quinn Rogers doesn’t exist. There are no records of her name. Her DNA has no match. She is a ghost. A phantom killer no one can trace. The perfect assassin. Or so she thinks.

At the top of her game, Quinn’s no longer looking over her shoulder. Her master will protect her, save her, like he always has. But there are forces at work neither of them suspect.

Can Quinn find the truth in a world of lies? Or will her unsanctioned past catch up to her in the end?”

My rating: ***** (Closer to 4 ½)

Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense is one of my favorite genres to read. I love how the stories keep you guessing with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Unsanctioned Eyes is no exception to this. Throughout the story I kept wondering what would happen next, and how the characters would get out of the situations they were in.

Speaking of characters, I have to be honest and say that I really didn’t like Quinn at first. She is a killer, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I couldn’t connect with her, and really, I didn’t want to connect with her. When Nathan arrives, a new side of Quinn starts to emerge and by the halfway point I could see how her character was starting to change. Quinn’s changes felt very natural to the story, and I do love a good redemption arc, so I’m curious to see where this character will go in the next story.

The other characters were interesting too. I think my favorites were Nathan and Jason. Jason was entertaining to read about, and I really sympathized for Nathan. He was not in a good situation in this book, but he was able to make the best of it and really helped Quinn to start seeing the light.

Overall, Unsanctioned Eyes was a great read and I’m looking forward to seeing where the next book will take these characters. If you’re looking for a good thriller, I recommend checking this book out! 

Short Story Review: Threadbare

Today, I will be reviewing a short story called Threadbare by Bethany A. Jennings.

Here’s the synopsis:

“What happens when your gift turns against you?

All her life Bess has known the magic streams around her, waves of power she can draw from to wield the gift of magical threads. Now the youngest member of a team of Anchors, she helps protect the city streets from Drifters—energy thieves who prey on the life force of ordinary humans.

But when a battle leaves Bess’s threads in an irreparable tangle, she is faced with an agonizing choice: sever her threads and lose her magic forever—or be slowly consumed by her own power.”

My rating: *****

I think that short stories can be difficult to write. To be exciting and coherent in such a small word count, can be a hard feat to accomplish. Bethany A. Jennings was able to accomplish this and more. Threadbare is a delightfully imaginative tale. The use of the magical abilities in this story is one that I personally have never seen in a story before and I found it intriguing. Bess is an interesting protagonist and she is a very relatable character. Despite the steady pace and satisfying conclusion, Threadbare left me wanting more. Even though we the readers really only get a small glimpse of the world, it’s fascinating and it’s a setting I’d love to see explored more.

Overall, if you’re looking for a nice fantasy short story to check out, I would recommend giving Threadbare a shot! 

Book Review: Where the Woods Grow Wild

Today, I will be reviewing Where the Woods Grow Wild by Nate Philbrick.

Here’s the synopsis:

“A forest looms over Bardun Village. Nobody goes in. Nothing comes out. The secrets in the oaks remain hidden until a mischievous escapade thrusts Martin and Elodie behind the silent trees. Separated and lost in a tangle of fantasy, they discover more than animals roam where the woods grow wild.”

My rating: *****

Where the Woods Grow Wild is an enjoyable fantasy. Where many fantasies tend to move closer to darkness and despair, this story stays on the lighter side of things. That isn’t to say that it’s an easy journey for the characters. There are many obstacles and challenges that the characters are faced with. Not only that, the story does explore some serious topics such as losing a loved one and learning to accept and live with a disability. These are topics that many of us can relate to.

This novel is filled with wonderful world building and funny and witty dialogue, but my favorite part was the characters. Martin and Elodie were fantastic protagonists and I really liked how the story would switch between their perspectives. I was rooting for them throughout their journey as they went through all of their struggles to find each other again. They were realistic and, like pretty much all of the characters in the novel, there was more to them than what you first see.

The other characters were also fantastic. Illo, Fella, Aguilax, Podgin, Bramble, and the rest were all entertaining to read about.

There was also a little mystery to the story as well, which I particularly enjoyed. I kept wondering what caused Martin to lose his hand, and what or who exactly was Nayadu. There were a few things that I was left wondering about, but perhaps those questions will be answered in the next story. Which by the way, there is a sneak peek of the next book at the end of the story. I really enjoy it when authors do that!

Overall, Where the Woods Grow Wild is a great story and if you’re looking for a lighter fantasy, I recommend checking it out! 

Book Review: The Assassin's Daughter

Today, I’ll be reviewing The Assassin’s Daughter by Jameson C. Smith.

Here’s the synopsis:

“For most of her life, Katira has trained to take on the role of assassin. While it’s far from the life she would have chosen, the law known as the Inheritance Proclamation dictates that she must follow in her father’s profession. At seventeen, she’ll be expected to use her training on a real assignment any day.

When new information about an old fugitive brings questions about Kat’s past to light, she must make a choice: Prove her loyalties to the Tederan Order and their laws, or become a fugitive to search after answers she may never find.”

My rating: *****

First off, let me just say how much I love this cover. It’s very simplistic, but still super awesome. I especially like the colors. Honestly, it makes me kind of sad that my Kindle Paperwhite only displays covers in black and white. Since the cover is a darker color, the purple in it is turned to a dark gray color and it doesn’t stand out as much.

Now onto the story itself. Overall, I enjoyed it. There were moments where I wasn’t quite sure where the plot was going, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It kept me guessing on what was going to happen to the characters, which can be rather fun. This is the first book in a series, so there were some story threads left to be explored in the future. I’m interested in learning more about the world of this story, because it seems like there’s a lot of interesting aspects to it.

Personally the characters were my favorite part of this book. Kat and Ed were really great characters and I loved their relationship. Their friendship and loyalty to each other felt like one of the strongest elements of this novel to me. Also can I just say that I love how simple their nicknames are to pronounce? I love fantasy stories, but they often leave me feeling clueless about how some of the names are supposed to be pronounced. It feels like it’s kind of a staple for the genre, but I really hate it when I’m not sure how to pronounce the protagonist’s name. Kat and Ed as nicknames were rather refreshing for a fantasy. J

The rest of the characters were great too. All of them were interesting and I’d like to learn more about them, so hopefully we’ll get to see them again in the next book.

All in all, this was an enjoyable novel and I look forward to seeing where the story and characters will go in the next installment. I definitely recommend giving this book a shot! 

Book Review: Take the Key and Lock Her Up

Today, we look at the final book in Ally Carter’s Embassy Row series: Take the Key and Lock Her Up.

Here’s the summary from Amazon.com:

"For the past three years, Grace Blakely has been desperate to find out the truth about her mother's murder. She thought it would bring her peace. She thought it would lead her to answers. She thought she could put the past to rest.
          
But the truth has only made her a target.
       
And the past?
          
The only way to put the past to rest is for Grace to kill it once and for all."

My rating: ***** (Though I’m sort of leaning closer to 3 ½)

Okay, so when I first finished reading this book I thought it was wonderful. I couldn’t put it down, I had to see what was going to happen next. Usually when that happens, I’m willing to give a book 5 stars. With this one though, the more I thought about it, the more issues that popped up for me.

Also I just want to say, I totally forgot that Adria had a prince close to Grace’s age. Really I forgot that there was a prince altogether and when they first mentioned him, I was thinking that he must be a lot younger. He’s not fortunately, or else some of the stuff in this book would have been very awkward (which it was already awkward, but it would have been worse). Also Thomas is a real MVP. He goes through a lot of crap in this book and he handles it like a champ.

Before I get into any issues, let me focus on what I liked about this book:

• The cover.

The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous and it’s by far my favorite in the series. I want the dress that Grace is wearing. I would never be able to wear it, but it is so pretty. I’m adding it to my mental list of fictional dresses that I wish I could own.

• The characters.

The characters were great as always, well most of them were anyway. A few groups of characters were just odd and Alexei had a moment or two where he wasn’t spectacular (mainly due to a weird pseudo love triangle, that wasn’t really a love triangle, that was popping up).

• The overall story.

While there were a few issues with it, the story was still exciting and fun to read. I kept wanting to see what would happen next and I wanted to see how Grace would solve everything.

Okay, so now onto the issues with the book. The problem here is that many of the issues are wrapped up with spoilers, both for this book and for the previous ones, so I have to be vague which makes this very difficult to talk about. Ultimately there are two issues that I need to discuss. One: Where the heck is Grace and Jamie’s dad? They’ve been on the run for months, people have been trying to kill them, and he’s MIA the entire time. Shouldn’t he be trying to find them? Has anyone filled him in on what’s happening? There’s a similar issue with Grace’s grandfather, but we do at least get to see him in the book.

Problem number 2: Everything ultimately could have been avoided. That is my main issue with all of this. The people who went after Grace’s mom, go after her and her brother years after her mom’s death. If they were such a threat, why wait this long? The Society, the group of women who influence everything, are fairly idiotic. I mean they have valid concerns, they really do (primarily because Adria has a really stupid constitution), but they are of no help to Grace whatsoever. Also they brush off Grace’s way of ending everything as an impractical solution that couldn’t work, when apparently it could work just fine. Which leads to a rather weak resolution in my opinion. Also I’m going to be honest, but I find the resolution to be a little unrealistic. Though to be fair, a lot of things in this series are unrealistic and that’s why it’s enjoyable, but still.

Overall the story isn’t a bad one, but there are some plot issues that bug me. That being said, they’re not so terrible that it makes the story completely unreadable. It’s still a fun page-turning story and I do recommend checking it out. 

Book Review: Home

You know that book where you’re so excited to read it, but once you start you don’t want it to be over? That pretty much sums up my feelings when it comes to Harlan Coben’s newest novel, Home. This is a continuation of his Myron Bolitar series, which hasn’t had a new installment in years. Harlan Coben is one of my absolute favorite writers, and the Myron Bolitar series is one of my absolute favorite book series. Needless to say, I’ve been dying for a new Myron book and Home did not disappoint.

Here’s the synopsis:

“A decade ago, kidnappers grabbed two boys from wealthy families and demanded ransom, then went silent. No trace of the boys ever surfaced. For ten years their families have been left with nothing but painful memories and a quiet desperation for the day that has finally, miraculously arrived: Myron Bolitar and his friend Win believe they have located one of the boys, now a teenager. Where has he been for ten years, and what does he know about the day, more than half a life ago, when he was taken? And most critically: What can he tell Myron and Win about the fate of his missing friend?”

My rating: *****

I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. It was amazing, spectacular, spellbinding, pretty much any word that describes an incredibly terrific book! _{Okay, I’ll admit that I might be overselling it a little.}

First things first, this book is told in 3^rd person POV focusing on Myron and occasionally 1^st person POV focusing on Win. We read Win’s thoughts and it is amazing. If you’ve never read any of the Myron Bolitar books before there are a lot of important characters, but the main four are: Myron, Windsor “Win” Horne Lockwood III, Esperanza Diaz, and Big Cyndi. The four of them are a very eclectic group and are very entertaining. I’m making a point to mention that we’re reading chapters told through Win’s perspective, because he’s a psychopathic anti-hero. He’s pretty much the type of character I normally wouldn’t be a fan of, and yet for some reason I love this character. Win. An enigma of a character, and it is wonderful to get to read through his perspective.

Oh and Myron’s nephew Mickey Bolitar, and his friends Ema and Spoon from the YA books staring Mickey, also make appearances in Home.

The story itself was one full of twists and turns, because just when you think they’ve figured it out, it turns into something else instead. Which is great, because it kept me at the edge of my seat, trying to figure out exactly what went down with this kidnapping. The answer and ending to this mystery was a bittersweet one though. But I really didn’t dwell on the bittersweetness, because the ending to the novel, the very last page, dropped a bombshell.

To avoid spoilers, I will sum up my thoughts on said bombshell: “WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT!? AHHH! NO WAY!”

I’m really, really hoping that there’s going to be either another Myron book or another Mickey book, because I really, really, really want to learn more about this.

And I say hoping, because there were moments in Home where I was wondering if this is going to be the last Myron Bolitar novel. I haven’t seen anything that states that it is, so I’m going to remain optimistic that Harlan Coben has more stories for these characters in the future.

Just hopefully it won’t take five more years. 

Book Review: Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel

Author collaborations are always interesting. Each writer has their own unique style, so when you combine two of them you can wind up with two results: a disaster or an enjoyable story. Fortunately, all the ones I’ve read so far, have been very enjoyable. That’s why today, I’ll be reviewing Janet Evanovich’s recent collaboration with Phoef Sutton: Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel.

Here’s the synopsis:

“Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.”

My rating: *****

I really enjoyed this story. Riley and Emerson are both enjoyable characters, Emerson especially so. He’s a pretty big departure from Janet Evanovich’s usual male leads. Oh, he’s still attractive, just like Ranger, Joe, and Nick are, but his personality is pretty different. Emerson is pretty much a mash up between Sheldon Cooper and Sherlock Holmes. And that makes for a very entertaining character.

The story itself is a pretty average one, nothing spectacular, but it wasn’t bad either. The mystery was interesting, and I was curious to see where the story was going to go. Much like most of Janet Evanovich’s books, it’s the characters that leave a lasting impact, not the story itself. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I do have to say, that I love the various pop culture references that this book makes. If you manage to make superhero references in a story, I’m pretty much guaranteed to increase my liking of it.

All in all, this is a series I would like to see continued. 

Book Review: Ella: An Everland Ever After Tale

I love fairy tales. Growing up, my favorite movies were Disney’s animated reimaginings of these stories. So it’s only natural that I would enjoy checking out novels that do the same thing. One of the more recent ones that I’ve read has been Ella: An Everland Ever After Tale. This book is the second in the Everland Ever After Tales, and it is a reimagining of Cinderella.

Here’s the synopsis:

"Forget glass slippers... this time she's wearing cowboy boots!

Ella has grown used to the casual cruelty of her stepsisters, the complete control her wicked stepfather exerts, and the exasperating way the birds and the mice keep bothering her while she's trying to do her (extensive) daily chores. But with the big July Fourth celebration coming up in Everland, she's determined to make her sisters the prettiest dresses possible so that they'll finally get married and move out of her life. But she doesn't count on a chance meeting with a handsome shopkeeper...

Having lost a leg at Gettysburg, Ian Crowne knows that he's no princely catch. He's got his store and his dogs, so he's satisfied...until the day when an enigmatic stranger captures his imagination and his heart. Now they're both dreaming of each other and wishing on stars, and the celebration is only days away...”

My rating: ***** (Probably closer to a 3 ½) 

I’m sort of torn on my thoughts when it comes to this story. I enjoyed it, but it’s not a story that I’d necessarily want to read again. This is a really creative story. I’ve never read a western version of a fairy tale before, so that was pretty neat. I liked the small twist of Ella having a wicked stepfather instead of the usual stepmother. Ella and Ian were both nice characters and they seem like a good pair, also props to the author for having them meet a few times before the Fourth of July celebration. And on a more minor note, I did like that Ella didn't have blonde hair for a change.

My main problem with the novel is that it feels like things move very fast as soon as the celebration happens.  It just seems like there was so much building up to it, that as soon as things were getting good the story was over. I’m of the mindset that the story would have been better with a few more chapters about Ella and Ian after the celebration was over. I think that would have kept the ending from feeling rushed.

That being said, the story was still an interesting one. I have two of the other novels in this series on my Kindle, and I’m curious to see how this universe will be expanded.

So what fairy tale retellings do you all enjoy? Are there any you would recommend? 

Book Review: Black Widow Forever Red

I love superheroes. The Marvel Cinematic Universe contains some of my absolute favorite movies. One of my favorite superhero characters is Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Spies tend to be intriguing characters, and Black Widow is no exception. So when it was announced that Marvel would be releasing a Black Widow YA novel I was very excited. And one of my best friends, knowing how much I love Marvel, got me Black Widow Forever Red for my birthday.

Here’s the synopsis:

Enter the world of the Avengers' iconic master spy

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world's most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow's infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments-until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn't really the big sister type.

Until now.

When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned-and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava's dreams. . . .

My rating: *****

Black Widow Forever Red is an enjoyable story. The characters are interesting, the story is intriguing, and we even get an appearance from one of Natasha’s Avengers teammates. Oh and our favorite agent of SHIELD, Phil Coulson is here too and he’s as enjoyable as always.

I do have one slight complaint though. For a book with Black Widow in the title and Black Widow herself on the cover, Black Widow isn’t really the main character. She’s important sure, and an integral part of the story. But overall the focus of this novel is on Ava, as the synopsis does indicate. Ava’s not a bad character by any means, she’s interesting and enjoyable for the most part, but I really wanted the story to be focused on Natasha.

When this book was announced, I was hoping that maybe we would get to see her life in the Red Room and her transition into SHIELD. We do get glimpses of that in this novel, but it is by no means a major part. But maybe Marvel could cover all of this if they ever get around to making a Black Widow movie. Come on Marvel, you know you want to do it.

Overall, if you enjoy all things Marvel I would recommend checking out Black Widow Forever Red. It’s a good read and I hope that Marvel will release more YA books in the future. 

Book Review: The Crown

Time for the second book review of the week to catch up on things! Today, I’m reviewing the final book in Keira Cass’s Selection series: The Crown.

Here’s the synopsis:

"In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.”

My rating: ***** (Really more about a 3 ½)

I don’t really know how to put my thoughts together on The Crown. I didn’t hate the book by any means, but I feel overall it isn’t the best ending to have for this series. Eadlyn’s Selection is rather rushed when you consider it, though to be fair it takes place over two books whereas we had three during Maxon’s. Actually it almost feels unfair to compare them. With the first three books in the series, we’re reading through the eyes of America. As a result, we see two possibilities for her future. She’s either going to win the Selection and be with Maxon, or she’ll wind up with Aspen. With Eadlyn, it’s rather unclear who she’s going to go for because she has so many options. This makes things difficult as not enough time is spent with the boys for us as the audience to really make as much of a connection with them.

Of course, everyone still has that one guy they want her to end up with and some people are going to be disappointed as a result. I won’t say who I was leaning towards for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but I did feel like there could have been more building towards the relationship of the guy Eadlyn does end up picking. The way things went felt a little unrealistic. I know it’s a fictional novel, but the characters really weren’t given enough time to get to know each other to fall in love this fast. And that honestly would go with just about any of the guys in her Selection.

Really I think Eadlyn needed three books like America and Maxon. So much was happening in this book with the politics and the romance, it was hard to focus on one particular aspect. 

The novel was still a good read, and I don’t regret purchasing the book. I think in every series there are going to be some books that you don’t care for as much as others, and this book was more in that category for me.

I do still look forward to seeing what Kiera Cass comes up with next, because she comes up with interesting story ideas. 

Book Review: The Stranger

Long time no see, blog world. School and work have kept me busy the past few months, but now I have some more free time and I can catch back up on blog posts. I have two book reviews coming for you, the first of which is this post. So I’ve been able to do plenty of reading, just not much blogging. Let’s get started with the first book review.

When it comes to mystery and suspense, my absolute favorite author is Harlan Coben. He always delivers thrilling stories with fantastic characters. As I mentioned in my Top 5 Favorite Book Series post, his Myron Bolitar series is one of my favorites to read. Today though, I’m reviewing one of his standalone stories: The Stranger.

Here’s the synopsis:

“The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world. 

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life. 

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.” 

My rating: ***** 

The Stranger is a real page turner, that constantly keeps the wheels in your head turning as you try to solve the mystery. The characters were all intriguing and I felt for Adam Price throughout the book. The one thing that keeps me from giving this book a full five-star rating, is that the ending didn’t quite hit it out of the park for me. It’s not a terrible ending by any means, but the overall mystery of the novel doesn’t feel fully resolved.

One of my favorite things about Harlan Coben’s novels is that they take place in the same universe. So if you read his various books, you may just spot a character cameo here and there – and this novel is no exception with that. I love it when I’m able to spot a familiar face in a book.

Speaking of familiar faces, I’m also very excited to see that Harlan Coben is releasing a new Myron Bolitar book this year. I’ve missed getting to read the stories about him, and while I’ve enjoyed the YA books about Myron’s nephew Mickey, it’s not quite the same.

If you’re in the mood for a mystery, I recommend checking out The Stranger and some of Harlan Coben’s other books.

Book Review: The Siren

One of my favorite book series for the longest time has been The Selection series by Kiera Cass. As a result of this, I was very interested when I saw that her first book that she’d written had been re-released. Like all of her books, The Siren had a gorgeous cover and the story sounded so interesting that I just had to check it out!

Here’s the synopsis from Amazon.com:

Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who's everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can't bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?

For starters, this book is a bit different from my usual reads. Spies, detectives, and occasionally princesses, but I can’t say that I’ve read any stories dealing with sirens. I think that’s what makes this story unique. While mythological creature romances aren’t anything new, it’s refreshing to see something that’s not dealing with vampires, werewolves, witches, or zombies.

Kahlen’s story is a fascinating one, and I was rooting for her and Akinli to be together from the moment they met. Akinli was super sweet, and I could easily see why Kahlen fell in love with him. Their love is naturally forbidden, but this love story had a creative solution that I honestly didn’t think would happen.

Aside from the love story, I also enjoyed seeing Kahlen’s friendships with her fellow sirens. Each of the girls were enjoyable to read about, and I found myself liking all of them. I also enjoyed how the sirens traveled to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina for a while, as I had been there with my own best friends back during the summer. It’s not very often that I can say that I’ve been to one of the settings in a book.

The Siren is a lovely read, and I recommend checking it out!